Beirut: The Governor of Makkah, Prince Misha‘al Bin Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, spoke on behalf of his father, King Abdullah, at the “Islamic Culture: Tradition and Modernity” conference that convened in the holy city a few days ago when he summoned the Kingdom’s clergymen to close ranks and work to end extremism that sullied Islam.
In his carefully written proclamation, King Abdullah took the opportunity to remind his learned audience that the Arab and Muslim nations witnessed “confused cultural situations”, which required religious scholars and secular intellectuals alike to immerse themselves fully in the study of the phenomenon that preoccupied millions, look into what ailed it, “and wisely and prudently derive lessons to streamline [the nation] … into a path that is moderate and that rejected violence, extremism and terrorism”.
Although the Saudi monarch visited the same themes on previous occasions, recent developments with Daesh and groups of the same ilk, added to the list of woes that truly preoccupied the King. King Abdullah believed that Islam evolved, as he reiterated that this generation must “deal with its problems, and benefit from the scientific and educational developments of the times,” in order to add value.
The ruler commended the efforts that Riyadh adopted to preserve the true meaning of Islamic culture, which encouraged young men and women to avoid deviancy, and urged clerics to “spread correct thinking, combat aberrant thoughts and modify erroneous interpretations that further confused believers. His unmistakable call to “set up a unified front that worked at all levels and in all directions to form a strong and stable immune society against this strange plague,” was both a plea as well as a warning, both to end mistaken interpretations that tarnished the faith and to send a clear signal that Riyadh would not tolerate anomalies that led to violence.
In the past, Saudi clerics clashed with the ruling family, although the monarch seldom tolerated excesses. Growing tensions between the two poles — which formed the pillars on which Saudi legitimacy rested ever since the 1744 accord between the Al Saud and the Al Shaykh — saw clergymen oppose incremental moves that Riyadh proposed to steer the community of believers away from ultra-conservative Islam. Importantly, the vast majority of Saudi Arabia’s top clerical council, which is now the only body in the country authorised to issue fatwas, welcomed the ruler’s recommendations. It officially declared that “terrorism was a heinous crime” under Sharia law, and approved Riyadh’s efforts to prosecute perpetrators who did not differentiate between right or wrong, between religiosity and militancy, and between a legitimate state and radicalism.
