Guardian: Extreme caution has long been the watchword of Saudi monarchs: caution in foreign policy, and caution especially when it comes to internal change. Since 2005, when the king nervously decided it was safe to allow elections for half the members of municipal councils (the other half were to be appointed by the king), it has taken a further 10 years to get around to letting women take part.
Of course, there are good reasons for this caution. Saudis often cite theassassination of King Faisal in 1975 as a warning, linking it to his attempts at reform and especially his introduction of television, which many at the time regarded as encouraging sin.
Large sections of Saudi society, and most notably the influential religious scholars, remain deeply conservative, and this social resistance means the rulers cannot implement change – supposing they actually want to – at anything like the pace needed in a rapidly changing world. To a large extent the rulers’ hands are tied, but this is something the House of Saud has brought upon itself by hitching its political legitimacy to the Wahhabi sect. If it can’t untie that knot, it is ultimately doomed.
Categories: Anti Islam act by Muslims, Arab World, Asia, Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom was established in 1933 with the help of followers of Abdul Wahhab. Taif was taken over with the help of Wahhabi force. Wahhabis who want to be called Ahle Hadith have some good principles but they are misled in many other matters in religion, specially their too much reliance on Hadith while ignoring clear words of the Quran.
King must convince the Saudi religious scholars to be open minded and to call a general conference of all Muslims of the world i.e. those who claim to be Muslims, and let them speak openly in favor of Islam. Let every one explain the gentle and beautiful, peaceful teachings of Islam. Islam means Peace and Muslim is the one who is peaceful. If anyone is not peaceful he/she is not Muslim. And only hostile fanatic persons are Kafir. That is the teaching of the Quran.
Any peaceful person of any faith is not Kafir. Let there be an open debate on this subject. The next important topic should be obedience, no uprising. That is the teaching of the Hanafi school of thought. That would be useful for the king. But will the Wahhabis allow any Hanafi teaching?
Also there is a serious problem from Khilafat and Jama’at Islami or Muslim Brotherhood (MB)people. They do not believe in kingdom. They do not like kings and kingdoms. Maudoodi sahib was interested in a government of his own called Hukumat e Ilahiyah (A Godly government). MB also believe the same.
Khilafat of Baghdadi sahib cannot be tolerated by the king and vice versa.
The Khilafat of Baghdadi is not the true Khilafat. But it is a threat to the kingdom. The question arises: Will the king submit to the Khalifah Baghdadi or the Khalifah will serve the king?
Khilafat e Rashidah needs a prophet whom she will represent. Nobody other than Ahmadi Muslims believe in any kind of prophet after the prophet Muhammad s.a.w.s.
The Khilafat e Rashidah is established in the Ahmadi Muslims (whom the majority do not accept as Muslims). The Khilafat of the Ahmadi Muslims is established exactly according to the promise of Allah as mentioned in the Quran verse 55/56 chapter 24. That is the true Khilafat and it is not harmful to the kingdom as it is peaceful, non-political Khilafat. It concerns spiritual matters only and does not interfere in any government.
The kingdom of the Saud is in real danger from many angles, even from religious point of view. It has danger from democratic forces too. The people of Saudi Arabia can be fed up with the Royalty. It has danger from Iran and followers of Irani school of thought. Iranis have got rid of their King and they are advancing very well on democratic lines. They are a big force nearby. The Saudi Arabs have not taken any serious step towards democracy. The American support will not save the king if there will be any uprising in Saudi Arabia as Americans could not do anything to protect the King of Iran. Americans have their own problems from Iran since the appearance of the Khomaini ideology. King of Saudi Arabia needs serious advice and support from the US government. They also need special advice from the Ahmadi teachings about real Islam.
Moral: Uneasy lies the head that wears the Crown.