By Azril Mohd Amin
As one of the local rulers was passing by in a parade on TV, a wonderful fanfare was playing in the background. Now, a good fanfare has all the feeling of pomp and splendour that we associate with royalty. It helps us to understand the FUNCTION of royalty. Above all, such a fanfare makes us feel very glad to HAVE a royalty.
But it may do little good to meditate upon royalty, of which there are so many examples in the world, and of so many different qualities. The qualities of royalty are very dependent upon the moral fibre or character of the royal persons themselves, and this element is highly variable.
The Iranian Shah-hin-shah who preceded the Ayatollah Khomeini was said to have been modernising some aspects of his kingdom as rapidly as possible, yet Muslims felt there was too much suffering of one sort or another in this process. The Shah’s secret police were said to be most fearful and cruel.
The Saudi secret police are also feared, yet not much is mentioned of this group in the media, since Saudi has even more oil than Iran. I asked my Saudi patron-prince why young men were dragged out of my Arab hotel every week, obviously against their will, and was told they were being arrested for various offences against the king. Read more ...
As one of the local rulers was passing by in a parade on TV, a wonderful fanfare was playing in the background. Now, a good fanfare has all the feeling of pomp and splendour that we associate with royalty. It helps us to understand the FUNCTION of royalty. Above all, such a fanfare makes us feel very glad to HAVE a royalty.
But it may do little good to meditate upon royalty, of which there are so many examples in the world, and of so many different qualities. The qualities of royalty are very dependent upon the moral fibre or character of the royal persons themselves, and this element is highly variable.
The Iranian Shah-hin-shah who preceded the Ayatollah Khomeini was said to have been modernising some aspects of his kingdom as rapidly as possible, yet Muslims felt there was too much suffering of one sort or another in this process. The Shah’s secret police were said to be most fearful and cruel.
The Saudi secret police are also feared, yet not much is mentioned of this group in the media, since Saudi has even more oil than Iran. I asked my Saudi patron-prince why young men were dragged out of my Arab hotel every week, obviously against their will, and was told they were being arrested for various offences against the king. Read more ...
Source: The Malaysian Insider
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