Important changes in Saudi Arabia: King Abdullah, who previously embraced Western culture with his 2005 chips-and-cookie stop at a Texas convenience store, has shaken up the status quo with the dismissal of officials including the head of the religious police (tasked with knocking around couples and making sure no cutesy hearts are sold each Valentine’s Day) and the appointment of the first woman to a senior government post.

Is that cool or what?

More from the Financial Times:

“Nour Fayez, a respected educationalist, became the first woman in a senior government job, assuming the post of deputy minister for girls’ education, which until recently was under the supervision of religious authorities rather than the ministry of education.


‘This is a huge step in a society that is very sensitive about including women in decision-making processes,’ Sabria Jawhar, an activist and columnist, told the Financial Times.


…King Abdullah is widely viewed as a liberalising force in the ultra-conservative kingdom. However, critics have complained of the slow pace of reform that meets strong resistance from the powerful religious establishment, as well as members of the ruling family.


King Abdullah has overseen the establishment of a council to supervise succession within the Saud family and embarked on a policy of ecumenical diplomacy in what some see as an attempt to dilute the influence of religious extremists.


In Saturday’s cabinet reshuffle, King Abdullah also dismissed Saleh alLohaidan, head of the supreme judicial council who has publicly opposed reforms and efforts to codify Islamic law, or sharia. Last September, Mr Lohaidan issued a fatwa sanctioning the killing of television owners who produce or broadcast ‘immoral content’.


‘The king had a vision of judicial and social reform, and the old guards were the main impediments,’ Adel al-Torafei, a Saudi political analyst, said. ‘His appointees reflect his vision and will speed up his agenda.’


Also replaced was Ibrahim al-Ghaith, head of the notorious religious police that enforce strict rules on gender segregation and monitor public places to ensure women remain covered.”

(Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)