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Liberal Saudi Journalist Turki Al-Dakhil Supports Allowing Women to Drive - And Chopping Off Thieves' Hands
"Egypt and Jordan Have Reached Agreements [With Israel] that Protect Their Interests... I Support This Idea"
Following are excerpts from an interview with Saudi journalist Turki Al-Dakhil, which aired on Rotana Music TV on January 19, 2009.
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Interviewer: "Are you for or against peace with Israel?"
Turki Al-Dakhil: "I support peace if it does not involve complete surrender."
Interviewer: "Do you view the peace some Arab countries have signed with Israel as surrender? Which countries, for instance?"
Turki Al-Dakhil: "No, what I meant is that, for example, the Arab peace initiative..."
Interviewer: "You are not referring to the peace Israel signed with Egypt and Jordan?"
Turki Al-Dakhil: "To be honest, I don't know. Egypt and Jordan have reached agreements that protect their interests. A country like Jordan, with small revenues and few natural resources, cannot survive in the eye of a conflict. In order to focus on development, it had to sign peace with Israel. On the contrary, I support this idea."
"I Support Disarming Hizbullah"
Interviewer: "Are you for or against disarming Hizbullah?"
Turki Al-Dakhil: "I support disarming Hizbullah. I support disarming any organization other than the state.
[...]
"Michel Aoun's trip to Syria has raised question marks from here to Damascus."
Interviewer: "But nothing is constant in politics, as you know."
Turki Al-Dakhil: "I wrote this in my article, but when Aoun gets up in a press conference, and begins to theorize about how Syria has changed, and about how Assad Jr. is different from Assad Sr. - I say: By God, what change has Syria undergone exactly? I don't see any change. Aoun fled to the French embassy. He was fleeing from the Syrians for 15 years. He fled in his underwear. He fled to save his life."
Interviewer: "Do you think this visit was detrimental to him? I am talking about the long run, because right now, we see no sign of this."
Turki Al-Dakhil: "I don't care if it was detrimental to him or not, but as someone who follows the events, I was surprised by this change, and by the theories about how this change is logical. It's like saying: The others have changed, not me." [...]
Women Not Being "Allowed to Drive is a Very Negative Thing for Saudi Arabia"
Interviewer: "Are you for or against preventing Saudi women from driving?"
Turki Al-Dakhil: "I am against preventing women from driving."
Interviewer: "Against?"
Turki Al-Dakhil: "Against the prevention."
Interviewer: "Against the prevention?"
Turki Al-Dakhil: "I support allowing women to drive."
Interviewer: "Why has this taken so long?"
Turki Al-Dakhil: "To be honest, I don't see any justification for this. The fact that to this day, women are not allowed to drive is a very negative thing for Saudi Arabia." [...]
How Can "Something That Is Written in Allah's Book," i.e. Shari'a Law, "Be Barbaric?"
Interviewer: "What about continuing to implement the laws of the shari'a, such as flogging, and chopping off the hands of thieves? This is my third 'for or against' question."
Turki Al-Dakhil: "I am in favor of continuing these laws."
Interviewer: "You support continuing them?"
Turki Al-Dakhil: "Yes."
Interviewer: "Even though the West considers these laws..."
Turki Al-Dakhil: "These laws appear in shari'a texts."
Interviewer: "But many Islamic and Arab countries do not implement them, even though they follow the religion of Islam."
Turki Al-Dakhil: "Obviously, not all countries must be the same."
Interviewer: "So you support this?"
Turki Al-Dakhil: "Yes."
Interviewer: Don't you consider this, as human rights organizations claim..."
Turki Al-Dakhil: "Barbaric punishments?"
Interviewer: "Yes?"
Turki Al-Dakhil: "Do you think that something that is written in Allah's book can be barbaric? I'm asking you."
Interviewer: "No, I am doing the asking in this show."
Turki Al-Dakhil: "Consider that to be my answer."
