Riyadh. Saudi Arabia’s social and religious situation is a reflection of the country’s religious outlook and its contradicting political positions.
One can well comprehend how far this situation has been influence by Riyadh’s political comportment. Changes in the political structure and Salman’s rise to power also affected Saudi Arabia’s religious system.
Even though Saudi society had Wahhabism forced upon it, and has been full of contradiction and religious despotism since its inception, it has been waiting for an opportunity to ignite social and national upheaval. This society’s religious belief also differs in accordance with the geographical space of its cities.
Although Wahhabi scholars consider their livelihoods and mission to be found in securing Wahhabi rule, it is notable that a new chapter of Wahhabi skin is unfolding, one that includes necessary change that is to bring new ways of life to Saudi society.
Meanwhile, the motives behind the change in the skin and essence of Wahhabism are not contradictory to the foundational motives of this group, which lie in the preservation of the political continuity of the political class (the kings) and in the presentation of a made-up religious doctrine to justify their behaviors, and to keep Saudi society within the walls of the fable that is Wahhabism, keeping their distance from the true model of Islam.
Wahhabism has now become, between the help of foreign powers, the rulership of Al-Saud, instilling superficial outlooks to and mistaken understandings of Islam, and the proselytizing of bigoted scholars in Saudi society, has now become in a state of resolving contradicting beliefs, and has proven to be unable to bring these beliefs into line with the contemporary needs of society.
The ideology has no new course by which it can manage society, and its core is rotten. It could not render its made-up ideology in concordance with the needs of today’s society. It failed in dealing with modernity because it is closed and inanimate, and therefore unable or barely able to bring its fiqh up to date to deal with new subjects.
The truth is that Saudi no longer believe in Wahhabism, and is working to gradually change or alter its content. In other words, Wahhabism has lost its influence. Saudi society at once suffered a religious defeat so brutal that sexual relations have come to be known as a social freedom.
Today, Wahhabism, according to whose thought Riyadh set the belief system for Saudi society, faces the threat of identity crisis and extreme contradictions.
Saudi society’s desire of these changes and illegitimate freedoms can be seen in their preoccupation with Ivanka Trump, which was related to the dangerous phenomenon and close-mindedness of the Saudis. Illegitimate sexual relations have now become the foremost trend in Saudi Arabia.
The result of these very dysfunctions was Riyadh, under the management of Bin Salman, attempting to create a model to replace Wahhabism, which would gradually come into being through the spread of non-religious concepts in order to keep Saudi society from exploding. Saudis’ needs will have to be formulated in a contemporary form, and attempt to place true Islam in the line of fire, because what Saudis have suffered from Wahhabism is the same as true Islam as suffered.
In the coming days, we must await further changes by bin Salman, however it is not yet clear to what extent these alterations to Wahhabism can afford to run counter to its essence, and at the same time prevent damage to Saudi Arabia’s political structure. These changes have begun with allowing women to drive and the spread of free sexual relations, and will continue in the future with damaging religious concepts.
