You Can't Understand ISIS If You Don't Know the History of Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia

[Mosby]

BEIRUT -- The dramatic arrival of Da'ish (ISIS) on the stage of Iraq has shocked many in the West. Many have been perplexed -- and horrified -- by its violence and its evident magnetism for Sunni youth. But more than this, they find Saudi Arabia's ambivalence in the face of this manifestation both troubling and inexplicable, wondering, "Don't the Saudis understand that ISIS threatens them, too?"

It appears -- even now -- that Saudi Arabia's ruling elite is divided. Some applaud that ISIS is fighting Iranian Shiite "fire" with Sunni "fire"; that a new Sunni state is taking shape at the very heart of what they regard as a historical Sunni patrimony; and they are drawn by Da'ish's strict Salafist ideology.

Other Saudis are more fearful, and recall the history of the revolt against Abd-al Aziz by the Wahhabist Ikhwan (Disclaimer: this Ikhwan has nothing to do with the Muslim Brotherhood Ikhwan -- please note, all further references hereafter are to the Wahhabist Ikhwan, and not to the Muslim Brotherhood Ikhwan), but which nearly imploded Wahhabism and the al-Saud in the late 1920s.

Many Saudis are deeply disturbed by the radical doctrines of Da'ish (ISIS) -- and are beginning to question some aspects of Saudi Arabia's direction and discourse.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alastair-crooke/isis-wahhabism-saudi-arabia_b_5717157.html

[Scootaloo]

1. a note to saudi Arabia...

A nation that has the population of a modest US city, that can't find enough pilots for all its air force's equipment, probably shouldn't spend so much time prevaricating beyond its borders. Bad things happens to little nations who take big bites.

[mrdmk]

2. Have known a person who lived in Saudi Arabia during the eighties and early nineties

For the most part the upper class does what they want when they want and quote some unknown excuse for doing it. It can accredited to a Wahhabist or Sunni philosophy, what ever favor suites their desires at the moment.

The lower classes were a seen but not heard from group of people, mostly single males...

A very difficult society to predict because of their moment to moment attitudes concerning themselves.

[underpants]

3. Great read

I knew it was the Wahhabists. Hadn't followed up on the basis of ISIS but I figured that it was the "weird cousins" of the royal Saudis. The royals think that some loose money will placate them it clearly it didn't.

[TreasonousBastard]

4. I knew a guy who was banned from SA...

He was hired to teach electrical engineering at a great salary at King Faisal U., or whatever it was called. First thing he noticed was that a large part of his salary went to overpriced living quarters he had to stay in because he was so special. Another large part went to overpriced tickets to France on Air Saudi so he could get a drink some weekends.

But, the worst of it was the students. None of them ever cracked a book, asked questions, or did any of the normal things students do. When he asked why he was told, "We are Princes, and do not work."

"The why are you here in school?"

"To learn electrical engineering."

"The why not study?"

"Because we are princes."

He left after a three or four months and was told he would be arrested if he tried to come back. He told them to suck on a rock.

[YoungDemCA]

5. Two reasons why antagonizing the KSA may not be the best idea

Actually, three.

Mecca, Medina, and oil.