Contempory Islam in Saudi Arabia
As keepers of the holy cites of Mecca and Medina, Saudi Arabia plays an important role in Islam. Islam is the basis of Saudi Arabia's national identity, society, law, and politics. This becomes apparent simply by looking at the Saudi flag, which combines the Muslim confession of faith ("There is no god but God and Mohammed is His Prophet") and the crossed swords of the House of Saud that reflect the union of faith and politics. Although Saudi Arabia is an Islamic state, they have been criticized for being un-Islamic and have been denounced from other Islamic countries such as Iran. Despite Saudi Arabia's creation as an Islamic state and its deliberate Islamic profile, The Saudi government have not been immune to challenges to its legitimacy and leadership. A visitor to Saudi Arabia would immediately notice how Islam is the basis of Saudi Arabia's national identity and society. One would notice the amount of images that seem to confirm its Islamic state. A visitor would notice the seemingly endless number of mosques. A visitor would notice how society seems to stop at prayer time as shops close and the faithful face Mecca to pray. A visitor would also notice the prohibition of a
During the Gulf War of 1991, the monarchy was brought upon more criticism's for being un-Islamic because of the presence of American forces on Saudi soil. Although criticized by Islamic extremists for their alliance with the United States, the House of Saud were careful to legitimize the royal decisions by providing legal opinions by Islamic scholars. After the Gulf War, militants increasingly challenged the House of Saud for straying from or betraying Saudi Arabia's Islamic identity and heritage. The government quickly responded to these militants by arresting Islam in Saudi Arabia is not just a religion, it is a way of life. Islamic extremists view Saudi Arabia's modernization program as a threat to Islam itself and to Saudi Arabia's image as an Islamic state. Although the House of Saud and the ulama are working together to maintain its Islamic state and modernize itself to keep up with the rest of the world, there continues to be critics who are inept to accepting the combination of an Islamic state and modernization.
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 887
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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