Catherine Shakdam — Wahhabi Saudi Arabia and the Disappearing of Islam’s Heritage

Backgrounder.

While world nations remain mostly oblivious to the crippling danger presented by Saudi Arabia – a nation which wealth has shielded it from criticism, and whose leaders have stood immune from legal pursuits, the Kingdom has a lot to answer to …

Actually it is not so much Saudi Arabia as a political construct which should worry you, but rather the faith it has leaned on to draw legitimacy from: Wahhabism.

Born in the desert of Nejd in the 18th century – an unwelcoming stretch of land which for centuries has echoed from the war cries of looters and tribal warlords, Wahhabism came into the world courtesy of one self-professed Islamic erudite: Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab. A follower of Ibn Taymiyyah*, Ibn Abdul-Wahhad imagined himself a religious authority so grand that only his teachings could be deemed worthy – a sanctity onto Islam, the one school of thought to surpass all others, and in shame bind them!

Or so he claimed …or so he made others believe!

An ascetic, violent and reactionary faith, Wahhabism is not just anchored in bloodshed, it has been weaved around hate, bred on exclusion, and grown on ignorant bigotry.
If ever there was an antithesis of Islam, Wahhabism would most certainly qualify to that title.

But enough already on this individual … although we have to admit that it is his poisonous thoughts which continue to darken our skies, by allowing powers to wage “holy wars”.

You might know Wahhabism under a different name – that of Islamic radicalism.

It is at this point in my article that I will ask you to review your definition of radicalism and learn to call this abomination by its real name: Wahhabism.

The Duran
Wahhabi Saudi Arabia and the Disappearing of Islam’s Heritage

Catherine Shakdam

Ibn Tamiyyah declared the teaching of Ibn Arabi, whom Sufis call "the greatest (spiritual) leader" (al-shaykh al-akbar), heretical. He was also highly critical of Shite Islam. Ibn Tamiyyah is regarded as the source of Salafism. Wahhabism is an extreme form of Salafism. Salafism is a fundamentalist interpretation of Islam and Wahhabism is perhaps the most extreme view of it. Equating Salafism with Islam would be like equating Christian Fundamentalism with Christianity. Equating Wahhabism with Islam would be like equating Christian Dominionism with Christianity.