Something is definitely afoot in Saudi Arabia this time. For decades, the Saud ruling family has followed a policy of promise but never deliver. They make the right noises in an attempt to polish the country’s much-tarnished global image – and yet when it comes down to it, they rarely come up with the goods.
But perhaps this time is different. In an interview with the Guardian, Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman made statements that would make even the most hardened cynic take note. He directly addressed “what happened”, saying that the Iranian revolution triggered copycat religious regimes across the region, and that now it was time to “get rid of it” in Saudi Arabia.
“We are simply reverting to what we followed – a moderate Islam open to the world and all religions. Seventy per cent of Saudis are younger than 30. Honestly, we won’t waste 30 years of our life combating extremist thoughts, we will destroy them now and immediately.”
[TOP RATED COMMENT 655 votes] "The House of Saud is still in denial"
Actually, it's a few miles east of denial.
[2ND 360] I personally don't care what they do in their own borders. I don't ever want to go there. Just stop exporting Wahhabism to the rest of the World.
[3RD 225 ] "It was always frustrating to see the religious police harass and intimidate the public, enforcing the strictest of religious laws while the government scrambled to combat the rise of extremism, failing to make or address the link between the two."
That one slipped past the editor.
I hope they succeed. The SA policy of exporting it's brand of intolerant Islam across the world has caused a lot of problems. TBH right now the country disgusts me, it's got a long long way to go before it stops being a pariah to everyone but politicians.
[4TH 194] "Yet there is still no honest reckoning over what lies at the heart of the Saudi malaise."
Islam?
[5TH 185] Like all great lies there is a little bit of truth behind it. After promoting Islamism, funding ISIS and other Islamist groups, the Saudi's suddenly realised Jihadis were coming home. They have been worried about this for a couple of years now....hence the change in tack. There is no change in their wahhabi ideology, they are just scared of domestic terrorists. [Guardian Cif] Read more
