THE TIMES OF INDIA SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2003 Saudi reformers face media shut-out, death threats REUTERS DUBAI: Under pressure from religious hardliners, Saudi Arabia is silencing some reformists by denying them a floor to publish articles that challenge the clerical establishment. "There are maybe more than 100 writers banned," said Ali al-Ahmad, a Saudi pro-democracy dissident based in Washington. "There is a determined official campaign against reformers across the political spectrum." The royal family, which has enjoyed absolute power in the tribal kingdom since the country was founded over seven decades ago, was "terrified of the emerging national front of liberals." In a rare move, a vocal group of liberals this year petitioned de facto ruler Crown Prince Abdullah for wider political participation, fair distribution of wealth and changes to an education system accused of fostering Islamic extremism. But some writers have been silenced by influential clerics who directly complain to the state-controlled newspapers or to the interior or information ministries, columnist Mansour al-Nogaidan said. Some have even received death threats. "The papers don't want problems so they will agree with a writer that he should stop for a while," said Nogaidan, who is on an open-ended "holiday" from writing in the daily al-Riyadh. He said the paper was under pressure from top clerics after an article criticising Ibn Taymiyya, a medieval Islamic scholar revered by Saudi's hardline religious establishment. Several newspaper editors were not available to comment. The clerics, who rule in alliance with the royal family, fear that domestic and foreign pressure is mounting to limit their influence and secularise the strict Islamic state, the birthplace of Islam. The religious establishment came under scrutiny after the September 11, 2001 attacks on US cities in which 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudis loyal to al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Since the attacks, Saudi media have become more open to liberal views. But analysts noted a recent clampdown on articles critical of the influence of the religious establishment. Most clerics have supported a government crackdown on Islamic extremism in mosques and schools in what liberals say is a quid pro quo for silencing their cries for reform. "They (clerics) are terrified. For a long time they had an exclusive franchise, now they have been shocked that satellite TV, the press and the internet are willing to accommodate other opinions," said writer Hussein Shobokshi. Shobokshi was stopped from writing in the daily Okaz after an article in which he dreamed of a day when Saudis voted in elections, debated human rights and women could drive. He was also stopped from writing in the English-language Arab News and a weekly political discussion programme was taken off the air on Al Arabiya television station. Both are owned by influential Saudis. Writer Dawoud al-Shiryan confirmed that a regular column he penned in the London-based pan-Arab al-Hayat daily was stopped four months ago. Al-Hayat is Saudi owned. Nogaidan and Shobokshi said they have received death threats through cellular telephone calls, text messages or e-mail. The Saudi press accused Shobokshi of claiming that Crown Prince Abdullah called him personally to praise his writings. "They misquoted me," Shobokshi said. "They rubbish your reputation and slander you, and it's an orchestrated effort. It's not sporadic. They use the internet, mobile phones, leaflets handed out at mosques," he said. Copyright © 2003 Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved.