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13-5-2007
 April 17, 2007
Your Majesty:
We are writing on behalf of the
Middle East Studies Association of North America (MESA) and its Committee on
Academic Freedom. We are deeply concerned about arbitrary restrictions that the
government, including the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Higher
Education, has placed on a number of Saudi academics. These restrictions
include preventing professors from teaching and meeting with students, banning
publication and distribution of their work, denying them access to Saudi and
regional media, and prohibiting them from traveling abroad for professional
purposes.
It appears that these restrictions
have been imposed because these academics have, in their writing and public
comments, criticized government policies. The government’s response appears intended
to punish these individuals for expressing their views, and to intimidate
others who may be inclined to do the same. These restrictions clearly violate
the internationally guaranteed right to freedom of expression and the right to
impart and exchange information and ideas--the core elements of academic
freedom. We therefore urge you to review these cases, take steps to remove
these restrictions, and instruct the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of
Higher Education to cease policies that punish scholars solely for the peaceful
expression of views critical of official policies and practices.
The Middle East Studies
Association of North America (MESA) was founded in 1966 to promote scholarship
and teaching on the Middle East and North Africa.
The preeminent organization in the field, the Association publishes the
International Journal of Middle East Studies and has more than 2700 members
worldwide. MESA is committed to ensuring
academic freedom and freedom of expression, both within the region and in
connection with the study of the region in North America
and elsewhere.
The serious violations of academic
freedom in Saudi Arabia
that have come to our attention include the following:
• Dr. Matrouk al-Faleh, a professor of political science at King Saud
University, is presently
on sabbatical leave from his university post. His leave was approved by the
university’s Academic Council, and he hoped to spend the academic year at the University of Washington, but Ministry of Interior
orders have prevented him from traveling for that purpose.
• Dr. al-Faleh has continued to speak out publicly on the need
for comprehensive political and constitutional reform in Saudi Arabia as well as reforms in
the governance of Saudi universities. You met with Dr. al-Faleh in August 2005 after
pardoning him following his conviction on trumped-up charges for calling
publicly for a constitutional monarchy.
In 2004, while he was in detention,
MESA chose Dr. al-Faleh
for its annual Academic Freedom Defender Award and we continue to monitor his
situation. The Ministry of Interior should immediately revoke the restrictions
it has placed on Dr. al-Faleh’s travel and his ability to speak out publicly in
the media.
• Dr. Abdullah al-Hamid, formerly on the teaching staff of Imam
Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University until his dismissal in the mid-1990s, is
today a prominent public intellectual. He was among those convicted and
subsequently pardoned along with Dr. al-Faleh for advocating peaceful political
change. The Ministry of Interior has also prohibited his travel and his ability
to express his views critically in Saudi media. We call on you to instruct the
interior ministry officials to revoke the punitive restrictions they have
placed on Dr. al- Hamid’s right to travel and to express his views publicly.
• Hassan al-Malki had been an instructor at the Imam Muhammad
bin Saud Islamic University and a consultant with the Ministry of Education
until he was dismissed from both positions in 2002 as a result of his public
advocacy of reforms in Saudi educational curricula. The government has also
banned the sale and distribution of his books in Saudi Arabia. According to Dr. al-Malki,
Ministry of Interior orders prohibit him from lecturing or writing in Saudi
Arabia or traveling abroad as a result of his criticism of the policies and
practices of the country’s religious establishment in particular. We urge you
to ensure that the Ministry of Interior revokes its orders preventing Dr. al-Malki
from teaching, writing, and traveling.
• Abd al-Rahman al-Hakimi was preparing his thesis for a Master
of Arts degree and teaching at the Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University
when he was dismissed from the university several years ago after he called
publicly for greater tolerance of unorthodox views in Islam. According to Mr. al-Hakimi,
no Saudi university has accepted his request to finish his degree. His
dismissal and subsequent exclusion from any degree program appears to be in
reprisal for his public advocacy of views critical of the Saudi religious
establishment in particular. We urge you to take steps to ensure that no
government ministries or public officials prevent Mr. al-Hakimi from resuming
his higher studies and his ability to lecture.
• Dr. Tawfiq al-Qusayyir taught physics at King Saud University until he was forcibly retired
in 1994. He was among those detained in early 2004 for calling publicly for a
constitutional monarchy. He was released from detention on March 30, 2004 after
signing a statement that he would refrain from further advocacy of political
reform. However, he remains banned from traveling abroad solely as a result of
his advocacy of peaceful political change.
Your Highness, we are familiar
with additional cases of individual academics and public intellectuals who do not
wish to be named publicly but who have suffered similar punitive restrictions
for exercising their right to freedom of expression, the right to impart, receive,
and exchange information, and the right to participate in public affairs. We
strongly urge you to address the grievances of the individuals raised in this
letter and to take steps to see that the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of
Higher Education, and other official bodies end policies of punishing those who
peacefully advocate political change and end policies aimed at silencing and
intimidating a whole group of Saudi citizens.
Sincerely,
Zachary Lockman
MESA President
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