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I don't know who it controls within the royal family, though, clivex. There are literally thousands of princes, and they don't bother to count the princesses (natch), so it could have its tentacles around some. Whether they're of any influence is another matter.

A lot of Wahhabi tribal elders do have positions within the ulema, or 'wise men', who pass judgments on court cases and generally pontificate on issues they believe to be Islamic. The first King had to reward them with something for their pains in assisting him to the throne, and these positions go back tribally to that time. These men have thrown up some particularly un-Islamic, dotty decisions recently, which may in the end be their downfall, especially if the Saudi government decides they've gone too far in ridiculing the image of the country. Which, it seems, the majority of Saudi citizens now think they have.

If they have caused a diplomatic furore over their school books, which reflect Wahhabi intolerance, this might give the leverage to the King and his ministers to start clearing them out of their positions on the grounds that, far from upholding 'true' Islam as they insist they are, they're promoting extremist ideology. The day can't come too soon for women, the Shi'ites, and the liberal-minded.

<blockquote data-quote="krizon" data-source="post: 2103333" data-attributes="member: 64950">I don&#039;t know who it controls within the royal family, though, clivex.&nbsp; There are literally thousands of princes, and they don&#039;t bother to count the princesses (natch), so it could have its tentacles around some.&nbsp; Whether they&#039;re of any influence is another matter.&nbsp; A lot of Wahhabi tribal elders do have positions within the ulema, or &#039;wise men&#039;, who pass judgments on court cases and generally pontificate on issues they believe to be Islamic.&nbsp; The first King had to reward them with something for their pains in assisting him to the throne, and these positions go back tribally to that time.&nbsp; These men have thrown up some particularly un-Islamic, dotty decisions recently, which may in the end be their downfall, especially if the Saudi government decides they&#039;ve gone too far in ridiculing the image of the country.&nbsp; Which, it seems, the majority of Saudi citizens now think they have.&nbsp; If they have caused a diplomatic furore over their school books, which reflect Wahhabi intolerance, this might give the leverage to the King and his ministers to start clearing them out of their positions on the grounds that, far from upholding &#039;true&#039; Islam as they insist they are, they&#039;re promoting extremist ideology.&nbsp; The day can&#039;t come too soon for women, the Shi&#039;ites, and the liberal-minded.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="krizon, post: 2103333, member: 64950"] I don't know who it controls within the royal family, though, clivex. There are literally thousands of princes, and they don't bother to count the princesses (natch), so it could have its tentacles around some. Whether they're of any influence is another matter. A lot of Wahhabi tribal elders do have positions within the ulema, or 'wise men', who pass judgments on court cases and generally pontificate on issues they believe to be Islamic. The first King had to reward them with something for their pains in assisting him to the throne, and these positions go back tribally to that time. These men have thrown up some particularly un-Islamic, dotty decisions recently, which may in the end be their downfall, especially if the Saudi government decides they've gone too far in ridiculing the image of the country. Which, it seems, the majority of Saudi citizens now think they have. If they have caused a diplomatic furore over their school books, which reflect Wahhabi intolerance, this might give the leverage to the King and his ministers to start clearing them out of their positions on the grounds that, far from upholding 'true' Islam as they insist they are, they're promoting extremist ideology. The day can't come too soon for women, the Shi'ites, and the liberal-minded. [/QUOTE]

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