POL 454POL 454

THE GULF MONARCHIESTHE GULF MONARCHIES

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zd92oAUjffY

Your moment of Zen…

THE GULF MONARCHIES

I. SAUDI ARABIA

II. THE REST OF THE PENINSULAa. Kuwait c. Qatar e. Oman

b. Bahrain d. UAE f. Yemen

Terms to KnowIkhwan ibn Saud GCCAl-Said al-Sabah Al-

KhalifahMajlis al-shura al-Thani AQAPSudayri Seven tawhid taqarubMuhammad ibn Abd al-Wahab wahhabism HouthiIbadi Zaidi ijmaFederal Supreme Council

ARABIAN PENINSULA

Arab Islam:

Sunni Wahhabism

Shia Ibadi Zaidi

Oil Family British

protectorateshttp://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/Persian_Gulf/images/PersianGulfExportsByCountryv3.gif

Strategies governments use to keep societies at peace

(Byman & Green)

Monarchy

Qu’ran as constitution

Ijma: rule by public consensus Partial democratization (Herb)

free elections for a parliament of limited authority

I. SAUDI ARABIA

1744 Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahab swears mithaq (covenant) with the al-Saud to build a puritanical state

1803 Saudis take Mecca

1902 Abdul Aziz ibn Saud conquers Riyadh with help of the Ikhwan

1925 Sauds retake Mecca after Sherif Husayn declares self Caliph

1932 Saudi Arabia founded http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/gulf/images/sf186_02a.jpg

Saudi Arabia

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/saud/tree/

Ibn Saud Ruled til 1953

22 wives, 44 sons(Est. 80-100 children)

Sudayri Seven

http://www.intelligenceonline.com/NETWORKS/FILES/471/471.asp?rub=networks

Between tawhid and taqarub (M.S. Doran)

Tawhid: "monotheism," defined by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab polytheists and idolaters

(Christians, Jews, Shi`ites) out to destroy true Islam.

US attacked Sunni Muslims in Afghanistan & Iraq; supports the Jews v. Sunni Palestinians; promotes Shiite interests in Iraq; presses Saudis to liberalize

Prince Nayef (Interior Minister)

Anti-state Islamists Grand Mosque 1979 AQAP & Haramain

Brigade

Taqarub: rapprochement with non-Muslims. Downplays jihad,

allowing Saudis to live in peace with Americans, Jewish Israelis, & Shi`ite

Islamo-Liberal Trends

“Letter of Demands” to King Fahd in 1991

Committee for the Defence of Legitimate Rights founded in 1993.

Society for Protecting and Defending Women’s Rights 1990 and 2008 “stunt” driving protests 2007 petition for the right to drive

Reform in the Kingdom

Fahd’s New Title: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques

Tranquility Campaign

BASIC LAW OF 1992 Majlis al-shura

2002: right to propose legislation

2005: 150 members

2002 municipal elections Women barred from

vote and candidacy

IIA. Kuwait 1899 British protectorate

1961 Independence

Current leader: Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah

Diwaniyya: weekly local meetings

1963 National Assembly (50 seats)

2006 Vote to force abdication of Crown Prince Shaykh Sa’d Abdullah

2005 electoral law gave women right to vote and run

2009: 4 women elected MPs

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7399438.stm

Education Minister Nuriya Al Sebih Housing Minister Mudhi Al Humoud

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/05/200951711368608195.html

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/05/20095171338473416.html

2009 election results

Seats

Independents 21

Sunni Islamist 13

Liberals 7

Shia Islamist 6

Popular Bloc 3

Total (turnout 50 %)

50

Source: Kuwait Politics Database

IIB. Bahrain

1783 Al Khalifah rule

1880 British protectorate

1971 independence

2002 Constitutional changes Creates appointed upper house 2/3 opposition needed to

overrule ministries women allowed to vote and run

2010 Elections Arrests & website shutdowns Al Wefaq lead; Sunni still rule

IIC. Qatar

Al-Thani family rule 1916 British protectorate 1970 independence Sunni wahhabist regime

Municipal council in which women can run and vote

2003 constitution calls for elections to Advisory Council 2/3 elected; 1/3 appointed Elections postponed to 2013

IID. UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

President Khalifa bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan (2004), ruler of Abu Dhabi

Federal Supreme Council (FSC) the seven emirate

rulers

the highest constitutional authority in the UAE

Abu Dhabi and Dubai rulers have veto power

unicameral Federal National Council Reviews legislation but

cannot change or veto

456 candidates (65 women) ran for 20 contested seats; one female won

IIE. Oman 1700s Unification under

Imam Ahmad ibn Said

1800s British protectorate

1951 granted rule by British

1970 coup by son Qaboos ibn Said al-Said

Elected majlis al-shura; women may vote & hold office

http://www.omanet.om/english/government/hmspage/tribute.asp

IIF. Yemen (virtually) no oil (virtually) no wealth Not part of GCC Part British protectorate Part former monarchy

Yahya Hamid al-Din & Muhammad al-Badr (Zaydi Hashemites) of N.Yemen

Ottoman North: 1962 civil war in Yemen Arab Republic (YAR)

British South: 1967 People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY)

1990 Unification

The Trouble with Yemen

TROUBLES IN THE NORTH

HOUTHI: Zaidi movement calls for return of the Zaidi Imam, greater political inclusion & distribution of resources.

TROUBLES IN THE SOUTH

SOUTHERN MOVEMENT: tribal sheikhs, students & poor led by former S.Yemen Pres. Ali Salem al-Baydh

2007 protests demanding higher pensions after forced retirements after unification.

TROUBLES ALL AROUND AQAP

President Saleh GPC Party President for

life?

Council of Deputies Opposition Joint

Meeting Parties (JMP)

2011 boycott?