Islam and Political Reform in Saudi Arabia

Mansoor Jassem Alshamsi, a political scientist working for the United Arab Emirates Government, received his PhD in Politics from the University of Exeter, UK, in 2004. The author of many research papers and studies on Middle Eastern affairs, US foreign policy and Islamic movements, Dr. Alshamsi emphasises the necessity of applying scientific and objective methods to the understanding of Middle Eastern politics.

"... He focuses on three contemporary Islamic juridical scholars, Safar al-Hawai, Salman al-Oudah and Nassir al-Omar, all of whom advocate a return to the tenets of Islamic law. In the 1980s and early 1990s, the men lectured on government corruption, an imbalance of wealth and the alarming pact between the Saudi monarchy and the United States. Imprisoned without charges for five years, the three adopted a more conciliatory policy upon their release. Their taped lectures and TV appearances have spread their message far beyond Saudi academia. This account of their thoughts and the development of their religious/political platforms should be of interest to anyone attempting to understand Saudi Arabia today." -- © Feb 2011 Book News Inc. "[Mansoor Jassem Alshamsi] elucidates the link that exists between Islamic jurisprudence and political action by focusing on the contributions of three leading Ulama, namely Safar Al Hawali, Salman Al Awdah and Nasser Al Umar. By emphasising the discourses and performances of what he terms the "Saudi Sunni Islamic Reformist Leadership", Alshamsi theorises and sets out to demonstrate that the very idea of reform is deeply rooted in Islamic tradition... This richly annotated book will delight the specialist but should not put off the lay reader. Given how little is actually recorded on what the three Saudi shaikhs uttered, this is a valuable addition to the growing literature on a critical topic." - Joseph A. Kéchichian, Special to Weekend Review; Gulf News

• 1. Introduction 2. Context 3. The Sunni Fiqh 4. Further Perspectives on the Sunni Fiqh 5. Intellectual Interaction 6. Political Struggle 7. Countering Policy in the 1990s 8. Petitions and Challenges 9. The Monarchy and Support 10. Appeasement 11. External Focus 12. Political Realism 13. Conclusion