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Mohammed bin Salman has been the crown prince of Saudi Arabia since June 2017. His father decided to remove Muhammad bin Nayef from all positions, clearing the path for Mohammed to step forward. After only a few months into his powerful position, the crown prince announced plans to guide his country toward a moderate Islam. He turned to international leaders and other nations for support in his endeavors.
The Crown Prince of Saudi Needs Decades to Lead His Nation Back to Moderate Islam
On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince made a shocking pledge. He promised to disrupt the extremist culture that has been keeping his nation away from an open, prosperous society.
Mohammed bin Salman was at the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh at the time of this groundbreaking announcement. He intends to change the economic landscape. However, this major transition will need several decades to go into effect.
“We want to lead normal lives, lives where our religion and our traditions translate into tolerance so that we coexist with the world and become part of the development of the world.”
This step towards the Western civilization is based on concepts against the ultraconservative of ruling clerics. On the other hand, his nation has an extremely youthful population. The crown prince claimed that 70% of his country is under the age of 30. Therefore, his ambitions have high changes to find great support among most of citizens.
It Was Only 1979 When the Kingdom Decided to Adopt Wahhabism, an Ultraconservative Side of Islam
Mohammed bin Salman stated that Saudi was not always a region with extremist views of the world. Therefore, the transformation he promised is more like a return to a moderate Islam that cherishes international cooperation and encourages all sorts of religions.
Bin Salman made a reference to the events that took place in 1979 in Saudi Arabia. This was when a deadly revolt in Al-Hasa region under the Shiite militants’ lead forced the country to relapse into extremist stances. For example, the monarchy closed all movie theaters in the kingdom.
After this tragic year, leaders turned to Wahhabism, an implacable side of Islam. This religious direction forces numerous bans on women. They need male consent whenever they want to travel or work. The religious police in Saudi enjoyed great freedom in making sure the public adheres to these rigid rules.
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Chen Lai
With over 6 years of experience in writing news about various topics, able and efficient to write news related to the health, business and technology market. Chen Lai can be reached at [email protected]
