On his recent high-profile tour of the United States, Saudi Arabia's crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, met with executives from Google, Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Disney, Warner Bros. and Lockheed Martin, among others, journeying from Wall Street to Silicon Valley championing his modernization plans to "unlock the potential of the Saudi people." ... But a month later, he is locking people up rather than unlocking their potential.
Last week, Saudi authorities detained at least seven people, five women and two men, who had been advocates for the right of women to drive. Giving women equality they have long been denied is something the crown prince supports and is popular among the younger generation of Saudis. ... Effective next month, women will have the right to drive, and MBS, as the crown prince is known, has received global approbation for that decision.
So why are the advocates of a basic liberty that MBS has embraced being arrested and vilified in the Saudi press and online? The answer is not entirely clear. It could be that he is responding to a backlash from traditional elements at home. Or it could be that the crown prince is determined not to permit any real flowering of freedom. He wants to rule without so much as a whisper of criticism.
Human Rights Watch reported on May 6 a dramatic increase in the number of Saudis detained for more than six months without referral to courts, up to 2,305, compared with 293 people four years ago. The crown prince seeks to modernize the kingdom but seems not to recognize the essential role of freedom in a modern society. You cannot deny people liberty and then expect them to flourish.
Commentary on 05/24/2018