volume iii, issue v PRINCIPLES

Saudi Arabia, Salafism, and U.S. Foreign Policy Gabriel Said Reynolds

When the April 2015 nuclear About the Author deal between Iran and a group of nations including the United States was concluded, the Obama administration scrambled to assure Saudi Arabia (Iran’s rival in the Middle East) of American friendship. Secretary of State John Kerry visited Gabriel Said Reynolds, Ph.D., is professor of Islamic studies Saudi Arabia three times in 2016. and theology at the University During his third visit, this past of Notre Dame. His research is focused above all on the Qur’an December, he declared: “In turbulent and Muslim-Christian relations. times, it’s good to have solid friends.” He received his doctorate in 2003 from Yale University’s Program of Islamic Studies. He One might have expected the Trump is the author or editor of several administration to have a different posture books, including The Emergence towards the Saudis. During his presidential of (Fortress, 2012), an introduction to the Qur’an, the campaign Donald Trump fiercely criticized life of , and the Saudi Arabia, and in particular the human rights classical period of Islam; and situation there. He repeatedly attacked Hillary The Qur’an and Its Biblical Clinton for accepting money from the Saudis. Subtext (Routledge, 2010). He is currently working on The During their final debate he declared, referring Qur’an in Conversation with to Saudi Arabia: “You talk about women and the Bible, a biblically minded women’s rights. So these are people that push commentary on the Qur’an to gays off buildings. These are people that kill be published by Yale University Press in 2017. In addition to women and treat women horribly” (it’s actually his scholarly publications and ISIS that pushes gays off buildings). lectures, he has appeared both in print and in interviews Nevertheless, there are few signs these in a variety of media outlets, including CNN, PBS, Vatican days of any disruption in the U.S.-Saudi Radio, the New York Daily News, alliance. Saudi Arabia was noticeably missing the Huffington Post, First Things, from President Trump’s executive order on and EWTN. immigration. During his visit to in London, Manchester, or elsewhere, Saudi Arabia, President Trump but for decades Saudi Arabia has received the highest civilian honor been spreading the radical ideology given by the country (the Collar of of Salafism. And while most Salafis Abdulaziz al-Saud) and signed a never turn violent—they simply live multi-billion-dollar arms deal, the pious lives and seek to spread Islam largest in world history. In the May through proselytism—some do. 21 speech he gave there on Islam, President Trump avoided any talk of Trump’s refusal to confront “radical Islamic ” and any Saudi Arabia puts him in continuity criticism of the Saudis. He did refer with a long line of presidents of both to a government that is responsible parties. The roots of the U.S.-Saudi for giving terrorists “safe harbor, alliance are sometimes traced to a financial backing, and the social symbolic meeting between Franklin standing needed for recruitment.” Roosevelt and Saudi King Ibn Saud Yet he wasn’t speaking of Saudi in 1945. In some ways, the high point Arabia, but of Iran. of this alliance was the First Gulf War of 1990–1991, when hundreds of After his visit to Saudi Arabia, thousands of American troops were Trump applauded the country’s stationed in the Saudi desert. decision to break off diplomatic relations with Qatar, suggesting in During the Obama a tweet that Qatar is responsible for administration, the alliance with the funding terrorists. Saudis was challenged by the rise of the American shale oil industry, The Trump administration has the nuclear deal with Iran, and been looking in the wrong places a congressional bill that allowed for the source of terrorism. Iran is a victims (and their families) of the Shi’ite country and Shi’ites have been 9/11 attacks to sue Saudi Arabia. victims, not perpetrators, of Islamist violence. Qatar is certainly guilty of For their part the Saudis have supporting Islamist groups, but to been eager to remain on good terms focus on Qatar instead of Saudi Arabia with the U.S. Saudi Arabia counts is to worry about smoke and ignore on the U.S. to buy its oil, to provide a blazing fire. The overwhelming military supplies, and to turn a blind majority of Islamist terrorists are eye to its current brutal campaign associated with a Sunni movement in Yemen. The U.S. also hosts tens known as Salafism, the ideological of thousands of Saudi college home of which is nowhere else but students, who make up the fourth Saudi Arabia. Now there is no reason largest group of foreign students in to think that Saudi Arabia was American institutions. “When push directly involved in the recent attacks comes to shove, this relationship is unshakable,” Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT! United States (since named foreign minister), told in Keep Principles free and help March 2015. us share clear thinking with a culture in need. It is long past time to shake up that relationship. In its campaign getprinciples.com/gift against a Shi’ite uprising in Yemen, Saudi Arabia has effectively worked

2 | volume iii, issue v ABOUT PRINCIPLES Principles is the free bimonthly periodical of Christendom College. Christendom embraces Blessed John Henry Newman’s vision of a liberal education that disciplines the intellect and thereby forms good members of society who will bring sound principles to their personal, professional, and civic endeavors. The ends of liberal education are thus both the flourishing of the individual and the renewal of the temporal order. AtPrinciples , we publish essays that serve these ends, bringing the fruits of liberal education to bear upon contemporary questions.

hand in hand with al-Qaeda. The was established in 1932, it was Ibn second-largest group of foreign Saud’s descendant, Abdul Aziz, who fighters in the come would be the first king. from Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile Saudi Arabia continues to spread its Salafi Like other , Salafis ideology abroad. In a 2013 speech, believe that Muhammad is the former Secretary of State Hillary final prophet sent to the world, that Clinton acknowledged the problem: the Qur’an is a perfect, matchless “The Saudis have exported more scripture, and that Islam is God’s will extreme ideology than any other for all of humanity. Many Muslims, place on earth over the course of the and not only Salafis, also believe last 30 years,” she declared. Islam is about more than spirituality, that the rules of Islam should also The term Salafism comes from influence how a state is run. As a the expression al-salaf al- saying popular among conservative salih, the “pious ancestors.” Salafis Muslims has it: Islam is not simply hold that after the first three pious a “”—Islam is “religion and generations of Muslims, Islam state” (din wa-dawla). became corrupted by non-Islamic practices and teachings, and that a In fact many Islamic states program of purification is needed to actively seek to inculcate Islam return Islam to its pristine state. among their populations. Children are taught the principles of Islam in Salafism in Saudi Arabia is public schools and encouraged to particularly shaped by the legacy follow them. Prayer is encouraged of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, by the funding of religious schools whence the related term . and by allowing mosques to use Ibn Abd al-Wahhab was a religious loudspeakers to broadcast the call leader from the region of Nejd in to prayer and the Friday sermon. central Arabia who died in 1792. Prisoners who memorize the Ibn Abd al-Wahhab lamented the Qur’an are given reduced sentences. state of Muslims in his day. He was Christians (or others) who convert particularly opposed to devotions at to Islam are celebrated in the media the shrines of saints or prophets, the and may be given money collected rituals of Sufi mystics, and various from alms. practices of Shi’ite Muslims. And he had a particular loathing for Jews Saudi Arabia, however, goes and Christians. In 1744 Ibn Abd al- further than this. First, while Islamic Wahhab made a pact with a tribal states still allow for non-Muslims leader from the region of modern- (especially “People of the Book”— day Riyadh, named Muhammad ibn generally understood to mean Jews Saud. When the modern Saudi state and Christians) to practice their

| 3 religion, Saudi Arabia does not. In were not properly covered. Fifteen part inspired by a medieval tradition students died. In response to the that has Muhammad declare that backlash from such incidents the no two shall co-exist in Saudi government has restricted the the Arabian Peninsula, Saudis insist power of the Mutaween: they are that their country remain “pure” of now to do their morality work with any non-Islamic religious practice. “kindness and gentleness.” Thus in Saudi Arabia it is a crime to practice . Carrying a The repression of religious Bible is forbidden, wearing a cross is freedom in Saudi Arabia has forbidden, and preaching the Gospel particularly affected the large Shi’ite is forbidden. There are well over a minority in the country, concentrated million Christians—mostly foreign in the oil-rich province of al-Ahsa. On workers—in Saudi Arabia but not a January 2, 2016, the Shi’ite cleric Nimr single church. al-Nimr was executed by the Saudi government. His crime was officially Second, in Saudi Arabia Islamic “inciting sectarian strife,” but the real practice is compelled. In many reason for his arrest and eventual Muslim countries disobedience is execution was his outspoken tolerated. Not in Saudi Arabia. In criticism of the Saudi system (he Saudi Arabia shops are closed when had called for free elections) and it is time to pray and women are his campaigns on behalf of Shi’ites, compelled to dress according to who live in the shadow of a state Islamic standards. In Saudi Arabia ideology that sees them as wayward one can be condemned to death if not heretical Muslims (and for “crimes” against God, such possible collaborators with Iran). At as apostasy from Islam, sodomy, an October 4, 2011, protest by Shi’ites, adultery, and even witchcraft. al-Nimr declared dramatically: “The [Saudi] authorities depend on bullets Behind the principle of . . . and killing and imprisonment. We compelling obedience to religious must depend on the roar of the word, law is a Qur’anic turn of phrase on the words of justice.” Yet in Saudi that calls on believers to “promote Arabia, even words can get you killed. virtue and prevent vice.” In Saudi Arabia the government office meant The human rights violations in to enforce obedience to the Islamic Saudi Arabia also affect Sunnis who law takes its name from this turn dare to challenge this state ideology. of phrase. Among other things this In recent years, Saudi Arabia has office runs a volunteer police force— seen an increase in the numbers of the Mutaween—which roams the skeptics, and even atheists (and to streets and the shopping malls of a lesser extent, secret converts to the kingdom to enforce Islamic Christianity). In response, the Saudis morality. There was a time when have begun to monitor social media the Mutaween wielded the power to closely, and to punish voices of punish offenders on the spot (some deviance. The most famous victim of carried sticks and beat offenders this inquisition is Raif Badawi, creator publicly). Their status in the country, of the website Free Saudi Liberals. however, has suffered from a number Badawi was arrested in 2012 for of high-profile incidents: when a “insulting Islam through electronic school in Mecca caught fire in 2002, channels” and later sentenced to the Mutaween prevented the girls seven years in prison and 600 lashes, inside from fleeing because they to be administered, “mercifully,” in

4 | volume iii, issue v rounds of fifty lashes. He has already should not be wearing make-up, been subjected to one round of adornments or perfume.” lashing (performed publicly in front of a mosque in Jeddah), and remains in Another avenue of Saudi prison. Badawi has also been accused influence is the pilgrimage to Mecca. of apostasy for propagating liberal Each year millions of Muslims travel thought, an accusation punishable to Saudi Arabia for either the major by death. President Obama, who (hajj) or minor (umra) pilgrimage. once spoke out against Saudi abuses as a senator, never publicly criticized What should particularly the Saudis for the Badawi case.1 worry the U.S. is the way that What should particularly worry the Saudi brand of Islam is the U.S. is the way that the Saudi brand of Islam is spreading to other spreading to other countries. countries. In Arab countries fewer and fewer Muslim women dare not For most Muslims the pilgrimage is to wear a headscarf. In Pakistan simply an experience of religious blasphemy laws, which have led to devotion and spiritual solidarity vigilante killings, have enormous with fellow believers. Some, however, popular support. Indonesia recently are affected by the experience of saw a massive popular movement witnessing the “purity” of the way against the Christian governor of Islam is practiced in Mecca and Jakarta, motivated by the principle Medina. that Muslims should not have a Christian authority above them. Others come to Saudi Arabia to Throughout the entire Islamic stay longer. The country is home to world, from Nigeria to the southern almost ten million guest workers, the Philippines, extremist Sunni Islam large majority of whom are Muslims. is on the rise. This rise in Some Muslims go to Saudi Arabia has not occurred spontaneously, specifically to study religion, and and much of it can be traced back to return home having fully embraced Saudi Arabia. Saudi ideology and eager to see it spread in their own country. For many One way that extremist Islam Muslims Saudi Arabia represents a spreads is through juridical opinions, pure form of Islam, a society where or fatwas, published by Saudi the laws that God has revealed are scholars on the internet. Among the taken seriously, and a country to be most famous “fatwa” websites is envied. that of the Saudi jurist Mu’ammad al-Munajjid known as “IslamQA” This perspective is apparent in (a website translated into a dozen the comments of the popular Indian languages). For example, in response preacher and Muslim televangelist to a question on whether a woman Zakir Naik during a 1998 lecture should be permitted to leave the entitled “Why the West is Coming to house in order to shop, al-Munajjid Islam”: declares, “The general principle is that women should stay at home In Muslim countries, [rape] does and not go out except for essential take place. . . . [But] what country reasons or cases of need.” When she [has] the least [amount of] rape must go out, he continues, she should in the world? It is Saudi Arabia. be “wearing complete , and she I am not saying it is nil there,

| 5 there are black sheep in every annually may be given to the community. But [Saudi Arabia poor, to new converts to Islam, or has] the least rate of rape in the to Muslim groups fighting for the world. The least rate of robbery, sake of Islam (this latter stipulation it is Saudi Arabia. comes from the reading of a clause in Qur’an 9:60, which says that A popular Islamist slogan relates, charities may be given “in the cause “Islam is the solution.” For many of God,” generally understood to be Muslims around the world such as a euphemism for ). Zakir Naik, this might be modified to “Saudi Islam is the solution.” The 9/11 Commission Report identified zakat giving from private The Saudi state is also actively individuals in Saudi Arabia to engaged in spreading its own version Saudi-based “charities” (and other of Islam. Saudi Arabia sponsors the “charities” based in the Gulf) as a building of mosques and Islamic major source of support for al-Qaeda. schools not only in the In recent years “alms” have been used but in places where Islam is a minority, to fund jihadi rebels in Syria and Iraq. such as sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia, Europe, and the United States. The Saudi state itself has also In some countries, such as Kosovo, been accused of directly supporting Saudi-backed mosques give stipends jihadi rebels in Syria, including ISIS. to poor families if they agree to veil In a private October 2013 speech by their daughters and attend services.2 Hillary Clinton, excerpts of which In September 2015, after Germany were published by WikiLeaks, the announced plans to accept upwards former secretary of state declared, of one million refugees, King Salman “The Saudis and others are shipping of Saudi Arabia refused to accept any large amounts of weapons—and refugees. He did, however, offer to pretty indiscriminately—not at all build 200 mosques in Germany.3 targeted toward the people that we think would be the more moderate.” Saudi Arabia has also proven In a second email, dated August to be deeply committed to Islamic 17, 2014, and also published by evangelism, or da‘wa. In 2015 Saudi WikiLeaks, Clinton calls for “pressure Arabia awarded the King Faisal on the governments of Qatar and International Prize for Service to Saudi Arabia, which are providing Islam, with its $200,000 cash prize, clandestine financial and logistic to the aforementioned televangelist support” to ISIS. Zakir Naik (who has since been given Saudi citizenship as well). Officially ISIS and Saudi Arabia are enemies. ISIS is responsible for Yet Saudi Arabia is not only at least one attack in Saudi Arabia, interested in proselytism; the and in a February interview with a country has also been behind the German news outlet, Saudi Foreign violent spread of Islam through Minister al-Jubeir suggested that its support of jihadist movements Saudi Arabia is ready to send around the world. Not all of this special forces troops to fight ISIS. support is visible, and not all of Nevertheless Saudi Arabia has it comes directly from the Saudi continued to support the Sunni state. According to Islamic law rebellion against the Alawi Shi’ite the charitable donations (zakat) regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria that Muslims are obliged to offer and some of this support inevitably

6 | volume iii, issue v christendom.edu | getprinciples finds its way to ISIS and other does notgetprinciples.com need to lecture Saudi Arabia, | christendom.edu | g radical groups. but it should rethink whether this sort of country should be its “solid Meanwhile, by its very embrace friend.” of Salafism, Saudi Arabia provides ideological justification for the Reforms in Saudi Arabia are existence of extremist groups such the key to addressing the problem as ISIS. of radicalism elsewhere. Even if Saudi Arabia were to halt all state- If Saudi Arabia is sincere in sponsored or clandestine support its stated commitment to fight for groups such as ISIS, the Saudi extremism (Saudi Arabia is part of a problem would remain. Of course, we should not expect Saudi Arabia group of nations that call themselves Christendom Admissions the Islamic Coalition against suddenly to embrace secularism or F Terrorism and Extremism), then it western liberal values. Instead the F F must initiate substantial reforms. Saudis can look to the rich diversity of In his speech on Islam in Saudi Islamic tradition and find resources Arabia, President Trump declared, for reform. Salafism, after all, is not “We are not here to lecture—we are the only Islamic ideology. A country not here to tell other people how to can still be Islamic and respect its

live, what to do, who to be, or how minorities, offer liberty to women, .edu to worship.” This sounds fine, until and permit and one remembers that Saudi Arabia is religious practice. a country that forbids women from driving, stones women to death for It is good that Saudi Arabia is adultery, flogs activists, bans Bibles publicly declaring its willingness to and churches, and discriminates join the campaign against ISIS. There against its Shia minority. The U.S. is, however, an equally important campaign that needs to take place: one for ideological reform within Saudi Arabia.

ENDNOTES

EDITORIAL BOARD 1. Zaid Jilani and Alex Emmons, “Obama Christopher J. Lane, Ph.D. Went from Condemning Saudis for Andrew Beer, Ph.D. Abuses to Arming them to the Teeth,” Intercept, April 19, 2016, http://theintercept. envelope at perforation. Remove this flap. Do not remove Christopher Shannon, Ph.D. com/2016/04/19/obama-went-from- Thomas Stanford III, Ph.D. condemning-saudis-for-abuses-to- ART DIRECTOR arming-them-to-the-teeth/. Niall O’Donnell 2. Carlotta Gall, “How Kosovo was Turned PRODUCTION MANAGER into Fertile Ground for ISIS,” New York Adam Wilson Times, May 21, 2016, http://www.nytimes. com/2016/05/22/world/europe/how-the- Copyright © 2017 Christendom College saudis-turned-kosovo-into-fertile-ground- for-isis.html. The opinions expressed in are not necessarily the views of Christendom College. 3. Adam Withnall, “Saudi Arabia Offers For copying and reprinting permission, see getprinciples.com/about. Germany 200 Mosques—One for Every 100 Refugees who Arrived Last Weekend,” SUBSCRIPTION FREE UPON REQUEST. Independent, September 10, 2015, http:// QUESTIONSHAVE OR SUGGESTIONS? Email us at principles@christendom www.independent.co.uk/news/world/ europe/saudi-arabia-offers-germany-200- F F Address: ______Phone: ______mosques-one-for-every-100-refugees- Address: ______Phone: ______who-arrived-last-weekend-10495082.html. F Address: ______F F F F F F Where Needed Most F

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