Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Saudi Arabia/Peer review
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Proposed New preamble to the Saudi Arabia section:
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Arabic: المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Saʻūdiyya) is the largest country on the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Jordan on the northwest, Iraq on the north and northeast, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates on the east, Oman on the southeast, and Yemen on the south, with the Persian Gulf to its northeast and the Red Sea to its west. It has an estimated population of 27.5 million, and its size is approximately 2,150,000 square km (830,000 square miles)
The Kingdom is sometimes called "The Land of The Two Holy Mosques" in reference to Mecca (Makkah) and Medina, the two holiest places in Islam. In English, it is most commonly referred to as Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom was founded by Abdul-Aziz bin Saud, whose efforts began in 1902 when he captured the Al-Saud’s ancestral home of Riyadh, and culminated in 1932 with the proclamation, and recognition of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the first time in history that this extensive area of the Arabian peninsula had been unified.
Saudi Arabia, along with Russia, is one of the world’s largest petroleum exporter. Petroleum exports represent 75% of the government’s revenue, though serious efforts are being made to diversify the economy. The Kingdom annually hosts the Haj, the pilgrimage to Mecca (Makkah), one of the five pillars of Islam. Between two to three million pilgrims participate each year. Total GDP is approximately $450 billion, ranking it 27th in the world. The government is a monarchy, which is officially advised by a majlis (consultative assembly). The legal basis for the government is Islamic law (the Sharia)
Notes:
I am particularly disturbed by the existing paragraph three. I reviewed 10 other countries: USA, France, Chile, Libya, Myanmar, Japan, Malawi, India, New Zealand, and Russia. NO other country has a preamble that addresses "human rights" deficiencies, nor the "welfare state" nature of the economy. (Yet there are these issue in all countries)
Wikipedia stresses "neutrality", and there are substantial dollops of "Orientalism" in the existing preamble.
As you can see from my bio, I am an American who lived in the Kingdom over a 25 year period. I recognize that I am one of only two Westerners involved in this project...still.... I feel I can make a substantial contribution. It is not a question of "you" and "us". I am an American, but that is not my primary identification....
Your assistance in this matter is appreciated. Thanks
John Paul Jones a/k/a AbuTaza Abutaza 13:58, 24 August 2007 (UTC)
