SUSRIS Daily News – Excerpts from International Media Reports
[Links to full articles were active on the date posted here]
Asharq Al-Awsat Talks to Senior Ulema Council SecGen Dr. Fahd al-Majid [May 23]
“..The decision to criminalize the funding of terrorism that the Council of Senior Ulema reached was not the first in the context of criminalizing terrorist acts in general. But it was considered the first since the Al-Qaeda organization launched its activities in Saudi Arabia on 12 May 2003. In an exclusive interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, the secretary general of the Council of Senior Ulema praised the way that the political leadership used to manage the terrorism issue. He said: “Had it not been for the successes that God Almighty provided us and had it not been for the wisdom of the leadership in dealing with the issue of terrorism, our situation would have been different from what it is now.. ..Following is the text of the interview:..” [Complete Report]
Promoting Moderation Everyone’s Responsibility, Says Prince Turki [May 23]
“Prince Turki Al-Faisal, former ambassador to the US, said Saturday in a speech at Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz University that extremism should be fought by the entire society working to promote moderation. ‘It is a joint responsibility with society and individuals,’ he said. Prince Turki, who is chairman of King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, explained how King Abdul Aziz contained extremism during the formation of Saudi Arabia. He said the founder of the Kingdom had asked extremists in power to step down and select someone else from their families or tribes to replace them. He pointed out that Saudi Arabia has been negligent in realizing the importance of presenting its true face to others in the world. ‘The Kingdom has been facing this problem since its formation,’ he said. ‘There are some reasons for that. Firstly, we don’t boast before others about our achievements.’ He emphasized the need to master the art of presenting ‘ourselves to others.’..” [Complete Report]
Ban on Nestle Products [May 23]
” The Kingdom has imposed a ban on the sale of Nescafe Collections instant coffee (100 gram jar only) as they might contain tiny pieces of glass, the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) announced on Saturday. SFDA warned consumers, restaurants, food outlets and factories not to use the range’s 100 gram jars, which includes Alta Rica, Alta Rica Decaff, Cap Colombie, Suraya and Espresso, as they are susceptible to break during shipment and delivery. All ‘best before’ dates and all batch codes are affected. SFDA said it would coordinate with the authorities to enforce the ban on the sale and import of the coffee..” [Complete Report]
Saudi Economy Forecast to Grow 4% in 2010 [May 23]
“Saudi Arabia is projected to record a four-percent growth this year on the back of government spending and higher oil production, says the Business Optimism Index (BOI) released here on Saturday by the National Commercial Bank (NCB), in association with Dun and Bradstreet South Asia Middle East Ltd. (D&B). Releasing the BOI for the second quarter of 2010, Said Al-Shaikh, senior vice president and chief economist of NCB, said that the latest findings revealed that even though business sentiments were not as high as the previous quarter due to the uneven pace of global economic recovery, they were almost as strong, indicating continued recovery in Saudi Arabia. ‘The results of the survey for the BOI confirm our forecasts that the Saudi economy will expand by 3.5 percent in 2010 from the low 0.15 percent in 2009, with the nonoil sector GDP projected to register a faster growth of 3.8 percent’..” [Complete Report]
Virtue Squads Toning Down Shows of Power in Saudi Arabia [May 23]
“Mersal Village on entertainment nights was once a magnet for members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (known locally as Hay’ah or Mutaween), who roamed the parking lot and front gate to remind guests they were being watched. In recent months, they have been virtually invisible. Dating couples still take precautions by arriving at the park in separate cars, but the days of power displays like the 2004 incident at the Junoon rock concert – when the Hay’ah swept through the audience, upending chairs, tossing sound equipment and chasing teens around the stage ¬– appear to be in the past. At least for now.. ..The commission’s top brass has come under withering criticism from the Saudi media for its excessive use of force and its lack of accountability.
The criticism has become so vocal in recent months that an all out war of words has erupted between Saudi journalists and the commission’s leadership..” [Complete Report]
