Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman has vowed to restore “moderate” Islam that is open to all religions in the world.
In his own words:
“We are returning to what we were before – a country of moderate Islam that is open to all religions and to the world…….We will end extremism very soon.”
Does this mean that Saudi Arabia will issue an open declaration, decree or fatwa that there are to be no more death penalties for atheism and apostasy in the kingdom?
The reason for this deceptive manipulation is to shore up “respect” for the Saudi regime in the West, and to expand Saudi Arabia’s regional hegemony as the kingdom maneuvers against its primary foe, Iran. The Crown Prince said that the primary objective of the “Iranian regime is to reach the focal point of Muslims [Mecca] and we will not wait until the fight is inside Saudi Arabia and we will work so that the battle is on their side, inside Iran, not in Saudi Arabia.”
Saudi Arabia has been “America’s closest Arab ally in the Middle East,” and has received “massive U.S. military aid and has long influenced American foreign policy….An added bonus for the Saudis has been America’s estrangement from Iran since the 1979 revolution.”
To further demonstrate the absurdity of the Crown Prince’s intellectually insulting declaration that Saudi Arabia is a “moderate” state, consider that Saudi Arabian officials recently arrested 27 Christians — among them several women and children — for the crime of “conducting Christian prayers” and being “in possession of Bibles.”
Another sobering piece of information: more citizens of Saudi Arabia have joined the Islamic State than from any other country. Saudi Arabia has been at the forefront of global jihad initiatives, further belying its smooth public relations campaign and attempt to appear “moderate” in the Western media. For more information about what Saudi Arabia has really been up to, click here.
“Saudi Arabia will ‘return to moderate, open Islam’ – Crown Prince,” RT News, October 24, 2017:
Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman has vowed to restore “moderate” Islam that is open to all religions in the world. Saudi Arabia is known for its ultraconservative rule.
“We are returning to what we were before – a country of moderate Islam that is open to all religions and to the world,” he said at an economic forum in Riyadh, as quoted by AFP. “We will not spend the next 30 years of our lives dealing with destructive ideas. We will destroy them today,” he added. “We will end extremism very soon.”
Riyadh is known for its adherence to ultra-conservative norms of Islam and strict segregation of men and women. It has long been the only state where women are officially forbidden to drive.
Earlier this year, the crown prince accused Tehran of promoting an “extremist ideology” and having ambitions to “control the Islamic world.” Asked if there is any room for dialogue with Iran, the 31-year-old prince replied: “How can I come to an understanding with someone, or a regime, that has an anchoring belief built on an extremist ideology?”
He said that the primary objective of the “Iranian regime is to reach the focal point of Muslims [Mecca] and we will not wait until the fight is inside Saudi Arabia and we will work so that the battle is on their side, inside Iran, not in Saudi Arabia.”
The Saudi government enforces a strict, conservative version of Sunni Islam. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is ruled by a Sunni monarchy known as the House of Saud, while the Islamic Republic of Iran is overwhelmingly Shia. The divisions between the Sunnis and the Shia are based on a long-running religious conflict that started as a dispute over the Prophet Mohammed’s successor. While Shia Muslims believe the prophet’s cousin should have filled the role, Sunnis support the selection of Muhammad’s close friend and adviser, Abu Bakr, as the first caliph of the Islamic nation…..