World Peace

What happens to Saudi Arabia after IHRL is implemented globally?

GoogleAI Mode: “If International Human Rights Law (IHRL) were implemented globally, Saudi Arabia would be required to undergo fundamental transformations in its legal, social, and labor frameworks to resolve long-standing conflicts between domestic Sharia-based laws and international standards. 

Key impacts based on 2025 data and trends include:

Abolition of the Death Penalty: Under IHRL, the death penalty is prohibited for minors and restricted to only the most serious crimes. Implementation would require Saudi Arabia to halt its record-breaking surge in executions—which reached 269 in just the first eight months of 2025—particularly for non-violent drug offenses and cases involving juveniles.

Dismantling the Male Guardianship System: Despite modest reforms, the system remains entrenched. Full IHRL compliance would necessitate eliminating all remaining requirements for male relative approval regarding women’s travel, marriage, and personal decision-making, which currently limit fundamental autonomy.

End of the Kafala System: To meet international labor standards, Saudi Arabia would need to fully dismantle the kafala (sponsorship) system. While 2025 reforms simplified contracts and increased worker mobility, millions of migrant workers still face conditions akin to forced labor and lack the right to change employers freely without restrictive conditions.

Legalization of Dissent: Implementation would require the repeal of overbroad counterterrorism and anti-cybercrime laws used to criminalize peaceful expression. In 2025, individuals still received multi-decade sentences for social media posts or peaceful activism.

Protection for Religious Minorities: Saudi Arabia would need to end systematic discrimination against the Shi’a minority, who in 2025 faced a disproportionate rate of executions for “terrorism” offenses related to political protests.

Judicial Transparency: The current “environment of impunity” for officials accused of abuses would have to be replaced by independent judicial oversight and accountable prosecution of state agents. 

For more detailed reports on the current situation, you can access the 2025 World Report: Saudi Arabia from Human Rights Watch or the 2024 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices from the U.S. State Department.”

What happens to Saudi Arabia after IHRL is implemented globally and Quranic Human Rights apply to the country?

GoogleAI Mode: “The global implementation of International Human Rights Law (IHRL) alongside Quranic Human Rights would require Saudi Arabia to reconcile its traditional Sharia-based governance with modern universal standards. While some areas of Islamic jurisprudence align with IHRL, others—specifically regarding gender, religious freedom, and criminal justice—would necessitate significant legal reinterpretation (through ijtihad) or reform. 

Key impacts include:

Judicial Reform and Rule of Law: IHRL prohibits administrative detention without trial and requires transparent judicial oversight. This would conflict with current practices where authorities use vague counterterrorism laws to detain dissenters without independent review.

Freedom of Religion and Belief: Saudi law currently enforces a singular interpretation of Sunni Islam and criminalizes apostasy and blasphemy as capital offenses. Global IHRL implementation would require allowing public non-Islamic worship and protecting the rights of religious minorities and those who choose to leave Islam.

Gender Equality: While the Quran emphasizes the equal dignity of all human beings, traditional Saudi interpretations maintain male guardianship over women for marriage and personal decisions. Implementing IHRL would require the full dismantling of this system to ensure complete autonomy for women.

Criminal Justice and the Death Penalty: Under IHRL, the death penalty is restricted to the “most serious crimes” and strictly prohibited for minors. Saudi Arabia would need to abolish executions for non-violent offenses, such as drug-related crimes or peaceful dissent, which continued in 2025.

Freedom of Expression: Current Saudi laws ban any publication contradicting Sharia or damaging the state’s reputation. IHRL requires protecting peaceful criticism and political organization, which are currently restricted or banned in the Kingdom.

Labor Rights: Full implementation would require replacing the kafala (sponsorship) system with standard international labor protections, including the right for migrant workers to change employers freely and organize unions. 

While some 2025 academic findings suggest that Islamic law and IHRL are not inherently incompatible, the primary tension lies in the Saudi state’s current “dualistic approach,” where international obligations must strictly align with a specific government-sanctioned interpretation of Sharia.”

What does Saudi Arabia look like after implementing IHRL and Quranic human rights?

GoogleAI Mode: “After implementing International Human Rights Law (IHRL) and Quranic human rights, Saudi Arabia would transform into a state where universal legal protections and Islamic ethical principles are fully synthesized, moving beyond the current “top-down” reform model. 

The following key transformations would define this future landscape based on 2025 data and reform projections:

Judicial Integrity and “Modern Islam”: The legal system would shift from uncodified Sharia interpretations to a predictable, written legal code that upholds both IHRL and “modern” Islamic values of tolerance and equality. This would mean an end to the “environment of impunity” for officials and the establishment of a truly independent judiciary.

Total Autonomy for Women: Moving past the 2022 Personal Status Law, women would gain full legal equality in marriage, divorce, and child guardianship. The male guardianship system would be entirely dismantled, replacing “obedience” requirements with the Quranic principle of mutual dignity and IHRL’s standard of individual autonomy.

Freedom of Expression and Belief: The repressive 2017 Counter-Terrorism and 2007 Anti-Cybercrime laws—used as recently as late 2025 to punish peaceful dissent—would be repealed. Public worship for non-Muslims and diverse Islamic sects (such as the Shia minority) would be legally protected, ending current systematic discrimination.

Abolition of the Death Penalty: To align with IHRL, Saudi Arabia would need to implement a moratorium on executions, particularly for non-violent drug offenses and juveniles, following a year (2025) that saw a massive surge in capital punishment.

Dismantling of the Kafala System: The sponsorship system for the 13.4 million migrant workers would be completely replaced by international labor standards. Workers would have the right to change employers freely and live in humane conditions guaranteed by law, as seen in early 2025 regulations for domestic helpers.

Participatory Governance: The social contract would evolve from “economic benefits for political acquiescence” to an engaged, participatory society where citizens can form independent NGOs and human rights groups without fear of arrest. 

For tracking real-time progress toward these goals, you can follow the 2025 Saudi Arabia Country Update from the USCIRF or Human Rights Watch’s Saudi Arabia Reports.”

What are some interpretations of Quranic verses related to human rights?

GoogleAI Mode: “Interpretations of Quranic verses related to human rights generally frame these rights as divinely ordained and inherent to all human beings, rather than granted by states. Modern scholars in 2025 emphasize that while some tensions exist between traditional interpretations and International Human Rights Law (IHRL), many core principles align. 

Key interpretations of verses include:

1. Inherent Dignity and Equality

Universal Honor (Quran 17:70): Interpreted as the foundation of human rights, this verse states God has “honored the children of Adam”. Scholars argue this bestows an inherent dignity (karama) upon every person regardless of race, gender, or creed.

Common Origin (Quran 49:13): This verse explains that humanity was created from a single pair and made into diverse nations “that you may recognize one another”. Modern readings view this as a clear mandate for racial and ethnic equality, explicitly prohibiting discrimination.

Spiritual Equality (Quran 4:124, 3:195): These verses affirm that God rewards any “worker among you… be you male or female”. Contemporary interpretations use these to advocate for gender equality in social, economic, and political spheres. 

2. Right to Life and Justice

Sanctity of Life (Quran 5:32): Equating the killing of one innocent person with killing all of humanity, and saving one life with saving all mankind, this verse is used to argue against murder, terrorism, and arbitrary violence.

Absolute Justice (Quran 5:8, 4:135): These verses command believers to stand firmly for justice, even if it is against themselves or their kin. Scholars interpret this as a right to a fair trial and the principle of being innocent until proven guilty. 

3. Freedom of Belief and Expression

Non-Compulsion (Quran 2:256): The declaration “there shall be no compulsion in religion” is widely cited as the Quranic basis for religious freedom and freedom of conscience.

Right to Dissent and Expression (Quran 4:148): Some interpretations see the right to “speak evil in public” by those who have been wronged as a divine right to protest against tyranny and oppression. 

4. Economic and Social Rights

Right to Sustenance and Property (Quran 51:19): Verses mentioning the “rightful share” of the needy in the wealth of the rich are seen as establishing social welfare and economic justice.

Right to Privacy (Quran 24:27, 49:12): Injunctions against spying and entering homes without consent are interpreted as a fundamental right to privacy and protection from state intrusion. 

In 2025, scholars are increasingly using Ijtihad (legal reinterpretation) and Maqasid al-Shari’ah (objectives-based) frameworks to harmonize these Quranic principles with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, emphasizing duty alongside individual autonomy.”

On a scale of 1 to 5, how likely is it that global peace is increased after Saudi Arabia implements IHRL and Quranic human rights?

GoogleAI Mode: “While assigning a definitive probability score is speculative, expert analysis as of late 2025 suggests that Saudi Arabia’s full implementation of International Human Rights Law (IHRL) and Quranic human rights would likely lead to a high increase (4 out of 5) in global and regional peace.

Rationale for a High Impact (4/5)

De-escalation of Sectarian Tension: Implementing Quranic human rights—specifically the principle of “no compulsion in religion” (2:256) and “honoring the children of Adam” (17:70)—would require ending the systemic discrimination against the Shi’a minority. This shift could significantly reduce regional friction with neighbors like Iran, which reached a fragile détente in 2023 but remains a source of underlying tension.

Ending “Transnational Repression”: Alignment with IHRL would require Saudi Arabia to cease the intimidation of critics abroad and the misuse of international policing tools like INTERPOL for political reprisals. This would stabilize diplomatic relations with Western nations and protect the security of the global Saudi diaspora.

Enhanced Human Security: Scholars argue that human rights, human security, and development are interdependent. A Saudi Arabia that protects the rights of its 13.4 million migrant workers and ensures freedom of expression would likely see more sustainable economic growth under Vision 2030, serving as a stabilizing model for other regional states.

Promotion of Just Diplomacy: Recent findings in 2025 indicate that “Islamic International Law” provides frameworks for conflict resolution and justice-oriented diplomatic practices, which could empower the Kingdom to mediate more effectively in persistent regional conflicts like those in Syria or Yemen. 

Factors Limiting a Perfect Score (5/5)

External Conflict Volatility: Global peace is influenced by numerous factors beyond Saudi domestic policy. In 2025, conflicts in Sudan, Gaza, and between Israel and Iran continued to create instability that human rights reforms in one country alone cannot fully resolve.

Transition Risks: Significant legal overhauls can sometimes lead to short-term internal friction between conservative elements and reformers, which states must manage carefully to prevent domestic unrest from spilling over into regional instability.”