Description

The dismal economic situation of the Muslim world contributes to

the proliferation of violence in it. Yet poverty alone does not explain

this violence—it can also flare up in an oil-rich country like Saudi

Arabia, due to its long-standing traditions of intolerance and lack of

intellectual freedom. Although change is occurring in Saudi Arabia, it

is far from adequate to meet the challenges of modern times. Genuine

intellectual freedom, indeed, is a sine qua non precondition for usher-

ing in a pluralist democracy, but the Islamic world is far behind in

this area, and no amount of Islamic rhetoric can ever substitute for

authentic freedom of thought.