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University of Bucharest
Faculty of Political Science
English Section - sophomore
Subject: International Relations
Instructor: Ruxandra Ivan
Student: Doru Frantescu
Political Islam and Democracy - An International Relations Perspective
Case Study: Saudi Arabia - Playing at Both Ends
Topics:
. The Concept of Political Islam
. The House of Saud
. A Moment of Choice: the Golf War of 1990-1991
. Religious Opposition - The Saudi Ulema
. Ideological Point of View: The Holly War
. Saudi Arabia's Relations with Other Countries
. Saudi Arabia's Special Relations with the United States
. Conclusions
The Concept of Political Islam
Political Islam is a concept that defines the way in which Islamic
religion is influencing politics in Islamic states. In this study I aim to
establish to what extent the Islamic-thinking affects politics and
especially Saudi Arabia's internal and foreign policy. In order to do that,
we need to know how powerful the Islamic ideology is in this particular
country.
The population of Saudi Arabia is 90% Muslim Arab of the Wahhabi sect
(a branch of Sunni Islam), although there is a small percentage of Shiites,
mainly in the Northeast. Islam is the only officially recognized religion,
and other faiths are not publicly tolerated.
The states resulted after the First World War were cursed to have a
very harsh life. The geographic delimitation was mainly the result of the
arbitrary division according to foreign interests. Twentieth Century's
Middle East is, in reality, an Anglo-French creation and had little to do
with the dynamics of that specific region.
The House of Saud
As the Ottoman Empire dissolved after World War I, Ibn Saud of the
House of Saud worked quickly to consolidate his family's power over the
Arabian Peninsula. Ibn was a despot of old type. He was aided materially by
the British who were interested in destroying the Ottomans. Ibn Saud gave
birth to a modern and powerful dynasty by having numerous children with his
many wives. Today there are, depending on the source, some 3000-4000 or
7,000 princes in the House of Saud[1] with eight or ten new ones born each
week. Women and girls do not count so there are no princesses. Saudi women
are among the most harassed on earth.
Ibn Saud belonged to Sunni part of the Wahhab sect representing an
extreme interpretation of the Qu'ran and Hadith. Wahhabism soon became the
state religion and became just as oppressive as the Taliban. Since WW II
especially, Wahhab Mullahs began preaching against Western thought and
influence, which was exported to Afghanistan and Pakistan. The House of
Saud is now ruled by King Fahd, but, because of his poor health, Fahd is
now only a titular leader. His brother, Crown Prince Abdullah, actually
runs Saudi Arabia |