UNDERSTANDING THE MIDDLE EAST:
History, Religion, and the Clash of Cultures
400 pages
Copyright © 2007 by Beechmont Crest Publishing
First edition, 2007
0-9748330-6-1
C H A P T E R 8:
The Story of Saudi Arabia
Islamic fundamentalism in Saudi Arabia
There are many connections between Saudi Arabia and the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States: Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda, is from Saudi Arabia, as were the majority of the 9/11 hijackers. The post-9/11 investigations revealed that millions of Saudi petrodollars were funneled to al-Qaeda and other militant Islamic groups prior to the attacks.
The West also learned of Saudi Arabia’s wider role in spread of radicalism in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia is the home of Wahhabism, a fundamentalist version of Islam that has inspired a new generation of terrorists.
These connections between Saudi Arabia and Islamic terrorism should surprise no one. Saudi Arabia is a country ruled by a partnership between a secular monarchy and an Islamic clerical institution. Despite Saudi Arabia’s abundant oil wealth, the country adheres to a medieval code of religious law, whereby women and non-Muslims are subject to official state repression.
This chapter explores the history of Saudi Arabia, and how it became the country that it is today.
Copyright 2005 Beechmont Crest Publishing
