“A controversy erupted this week in Saudi Arabia when some scholars suggested that the top religious organization in the Kingdom, the Supreme Council of Scholars, should include women.”

In the following article, Political Islam Online examines the politically-charged rationale offered by one of the strongest members of the Council who rejected the idea.

“The Council is presently composed of seventeen scholars appointed by Royal decree for a four-year term, which may be extended. The Council has the most influential say on all issues pertaining to the Shari’a and, given the nature of Wahabi rule in the Kingdom, their religious pronouncements touch on virtually every aspect of a Saudi citizen’s life. The Council members also act as an advisory body to the King.The controversy erupted when two well-known members of the Council, Qays Al-Mubarak and ‘AbdelRahman Al-Zuneidi, suggested that women should be included among their ranks. They argued that the inclusion of women on the Council would reduce the embarrassment that women feel when submitting issues to the Council for advice and resolution. Al-Mubarak, who belongs to the reformist school of scholars, had also advocated previously for the intermixing of men and women in scholarly meetings, arguing that at the time of the prophet women and men were permitted to listen and discuss issues together. Al-Zuneidi, who is a prolific writer and well-known scholar, likewise emphasized that women members would fulfill an important role in understanding and responding to their female audience. More