Following the take-over of the region from the Ottoman Empire, with the help of Western powers, the Saudis needed to come up with a quick and easy method to consolidate power. They turned to Wahhabism to help secure control of their kingdom while silencing dissent. It worked.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman commented that his country is returning to "moderate Islam, open to the world and all religions". He added that "We won't waste 30 years of our lives dealing with any extremist ideas. We will eradicate extremism". His statement was greeted with boisterous applause by the audience. He made the comments after announcing the investment of $500bn (£381bn) in a new city and business zone. Investors particularly have long been weary of the implications of Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia and its future there.
With an exploding population and massive increase in oil wealth, came many challenges that many Saudi kings have had to deal with. The dominance of Wahhabism in Saudi public life made conducting business in the country very difficult. If Crown Prince Mohammed's plan is successful, Saudi Arabia will be able to return, as he put it, "to moderate Islam." This will allow it to get along with its other Muslim neighbors. The export of Wahhabism has also been very costly for Saudi Arabia and has caused sectarian divisions among Muslims internationally.
On January 27, 2022 King Salman bin Abdulaziz issued a royal decree designating February 22 as a national holiday called the “Founding Day.” This day commemorates “the beginning of the reign of Imam Mohammed ibn Saud and his foundation of the first Saudi state,” The event has substantial political significance as it signifies a radical break with the Wahhabi political influence that had legitimized the Saudi political projects since 1744. electing 1727 instead of 1744 as the country’s founding year does not only signify a break with the Wahhabi political myth.
The Wahhabi political myth refers to the narrative that the first Saudi state was born out of a covenant made between Muhammed ibn Abdul-Wahhab and Mohammed ibn Saud in 1744. This political myth legitimizes the Saudi state by presenting it as an indispensable tool to apply, spread, and protect Wahhabi Islam. Although theoretically it puts the Saudi project in a subservient position in relation to the Wahhabi mission, it gives the state a divine mandate, while it also frees it from the historical responsibilities resulting from the agreements that the Saudi leadership made with different local elites during the state-formation period in the early 20th century.
By selecting the beginning of the reign of Mohammed ibn Saud as the state’s foundational moment, it creates a new myth that leaves no room for Muhammed ibn Abdul-Wahhab and his movement. What is different now is the deliberate departure from this foundational narrative. The official erasure of Wahabism is an ongoing process and it is not restricted to national holidays and official narratives. The new history textbooks do not mention Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab.
Prospective changes that further dampen the crown’s ties to fundamentalist Islam could prompt pushback, either by other members of the royal family or by religious leaders, or by a combination of both. Other royals are resentful that they have been marginalized, and the once well-funded clerical establishment has been steadily undermined by Mohammed bin Salman’s tactics. Additionally, some may sense this is the last chance to stop Mohammed bin Salman from becoming king. Measures by the royal court to block such opposition can also be expected.
https://www.dailysabah.com/columns/taha-meli-arvas/2017/10/26/what-death-of-wahhabism-means-for-mid-east-economy
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-41747476
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