In a dark room within the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Washington, nearly 200 college students from across the globe gathered in early June 2006 to meet with the Saudi Ambassador, Prince Turki al-Faisal.

Al-Ahmed spoke of a land ruled by dictators, where “women are considered property” — and where “there is no such thing as religious freedom.”

The event opened with a video presentation in which carefully-crafted words and vivid photos told the story of a nation that portrays itself as a world leader in industry and social services.

And yet, the ambassador’s lecture was strikingly dissimilar from the one that many of the same students had attended just a few hours before.

A different perspective

In a classroom that lacked the Saudi Embassy’s oriental rugs and heightened security, Ali Al-Ahmed, a Saudi citizen and director of the Institute for Gulf Affairs, painted a less pleasant picture of Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Al-Ahmed spoke of a land ruled by wealthy dictators, where “women are considered property” — and where “there is no such thing as religious freedom.” He urged the students to “fight Goliath,” which has become his mantra for the struggle against the Saudi government.

A vested interest

Since coming to the United States, Al-Ahmed has devoted his life to speaking out against what he sees as the failings of the Saudi government

Prince Turki told the group that Saudi Arabia has an obligation to respect, “Arab causes, identity, heritage and history.”

For Al-Ahmed, the human rights abuses that he criticizes are not an impersonal matter. He says that since he began speaking out against the Saudi government, his brother has been imprisoned and his elderly mother — who is suffering from a medical illness — has been prohibited from traveling abroad to seek medical attention.

While Al-Ahmed admits that many of his criticisms relate to societal problems within the country, he has focused his attention on the government since he believes that “government is the vehicle of change.”

Rights abuses

Much of Al-Ahmed’s presentation dealt with Saudi Arabia’s treatment of women and minorities — both ethnic and religious.

He told personal stories of seeing girls as young as nine married off to men nearly eight times their senior. And he recalled a government that openly discriminates against ethnic minorities — as well the country’s sizable Shiite population.

Teaching hatred?

According to Al-Ahmed, the Saudi government is directly responsible for creating a culture in which discrimination and hatred are acceptable. He points to the education system as an example.

According to Al-Ahmed, the Saudi government is directly responsible for creating a culture in which discrimination and hatred are acceptable.

Despite claims from Saudi government officials that they have reformed their curriculum to be more tolerant of other religions, a new report released in May 2006 by the Institute for Gulf Affairs and Freedom House criticizes the treatment of non-Wahhabi Muslims in government textbooks.

The report, which was featured very prominently in the Washington Post, claims that Saudi textbooks continue to “promote an ideology of hatred that teaches bigotry and deplores tolerance.” Al-Ahmed, who helped prepare the report, says that “this curriculum is not teaching — it’s indoctrinating.”

Corrupt leadership

According to Al-Ahmed, what the Saudi Ambassador had been telling the American people on his recent speaking tour stands in stark contrast to these allegations. "The Kingdom,” Price Turki told the audience, “has reviewed all of its education practices and materials, and has removed any element that is inconsistent with the needs of a modern education."

The Saudi textbook story raises concerns about the honesty of Saudi political leaders since it specifically contradicts what government officials have been telling Americans. For Al-Ahmed, this is just one of the many cases where the realities of Saudi Arabia are concealed by government leaders who hide behind “their palace walls and PR firms.”

The diplomatic image

Al-Ahmed's speech still in the back of our minds, we were invited to see Prince Turki al-Faisal speak. He arrived at his speaking engagement accompanied by an entourage of personal assistants and bodyguards. The ambassador spoke plainly and cracked jokes.

He likened the Saudi position to that of the United States, where for much of its history, women and minorities were also denied basic rights.

He spoke of the Islamic faith — making reference to the Prophet Muhammad — and described the responsibility given to his country, having been the birthplace of Islam.

He said that Saudi Arabia has an obligation to respect, “Arab causes, identity, heritage and history.” He told the group that his country has “carried the flag of decolonization” in the region.

The power of perception

Prince Turki accused Western media outlets of reinforcing stereotypes about the Saudi Arabian government and its citizens. “The media, generally speaking, miss the point,” he said. He told the students that, “Perception is apparently as important in this world as reality.”

The importance of perception certainly was not lost on the ambassador who wore a Western business suit and whose assistants included both men and women. He invited his female staff members — who did not wear a veil, a practice which is nearly mandated in his country — to speak about their experiences as women in the Kingdom.

Rebutting criticism

Following Prince Turki’s speech, the students were invited to ask questions. Many of the questions were based on Al-Ahmed’s allegations about the government’s tolerance of marriages between extreme minors and elderly men — and the government’s policies of discrimination against Shiite Muslims.

The realities of Saudi Arabia are concealed by government leaders who hide behind “their palace walls and PR firms.”

On the topic of marriages, the ambassador responded by saying, “Whoever told you that does not know anything about Saudi Arabia.” He also denied allegations that the government discriminates against Shiites claiming, “There are many people of the Shi’a sect in the government.”

Another question addressed the treatment of both women and minorities in the kingdom. It was so strongly worded that an audible gasp could be heard from the audience after it was read.

Seeking to improve

Responding to the question, the prince apologetically stated, “Mea culpa — I and my government are guilty.” He likened the Saudi position to that of the United States, where for much of its history, women and minorities were also denied basic rights.

Educated in the United States, Prince Turki even took the opportunity to reflect on the United States civil rights movement, which was taking place while he attended high school and college in the U.S. between 1959 and 1968. With that as background, the ambassador added that his government’s “aim is to move forward and strive for the highest ideals."