Some rather promising news has been coming from Saudi Arabia these days. First, the replacement of Saleh al-Lihedan, the chief of the Supreme Council of Justice who made headlines last year when he declared it was permissible to kill Muslim satellite television owners if their programs were morally deviant. Then last week, a number of other appointments of moderate Saudis to important posts were announced like the head of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, and ministers of education, justice and information. This past weekend, King Abdullah surprised everyone by nominating a woman as deputy minister for education. Norah al-Faiz will be responsible for women's education-rather predictable but still a breakthrough in a country where women cannot even drive.