Reformist Impulse in Saudi Arabia Suffers Setback ; A Journalist Who Questioned the Power of the Saudi Religious Establishment Is Fired

Blanford, Nicholas, The Christian Science Monitor

The dismissal of an influential editor of a leading Saudi newspaper has dealt a sharp blow to the hopes of reformists here and underlined the deeply conservative nature of the kingdom.

Jamal Khashoggi was sacked last week as editor in chief of the daily Al Watan after his newspaper published searing commentaries on the potent influence of the religious establishment in Saudi Arabia.

The leading Saudi reformist's dismissal takes place against a backdrop of unprecedented soul-searching in the Saudi media. Since the suicide bombings of Western residential compounds in Riyadh on May 12, in which 35 people died, newspapers here have run a series of unusually bold …

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Publication information: Article title: Reformist Impulse in Saudi Arabia Suffers Setback ; A Journalist Who Questioned the Power of the Saudi Religious Establishment Is Fired. Contributors: Blanford, Nicholas - Author. Newspaper title: The Christian Science Monitor. Publication date: June 5, 2003. Page number: 7. © 2009 The Christian Science Publishing Society. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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