Riyadh,April 27: Dr. Abdullah Omar Naseef, former deputy chairman of the Shoura Council, has supported the present system of appointing qualified members to the Saudi consultative body.
“Shoura is an important system and it needs people of experience and wisdom to run the show. I think people who call for elections have not taken this important point into consideration,” he said.
In an exclusive interview with Arab News at his office in Jeddah, Naseef said the Shoura Council is equal to any parliament in the world. "Our Shoura members are highly qualified academics and technocrats and the Shoura decisions are based on the Qur'an and Sunnah. This makes our Shoura Council different from other parliaments," he pointed out.
Dr. Naseef described Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah as a charismatic leader who is loved not only by Saudis but also by foreigners.
Following is the full text of the interview:
Arab News: You have been on the Shoura Council as its deputy chairman for eight years. What are the special features of the Saudi Shoura system?
Dr. Abdullah Omar Naseef: The Saudi Shoura Council works exactly like a Parliament. Technically there is no difference. It plays a big role in drafting the Kingdom's rules and laws as well as international and bilateral treaties. The only difference between the Shoura Council and parliaments in other countries is that there are no political blocs and the members are not elected by the public. In an Islamic system, Shoura members can be either appointed or elected. Our government has adopted the first option and it appoints qualified people specialized in various fields such as economics, political science, education, health and Islamic jurisprudence to the council. They pick the cream of society who represents all tribes and regions of the Kingdom. The Shoura members consider the Holy Qur'an and Hadith as the basis of their discussions. Islamic jurists should verify all laws and international treaties before being passed by the Shoura. There are experts in the Shoura who make sure such laws and treaties do not violate Islamic teachings and thus Islam reigns supreme. If they find any law or regulation that contradicts Islamic teachings it will be removed or modified. The working of Shoura is very systematic and its output is of high quality thanks to the efforts of its well-qualified members. Parliamentarians from other countries who have attended the council's sessions have pointed out that there is not much difference between the two systems.
Arab News: How successful has the Shoura been in addressing the problems and issues of Saudi people?
Naseef: The Shoura has adopted many resolutions and passed several regulations aimed at enhancing the progress and prosperity of Saudi people. It takes care of the interests of people and protects their rights. It is doing a lot of things for the people and I cannot explain them all here. The new laws and regulations it has passed will indirectly serve the interests of the people.
Arab News: What are the areas where the Shoura requires improvement?
Naseef: The Shoura Council is doing very well. But every human work needs improvement. There were calls for elections and I am sure it will take place sooner or later either to pick all members or at least half of them. But election is not a must. Shoura is an important system and it needs people of experience and wisdom to run the show. I think people who call for elections have not taken this important point into consideration. I can tell you in light of my long experience in the Shoura that it is functioning very well and it takes sound decisions on the basis of the Qur'an and Sunnah. We don't have any difficulty like other countries who follow secular ideologies and give priority to people's wishes without considering whether they go against religious teachings and values or not.
Arab News: You have been associated with King Abdul Aziz Dialogue Center. What are its activities, and how successful has it been in spreading a culture of dialogue among the Saudis?
Naseef: The center was established to promote a culture of dialogue among Saudis. Dialogue was lacking because of the tribal nature of society. The Qur'an and Hadith have encouraged Muslims to hold dialogue and exchange ideas with others. It is an important teaching of Islam but people have forgotten it with the passage of time. The center has held so many meetings in various parts of the country and trained more than a million young men and women on how to hold dialogue. The results were quite encouraging. Now we can see dialogue in every family. Previously brothers and sisters were not talking or exchanging ideas. Dialogue has now become the real culture of Saudi society including students, university professors and religious leaders. We have noticed this change. Until now we have not started dialogue with the Shiites. However, we make sure their representatives attend our meetings and express their opinions on various issues. We also take into account their views while making decisions.
Arab News: King Abdullah's interfaith dialogue initiative has won international acclaim. What must be done to make it effective and fruitful?
Naseef: We have been ordered by God to interact with non-Muslims, especially the People of the Books — the Jews and the Christians. The followers of different faiths should work together to address major global problems such as crime and drug abuse as well as to promote world peace. We should also take the opportunity to highlight the nobility of Islam, its tolerance and its directives to protect the rights of non-Muslims. King Abdullah has often said that religions could play a big role in promoting world peace. The King Abdullah Dialogue Center in Austria will conduct research work, organize conferences and seminars and implement the resolutions of past interfaith dialogue forums.
Arab News: Muslims have become fragmented and are fighting each other. Do you believe that there is a need for intra-faith dialogue to strengthen Muslim unity?
Naseef: Dialogue between various Muslim groups is very essential to settle their differences and achieve unity. We have tried to tackle this issue but it needs more work. It is very unfortunate to see Muslims differ on minor issues. Islam has given utmost importance to Muslim unity and taught them to respect one another. I hope the King Abdullah Center for Dialogue (in Austria) will take up this issue seriously and promote good relations among Muslims.
Arab News: You have met King Abdullah at his palace several times. What is your impression about his great personality and what are the main concerns he expressed in those meetings?
Naseef: King Abdullah is a great personality. He is very sincere and straightforward. He expresses ideas spontaneously and speaks quite frankly. The education and welfare of Saudis and world peace are his main concerns. He has sent about 100,000 young Saudi men and women on scholarships to foreign universities to pursue higher education. He opened universities in different parts of the Kingdom and there are now 24 government universities that will produce leaders of the future. He insisted that Saudi scholarship students go to universities in different countries such as Japan, China, India, the US, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea and come back with their distinct experiences, know-how and expertise to develop the country. King Abdullah is a charismatic leader who is liked by everybody. All Saudis, especially, young people, like him very much. A number of Jews and Christians have told us that the king has charisma. Allah has blessed him with that quality. The king has been playing a big role for the empowerment of women in the Kingdom. He gave women the right to become members of the Shoura Council and take part in municipal elections.
Arab News: You have worked for more than 10 years as secretary-general of the Makkah-based Muslim World League (Rabita). What are the MWL's contributions toward strengthening Muslim unity?
Naseef: The MWL is a well-established international organization with activities in 120 countries. It works to promote education, revive the message of mosques, teach the Qur'an and help the needy. It has been making a lot of efforts to maintain unity among Muslims who fight each other over silly matters. The MWL does its best to reconcile Muslim factions, settle their conflicts and select the best among them to manage their affairs. It also conducts training programs to develop their capabilities to run their affairs effectively. Most Muslim communities lack efficient managers and capable leaders. It also provides food, health care, education and shelter to poor Muslims. When I was in Rabita I had tried my best to strengthen its capabilities and improve its performance. We also established the International Islamic Relief Organization to take care of Muslim refugees.
Arab News: You have worked as president of King Abdulaziz University. How do you see KAU's fast progress as a leading university in the Kingdom?
Naseef: King Abdul Aziz University has proved to be one of the important universities in the Kingdom through its research programs and community services. It also organizes international conferences on various topics such as Islamic banking and finance, education and science. It has contributed immensely to the Kingdom's scientific and technological advancement. It also invites prominent professors from different universities. At one time we had such professors from 40 countries. In the past about 15 percent of its students were non-Saudi and it encouraged Saudis to compete with others to improve their academic level. The KAU has stopped this system because of the increasing number of Saudi students. I think the system should be reintroduced giving at least 5 percent of seats to students from Muslim countries to strengthen the Ummah. This is because when these students go back to their countries they may become ministers and ambassadors and serve their communities.
Arab News: You are involved in various Islamic activities around the world. Do you see any signs of an Islamic renaissance?
Naseef: Islamic renaissance is a reality and it is much more evident now than before. In every country Muslims are proud of their religion and they want to improve their situation and make contributions to science and technology. There is at least a will for self-development. This is a good indication. I am quite optimistic that the situation of Muslims will change for the better, although it will take place slowly. Muslims face a lot of economic, social and developmental problems but people expect things to change abruptly. Actually it requires generations. Progress needs hard work and patience. Our main problem is we lack excellence. We don't do things perfectly. From day one Islam is a religion of excellence. Allah loves those who do things in an excellent manner. This is the area where we have to make a lot of improvement.
Arab News: There are people who look at the Arab Spring with suspicion. How do you see it?
Naseef: I believe it is a divine phenomenon. Allah wanted to introduce real change for the better with the support of modern social media. People wanted qualitative change in all fields of lives, replacing dictatorships and secular regimes. But it will take time. They have to establish democratic systems, provide freedom and equal opportunities to all citizens. Muslim countries have reached a stage that they cannot live without foreign financial aid. This is a very serious issue. We have to work hard and develop our own resources to get rid of dependence on foreign aid, which is one of the reasons for the slow progress of Muslim countries. We should also make use of the natural resources in our countries.
Arab News: Being the president of the International Islamic Union of Scouts, what advice can you give to youths?
Naseef: We have to convince our young people they have to work hard to improve the situation of the Ummah. The Islamic nation pins great hope on their youths. Scouting is one way to develop this awareness and develop the talents of young people to serve the community and manage themselves and their societies. It is the practical way to train people and make use of their synergy. We train young people to take decisions and work for community development. We evaluate their decisions and improve on them.
Arab News: You have been engaged in various philanthropic activities. What is the importance of charity in Islam? How can we improve the economic condition of Muslims through the Zakat system?
Naseef: Islam encourages charitable work. In the past, charity was the main source of income for various development projects, even for preparing an army. People used to make endowments to establish hospitals, schools and mosques. When the endowment system (wakf) died it became the responsibility of governments. We have to restore the role of charity and wakf in our Muslim societies. If we implement endowment and zakat through its proper channels it can work wonders in our societies. The revival of charity and wakf is essential for the development of our countries and communities.
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