Tamping down racism, hatred
The proposed legislation is broken into several categories that cover some of the more obvious crimes like desecrating religious texts or worshipping places with potential minimum prison sentences of five years with fines of upwards of SR2 million. Interestingly, the language of the proposed laws do not specifically identify the Qur’an or mosques, but is general enough to include all religious texts and places of worship. We can infer that the laws intend to protect the Qur’an and mosques, but the language is loose enough to cover just about anything connection to worship.
The proposal before the Shoura Council also criminalizes belittling ethnic groups and tribes and discrimination based on religion, color, gender, race, tribal affiliation, citizenship, regional origins and social backgrounds. Government employees and religious leaders are singled out to be held to a higher standard with minimum potential prison sentences of 10 years and fines up to SR2 million if they commit crimes of overt racism and perpetuate hatred during working hours.
One aspect of the proposed law is criminalizing the labeling of individuals as infidels. Practicing or advocating hatred covers speaking at conferences and gatherings.
This is a bold legislation for Saudi Arabia and sends a message that it’s serious about curbing sectarianism and the violence that often accompanies it. But it’s also a pointed message to other countries that Saudi Arabia is willing to take a hard line against racism and bigotry and religious intolerance.
We should keep in mind, though, that laws on the books are all fine and good, and certainly a step in the right direction to reduce extremism with some tough laws. Yet these laws mean nothing without execution. Some very good laws were passed over the past five years to curb domestic violence. New legislation toughened prison sentences and increased fines for individuals arrested and convicted in court on domestic violence charges. Hot-lines were also set up but somehow the message never really got to law enforcement at the local level. Municipal police were often reluctant to interfere in family matters and the personal — and often physical — disagreements between husband and wife. In short, domestic violence laws are not always enforced.
Every country on the planet has a history of bigoted behavior among their citizens. But let’s face it; the Middle East is a hotbed of tribal and sectarian rivalries that have turned bloody.
We must ask ourselves whether we are ready to set an example for other GCC countries that racism must be dealt with head on with aggressive prosecution.
Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Arab News' point of view
