Public Speaking in Saudi Arabia - Research Paper Example

Public speaking in Saudi Arabia Introduction The public speaking in Saudi Arabia is going under some reforms; however, they still maintain the traditions and cultures that were there in the past. The public speaking is conservative in nature. There are reforms taking place in Saudi Arabia, which is making the government to open up to changes. The traditions, and culture of the Saudis which is based on Islam, has been a major impediment to the reforms. The women are the mostly affected as the traditions infringe on many of their rights. Individuals and citizen groups have come up to push for more public speaking reforms. The paper will look into the aspects of the Saudis, traditions, culture, and taboos in relation to public speech. This will be categorized in terms of the family, rights and freedom of speech, the economic structure in Saudi Arabia, and the government responsibility in public speaking in Saudi Arabia. Public speaking in Saudi Arabia is unique in many ways. This range from interpretation of the family values, political ideology, economic structure, to individual rights on public speech. The Saudi Arabia operates on a monarchy that is fundamentally based on the Islamic law. The separation between religion and state is not clear (Alshamsi 34). In addition, the government is permissible to monitor the public to make sure that they cooperate with the Islamic practices and standards. In Saudi Arabia fair trials are quite uncommon, as judges are persuaded or persuaded by members of the upper class to render specific rulings. The family values in Saudi Arabia are very strong as the parents raise the children to conservative Islamic beliefs (Brown 35). The children are anticipated to be compliant and courteous at all times. This makes the interference by external people to the various forms of abuse to be minimal. Child rearing measures which are very strict are practiced. The measures are what are used to inflict the sense of discipline in children as required by the Islamic faith. Moreover, parental respect in Saudi Arabia is quite significant in Saudi Arabia. Despite all the rapid development in the Kingdom, the family structure that is characterized by the traditions of Saudi society has remained fundamentally intact. This makes the respect to elders to be held in high commandment and unconditional. The lovingly grandchildren and children take care of the elderly in the society. The individual rights and freedoms in Saudi Arabia are limited to a great extent. This unique social stability explains why may of the Saudis do not emigrate, yet they own many homes abroad. Some have been exiled like Osama Bin Laden because of their deviant behaviors. The government in Saudi Arabia monitors both the media and online information. The government controls anything that they believe is sacrilegious, and it is not allowed to the public. The government blocks the Internet and other social networking connections. Furthermore, the government of Saudi Arabia suppresses any forms of opposition. In addition, the formation of political parties that are deemed to overthrow the monarch system is suppressed and not allowed. In Saudi Arabia, the family is a significant segment in the society than an individual. Thus, the people are expected to act in ways that they honor their families. In Saudi Arabia, affluence is a significant aspect in the society and it can help any one to achieve what he wants. The elite portion of the society takes advantage of the situation, to get away with what they want (Cordesman 25). The people who run the jails do engage in convict torture methodically. On the other hand, the people on the lower stature are apprehended unreasonably for indistinct periods of time. In Saudi Arabia, laws are applied selectively. The outcomes of many legal situations are always uncertain. This has made the people scared; thus, do submit to the authorities, as they do not have the notion of the severity of the penalty they could face. Getting visas to Saudi Arabia is difficult for academics and journalists. This explains the lack of institutions and scholars who pursue their studies in Saudi Arabia. Meeting together by more that a few people is illegal, without a permit, in Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia does not guarantee the freedom of religion. In addition, the women do no have rights at all (Fisher 14). When the women claim that they have been raped, their cases are taken to court. More often that not, the women are the ones, who are found to be guilty. This is because it is one of the societies in the world that has not been penetrated by the Western cultures. The country has maintained most of her traditions and culture. At the villages, when the women are caught having an affair, they plus their partners are stoned to death. They can not be seen in public devoid of having a male relation present. Moreover, the women are not allowed to drive cars, they have to use drivers even if the cars ate theirs. They were not even allowed to sell lingerie without men to other women, until recently. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has for a long time stood apart from the global norms that are taking place. This is because the systems of the government are drawn on Islamic and tribal traditions, rather than, the Western models. The King presides over the country, rather than, rule over the Saudi society and the royal family. The responsibility of the King is to make decisions, rather than, proclaiming and shaping consensus. He assures the sharing of the national wealth to all, more so to the less privileged in the society (Milmo 19). The government does not levy taxes on the citizens, except, a religious tithe called “zakat”. This is a two and half annual percentage of the contribution of private capital to aids and other public uses. In addition, the Saudis enjoy free medical care and education from birth to death. The services can be pursued both when one is in the country or abroad. The kingdom does not have a parliament; however, it has convoluted informal mechanisms that are used for consultation with the citizens on the policy matters of the government. The investments on the oil are in the home country. Most Saudis are literate with university degrees. In addition, the Saudis have many U.S PhD’s in the cabinet. Not all the Saudis are contented and happy with the status quo. Some of the citizens are angry to the extent at which the kingdom has been opening up to reforms in the country. This has made others to be impatient to go on with the reforms. This include the current ruler, King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Sa`ud. The King who has ruled since 2005, and is in his late eighties, has tried in vigor to modernize Saudi society. This he has done by trying to reshape the relationship of the country with others in the world beyond her borders. However, the Saudis have many problems that have kept the kept king engaged. Many issues are derived from the peculiar religious heritage of the Saudi state. Sustained efforts have been involved by the Kingdom rulers to influence the religious scholars and their puritanical cohorts to grip change and open up to the outside world. The struggle has been peaceful and nearly invisible to outsiders. However, at times, the reforms have engendered violence. Fisher (23), notes, “For example, the late King Faisal, in 1975, paid by his life for instituting public education for girl child, and for introducing television to the nation”. This has made the current ruler King Abdullah to be cautious in avoiding drama in his backing for change that is astonishing to appraise the growing results in his leadership. For example, the women issues have been tackled in his administration. The responsibility of the girl’s education was transferred from the religious authorities to the ministry of education. This has achieved tremendous progress and the women now make up to around 58% of the enrollment in the Saudi universities. In addition, the new Noura bint Abdulrahman University for Women, in Riyadh, which is under construction, is expected to enroll 40,000. The female participation in the labor force is on the rise. A third of the civil service has been reserved for women in public position, and 29% of the women work outside their homes. However, there is a compromise among the Muslims that the present age is morally corrupt. Thus, the religious faith requires some renewal and reinvigoration. This is to be done by reaffirming and rediscovering the values of the religion that was there in the past. This is the reason why there are movements such as al Qa`ida that want the Islam to go back to the roots. Although, they portray early Islam as, intolerant, xenophobic, puritanical, and oppressive to women, they want to revive Islam. This is to be done through reforming Islam as the religious guide to the society and opening it to ideas from other traditions. This calls for Islam tolerance of foreign ways that has respect for women, and development of new technologies for better human conditions (Alshamsi 29). Moreover, there are other domestic reforms that have taken place. For example, the revamping of the Saudi Arabia’s educational curriculum and system, electoral experiments in the lower levels of government and civil society, the development and production of energy in primary form, among others. The reforms are brought as regards by the disappointment, of the methods of political consultations, that worked more cohesively, yet, they were less populous to the people. These systems can no longer produce the consensus that was there in the past. Work Cited Alshamsi, Mansoor Jassem. Islam and Political Reform in Saudi Arabia: The Quest for Political Change and Reform. NY: Taylor & Francis, 2011. Brown, Nathan J. "Why Won't Saudi Arabia Write Down its Laws?" Foreign Policy (2012): 12- 15. Cordesman, Anthony H. Understanding Saudi Stability and Instability: A Very Different Nation. 26 02 2011. 29 04 2012 . Fisher, William. http://prism-magazine.com/2012/03/why-will-saudi-arabia-never-implement- true-reforms/. 21 03 2012. 29 04 2012. Milmo, Cahal. The Acton princess calling for reform in Saudi Arabia . 03 01 2012. 29 04 2012 . Read More