The recommendations are to be submitted to Crown Prince Abdullah

By Abdul-Raheem Ali, IOL Staff 

CAIRO, January 1 (IslamOnline.net) – Ending five days of national dialogue, around 60 Saudi intellectuals and researchers pressed for practical steps for political and economic reforms as well as a peaceful end to waves of extremism in the Islamic kingdom, participants said Thursday, January 1.

The recommendations are to be made public Sunday, January 3, but university professor Khaled Abdul-Rahman said they would highlight "the need for practical steps paving the way towards practical political reforms.

"Enlarging the circle of political participation by national powers of all stripes in the decision-making process will also be a high-priority recommendation," he added.

Held under the banner, "Extremism and Moderation: A Comprehensive Methodological Outlook", the forum came up with calls to allow repentance for youngmen imprisoned for charges other than terrorist crimes and assimilating them in society.

The participants – Abdul-Rahman said – also called for reviewing text books and revamping the education system in general, in what seems an echo to western demands for ending references in curricula which allegedly breed extremism and anti-western sentiments.

Opening a chapter long closed in the oil-rich kingdom, one of the papers tabled for discussion addressed the relation between the ruler and the ruled and its links to violence.

Participants also recommended a peaceful crackdown on extremists other than the now-used armed intervention by Saudi forces to eliminate the threatening phenomenon.

Making economic reforms and taking immediate measures against rising rates of unemployment and poverty and their impact on extremism also figured high among the recommendations – that will be later reported to Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdel-Aziz.

Women And Liberals

The attendees also stressed that women should participate in political and social fields, as 10 females remarkably showed up for the event through closed TV circuit.

"This is a marvelous step towards a recognition of our role in the country, and came in response to earlier strong protests against ignoring the other sex in the first round," said writer Soheila Zine El-Abidin.

The first round was held in  Riyadh in June 2003, at the initiative of prince Abdullah who said the newly-created National Dialogue Centre "contributes to finding an effective channel for expression in the fight against extremism and fanaticism".

"All papers discussed were free from a reference to the mistaken conception that the Saudi men have authority over women," Soheila said, calling for the next round to take more concentrating approach towards female-related issues.

Noticeably, Liberals also joined hands in the dialogue, a step far more forward in the conservative country.

"Liberals fully prepared the economic file in what I believe was a genuine popular parliament and a turning point in the history of Saudi Arabia in recent times," said lawyer Mohamed Said Al-Tayyip after the sessions.

Two-Level Dialogue

Mohsen Al-Owaji, an activist, agreed, calling the dialogue a "healthy phenomenon in any society".

But, he added, the dialogue forums should be extended for ordinary citizens to have a say.

"There should be two levels of dialogue, between ordinary Saudis and their representatives on one hand and the government that has the final say on the other," Owaji said.

"The second level should be open dialogue between political and intellectual powers," he added.

Saudi writer Turki Al-Hamad had skeptically noted that most of the papers tabled for the meeting came from one trend – the "fundamentalists".

Professor of political sciences in Umm El-Qura University Abdel-Mohsen Helal warned against turning the national dialogue into mere "sophistry".

"Will the recommendations be put into actions on the ground or not, this is the question" Helal said.

Others put up optimism, citing the recent pledges by the government to hold local elections this year.

Saudi King Fahd Bin Adel-Aziz has promised in May 2003 to continue political and social reforms in the country.