Saudi Arabia's Curriculum of Intolerance - Hudson Institute
Saudi Arabia's Curriculum of Intolerance - Hudson Institute
Saudi Arabia's Curriculum of Intolerance - Hudson Institute
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71<br />
the British industry is suffering now. The Associated Press Agency reported on August 26, 1970<br />
AD saying: "The industry <strong>of</strong> Britain is plagued by strikes which are considered the worst ever<br />
known during the past sixteen years, and which had their worst effects on British economy."<br />
Referring to this, Chairman <strong>of</strong> the Board <strong>of</strong> Trade Mr. Michael Nowair warned by saying:<br />
"Britain is now on the verge <strong>of</strong> an economic depression," the Associated Press added in the same<br />
report: "We do not only have our reservations on such rights but are also surprised to see that<br />
they are issued by an international organization in an age in which everybody is concerned on the<br />
necessity <strong>of</strong> the spread <strong>of</strong> security for the sake <strong>of</strong> the success <strong>of</strong> the economic development<br />
projects everywhere."<br />
OUR DOMESTIC PROCEDURES FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF<br />
ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS<br />
16. It is quite known that the Kingdom <strong>of</strong> <strong>Saudi</strong> Arabia is still young in its "civilizational"<br />
developments. Most <strong>of</strong> its establishments and organizations which are connected with our<br />
domestic procedures for the implementation <strong>of</strong> economic rights are not more than fifteen years<br />
old. But this does not mean that such rights were neglected before. What is meant, in fact, is that<br />
the material means for pushing the wheel <strong>of</strong> such procedures were not available. Credit goes only<br />
to the Islamic Religion which:<br />
• made all <strong>Saudi</strong> citizens enjoy before the law, since the formation <strong>of</strong> the Kingdom, all<br />
their basic rights as human beings and get all their economic, social and cultural rights<br />
freely, without any distinction between one person and another;<br />
• made every citizen also open his heart to every other person in the world, on the light <strong>of</strong><br />
the Principles <strong>of</strong> the Islamic Religion (a summary <strong>of</strong> which was presented before). Islam<br />
acknowledges the right <strong>of</strong> every human being to dignity, freedom, equality, culture, and<br />
property ownership without any kind <strong>of</strong> distinction.<br />
REGARDING CULTURAL MEASURES<br />
17. As the exercise <strong>of</strong> basic rights, or even civil and political rights by man depends on the extent<br />
<strong>of</strong> his culture, the first thing which the Kingdom did was to turn its attention to the spread <strong>of</strong><br />
knowledge and to provide the means for it, according to its potentialities and capacities and in<br />
compliance with the order <strong>of</strong> Islam which says that "The quest for knowledge is the duty <strong>of</strong><br />
every Muslim; male and female'. We were short at the beginning <strong>of</strong> all the means for education;<br />
we needed teachers and schools for every one. Thus, our attention, in proportion to the<br />
development <strong>of</strong> our means, was concentrated on the recruitment <strong>of</strong> teachers from every corner on<br />
Earth and on the construction <strong>of</strong> schools in every part <strong>of</strong> the Kingdom. Construction <strong>of</strong> schools<br />
reached an average <strong>of</strong> one school every other three days in some <strong>of</strong> the past years. We should<br />
bear in mind that on some years the building <strong>of</strong> schools exceeded 120 per year.