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Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia. And Muslim Radicalism. Najd. Ibn Abd al-Wahhab. Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab (1703-1787) Discouraged tribal nature worship in Najd No intercession No minarets No “innovations”. Group Coercion. Male attendance at public prayers obligatory Beard may not be shaved

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Saudi Arabia

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  1. Saudi Arabia And Muslim Radicalism

  2. Najd

  3. Ibn Abd al-Wahhab • Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab (1703-1787) • Discouraged tribal nature worship in Najd • No intercession • No minarets • No “innovations”

  4. Group Coercion • Male attendance at public prayers obligatory • Beard may not be shaved • Strict moral behavior

  5. Saudi Alliance • Ibn Abdul Wahhab studies in Iraq, Iran • Returns to Dar`iyah, Najd • Authors The Book of Monotheism • Takes refuge with Muhammad Ibn Saud (d. 1765)

  6. Bargain • Agreement that Ibn Abdul Wahhab would be spiritual leader • Saudi family would be temporal rulers

  7. Sack of Karbala • 1801 Wahhabi tribes invade Ottoman Iraq • Sack Shiite holy city of Karbala • Loot • Consider Shiites idolators

  8. 20th Century • Saudi state in Najd 1902-1932 • Under Ibn Saud • “Third Saudi State” • Takes al-Hasa 1913 • Takes Hijaz 1924

  9. Ikhwan • Ibn Saud establishes • Rural agricultural cooperatives • Called “Brethren” or Ikhwan • Strict Wahhabis • Tribal (bedouin), rural

  10. Conflict with Ikhwan • Ibn Saud makes treaties with British • Accepts Hashimite Jordan & Iraq • Ikhwan object, want conquest • Are anti-Christian

  11. Ikhwan Revolt 1928-1930 • Ikhwan rebel • Protest taxes • Protest ties to Christian Power • Reject radio • Civil War

  12. Ikhwan Defeated • Ikhwan defeated 1930 • Ibn Saud is helped by Saudi clerics (urban) • Supported by townspeople • Basis of state now increasingly urban

  13. 1932 Unification • Najd and Hijaz united • Into Kingdom of Saudi Arabia • Marks beginning of new state • No constitution – Islamic law is law of the land

  14. Relations with US • Discovery of petroleum in al-Hasa in 1930s • Leads to US interest • 1945 Ibn Saud declares war on Nazi Germany • Joins United Nations, Arab League

  15. Petroleum • Oil begins being pumped 1941 • Developed by Arabian American Oil Co. (ARAMCO) • 1950 deal by US gave Saudi Arabia 50% of oil profits • Rapid social, cultural change

  16. Urbanization • King Saud (r. 1953-1964) • Had ties to rural elite • urbanization of Riyad, Jidda • Made him irrelevant • Deposed 1964 by brother Faisal • With help of Wahhabi clergy

  17. Faisal • King Faisal (r. 1964-1975) • Developed modern bureaucracy • Expanded education • Fought Egypt in Yemen 1960s • but allied with Sadat in 1970s • Assassinated 1975 • assassin opposed introduction of television

  18. Faisal’s Foreign Policy • Faisal opposed Soviet Union • Also declared “holy war” on Israel in 1969 • “The affair of Israel and usurped Palestine is neither political nor economic. It is an affair putting in question the basics of Islam.” • Mixed feelings of Saudis about Palestinians • Helped bring Egypt out of Soviet sphere

  19. Oil Nationalization • Organization of Petroleum Exporting States founded 1960 • Oil boycott during 1973 war • Saudi Arabia begins gaining control of own oil industry 1973 • Oil boom of 1970s – price quadruples

  20. Morals Police • Organization for Enforcing Good and Forbidding Evil • Close down businesses for prayer • Strike idle in street to drive them to prayer in mosques • Strike drunkards • Enforce veiling, no driving rule on women • Faisal takes away right to make arrests

  21. Pilgrimage • Number of pilgrims rises from 109,000 in 1950 • To 1.5 million in late 1970s • Monarchy takes pride in role

  22. Crisis Year: 1979 • Khomeini revolution in Iran declares • Islam incompatible with monarchy • Shiite uprisings in al-Hasa

  23. 1979 Mecca Uprising • Great Mosque taken over • By Muslim militants • Expected mahdi or promised one • Juhaiman al-Utaybi • Supported by guest workers • Put down

  24. Reagan Anticommunism • Reagan administration • Committed to rolling back Communism • Dissatisfied with mere containment • Willing to use paramilitaries • Contra death squads in Central America • Mujahidin in Afghanistan

  25. Reagan & Saudis • Saudis sought sophisticated weapons • Including AWACs aerial surveillance jets • stingers • Feared being blocked by AIPAC

  26. Saudi Arabia takes the Plunge • After period of negotiation • Offered to help fund Reagan’s paramilitaries • Including Contras • And Afghan Mujahidin & Pakistan • In return for stingers, other arms

  27. Turki and Usamah • Saudi Minister of Intelligence Turki bin Faisal • Recruits Usamah bin Laden • To do fundraising for mujahidin

  28. Gulf War • Saudis support US • Offer bases to help push Saddam out of Kuwait • Turn down offer of help from Bin Laden, Afghanistan veterans

  29. Khobar • 1996 bombing at Khobar Towers • Injured 370 persons • US indicts Saudi Hizbullah and Iran • Subsequent questions are raised about al-Qaeda instead

  30. Conclusion • Saudi form of Islam distinctive, restrictive • Population relatively small • Oil wealth makes it enormously influential • Reagan deals begin radicalization of its foreign policy

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