James M. Dorsey — Whither Wahhabism

We will be hearing a lot of women's right and suppression of women in Iran, but women are much free there under the combination of liberal democracy and Shi'ite theocracy and the society is also more open then in Sunni-dominated countries like Saudi Arabia that follow the tenets of Wahhabism.

This posts examines how Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman al-Saud may change that. The conclusion is probably not all that much, although any change in a rigid culture like that stands out owing to the sharp contrast.

Conversely, in Iran women are "repressed" because they must dress and behave decently in public and wear the hijab (head scarf covering the hair). The contrast with Saudi Arabi could not be greater. Let's get some perspective here.

Lobelog
Whither Wahhabism

James M. Dorsey | senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, co-director of the University of Würzburg’s Institute for Fan Culture, and co-host of the New Books in Middle Eastern Studies podcast

RT — Spread of Wahhabism was done at request of West during Cold War – Saudi crown prince

The Saudi-funded spread of Wahhabism began as a result of Western countries asking Riyadh to help counter the Soviet Union during the Cold War, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told the Washington Post.

Speaking to the paper, bin Salman said that Saudi Arabia's Western allies urged the country to invest in mosques and madrassas overseas during the Cold War, in an effort to prevent encroachment in Muslim countries by the Soviet Union.

Blowback.

Note: Some may wonder why the link is to RT rather than to the Washington Post where the story appeared. I choose not to link to the Washington Post, the New York Times, or the Wall Street Journal.

RT
Spread of Wahhabism was done at request of West during Cold War – Saudi crown prince

J. Barkley Rosser — On The Relationship Between Wahhabism And Salafism

Backgrounder. "You can't tell the players without a scorecard."

Econospeak
On The Relationship Between Wahhabism And Salafism

J. Barkley Rosser | Professor of Economics and Business Administration James Madison University

See also

An account by an orthodox Sunni.

As-Sunnah Foundation of America

Wahhabism: Understanding The Roots And Role Models Of Islamic Extremism 

Zubair Qamar, condensed and edited by ASFA staff

Then there is the Sunni-Shi'a divide.

Al-Islam.org  — Shiite Encyclopedia

The Major Difference Between the Shi’a and the Sunni

Islam Awareness (Sunni)

Sunnis vs. Shi'ites —An Outline Of The Differences Between The Sunnis and The Shi'ite in Matters of Faith And Doctrine

Assad Abu Khalil — This is the vision of Muhammad bin Salman (those posts are not funded by Gulf embassies in DC)

Our guy.

Angry Arab News Service
This is the vision of Muhammad bin Salman (those posts are not funded by Gulf embassies in DC)
Assad Abu Khalil | Professor of Political Science, California State University, Stanislaus

also

This view is rarely represented in reports by Western correspondents in Beirut

"“Israel caricatures Hizbullah as a terrorist organisation,” says Rifaat Nasrallah, the Christian militia’s leader (and no relation of Hassan). “But the resistance is not some external force that comes to terrorise us. They are part of our society. They attend our weddings and funerals. They take care of me and I take care of them.” Alliances forged in the furnace of Syria’s war may be hard to break."  None of the Western media published about the reception of returning Hizbullah fighters (hostages) into a Christian town in Lebanon last week.

Ricky Twisdale — BOMBSHELL: Trump told Saudis to stop funding terror

Game-changer?

The real purpose of my being there, was to make sure these countries do not fund terror any longer.….

Earlier in his address, Trump had strongly reiterated his campaign rhetoric decrying the havoc caused by decades of US military intervention:

Our country has spent $6 trillion in the middle east – wasted. And the lives, the lives…thousands and thousands and thousands of lives. We started 16 years ago, and it’s in far worse shape than it was 16 years ago. So we spent all of this money, all of these lives…and let me tell you, I came in and took over a very, very difficult hand. But we’re going to get it fixed – that’s what you put me here for.

Needless to say, Trump’s rhetoric is at odds with Pentagon policy, which seems to have changed little since the turnover in administrations. There is clearly a discrepency between the US president’s views and the deep state’s demands....

The Duran
BOMBSHELL: Trump told Saudis to stop funding terror
Ricky Twisdale

Graham E. Fuller — Does Qatar Really Threaten the Gulf?

Backgrounder.

Graham E. Fuller
Does Qatar Really Threaten the Gulf?
Graham E. Fuller | adjunct professor of history at Simon Fraser University, formerly vice chairman of the National Intelligence Council at the CIA, and a former senior political scientist at RAND

See also

The Unz Review
Liars Lying About Nearly Everything

Philip Giraldi, former counter-terrorism specialist and military intelligence officer of the CIA. and presently Executive Director of the Council for the National Interest

Alstair Crooke on Saudi Arabia, ISIS and Wahhabism

In this two part series, Alstair Crooke provides the background for understanding Saudi Arabia and ISIS in terms of Wahhabism.

The World Post
You Can’t Understand ISIS If You Don’t Know the History of Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia

Middle East Time Bomb: The Real Aim of ISIS Is to Replace the Saud Family as the New Emirs of Arabia

Alstair Crooke

See also

The article cites a hadith (traditional saying attributed to Muhammad).

Its ironic that Prophet Muhammad and Imam Ali seemed to warn against the rise of extremism in Kitab Al Fitan – a compilation of hadiths (Islamic tradition) relating to the end of times, put together by prominent scholar Nuyam bin Hammad in 229 AH.
In it Imam Ali recalled the Prophet saying:

“If you see the black flags, then hold your ground and do not move your hands or your feet. A people will come forth who are weak and have no capability, their hearts are like blocks of iron. They are the people of the State (literally the people of Al Dawla), they do not keep a promise or a treaty.

"They call to the truth but they are not its people. Their names are (nicknames like Abu Mohammed) and their last names (are the names of town and cities, like Al Halabi [and now al-Baghdadi]) and their hair is loose like women’s hair. (Leave them) until they fight among themselves, then Allah will bring the truth from whoever He wills.”

The Telegraph
What is Wahhabism? The reactionary branch of Islam from Saudi Arabia said to be 'the main source of global terrorism'

Barkley Rosser — Some Saudi-US History

Backgrounder.

Angry Bear
Some Saudi-US History
J. Barkley Rosser | Professor of Economics and Business Administration James Madison University

Paul Robinson — The peaceful city

Countering incredible Western naiveté.

Western propaganda has convinced most people in the West that the "reblels" were liberals fighting against the "dictatorial" Assad and his "repressive" regime rather than Sunni Islamists trying to impose their strict version of Islamic custom and law, similar to the Wahhabism of Saudi Arabia.

BTW, life in Damascus is reported to be similar to that described in the post about Aleppo prior to Western and Saudi/Qatari arming and funding of the "opposition."

Irrussianality
The peaceful city
Paul Robinson | Professor, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa

Nassim Nicholas Taleb — The Syrian War Condensed: A more Rigorous Way to Look at the Conflict

I guess Taleb's blog is a fake news site that promotes Russian propaganda.

Medium
The Syrian War Condensed: A more Rigorous Way to Look at the Conflict

Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Robert Parry — The Need to Hold Saudi Arabia Accountable

Background that is important in light of Donald Trump's stance on Iran, as well as that of Lt. General Flynn, Trump's choice for National Security Advisor and appointment of General Mattis as Secretary of Defense.

One of Official Washington’s favorite “group thinks” is to insist that Iran is the “chief sponsor of terrorism,” but the reality is that Saudi Arabia is much guiltier and U.S. officials know it, says Robert Parry.…

Parry shows that it is impossible for anyone in the deep state or the military not to know that Saudi Arabia is the chief state sponsor of terrorism and not Iran. Iran is opposed by Israel and the Wahhabi-Salafi Sunni states, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Is Donald Trump either misinformed, or carrying water for Israel?  But if that is so, why would he be backing off replacing Assad in Syria, which IsraelI officials have stated as the number one goal?

Are the generals are also misinformed (which is highly unlikely), backing Israel also, or just uttering a shibboleth as a secret handshake to be admitted to the game.

Consortium News
The Need to Hold Saudi Arabia Accountable
Robert Parry

See also

Some of President-elect Trump’s national security appointees are part of Official Washington’s “we-hate-Iran” group think, raising concerns about another Mideast war, notes ex-CIA analyst Paul R. Pillar.

Trump and His Iran-Haters

Paul R. Pillar

Robert Parry — The Need to Hold Saudi Arabia Accountable

One of Official Washington’s favorite “group thinks” is to insist that Iran is the “chief sponsor of terrorism,” but the reality is that Saudi Arabia is much guiltier and U.S. officials know it, says Robert Parry.

Consortium News
The Need to Hold Saudi Arabia Accountable
Robert Parry

Sputnik — Saudi King Urges World Powers to Stop Bloodshed in Syria

Crocodile tears from the main support and financier of jihadism as their jihadis get kettled in Aleppo.

Sputnik
Saudi King Urges World Powers to Stop Bloodshed in Syria

also

Fort Russ
Lavrov gives last chance to Aleppo terrorists: "Leave politely or be destroyed"

RusVesna - translated by J. Arnoldski

Sputnik
Trump Pledges to End US Regime Change Policies Around the World

The Duran
BREAKING: Al-Qaeda commanders negotiating surrender in Aleppo, Jihadi stronghold collapsing

Alexander Mercouris

Voltaire Network
The House of Representatives votes for a no-fly zone in Syria

The EU's “peace plan” for Syria

Assad Abu Khalil — I don't think that you have an idea of the language of Gulf regime media in Arabic

This is from the opinion page of the Qatari regime newspaper, Al-Quds Al-Arabi. It says: "as you do, o rabid dogs who you call yourselves secularists".

"Our guys."

Angry Arab News Service
I don't think that you have an idea of the language of Gulf regime media in Arabic
Assad Abu Khalil | Professor of Political Science, California State University, Stanislaus

also

The disgusting Arabic Huffington Post and its sectarian Wahhabi hatred

Mike Whitney — Obama Stepped Back From Brink, Will Hillary?

The American people need to understand what’s going on in Syria. Unfortunately, the major media only publish Washington-friendly propaganda which makes it difficult to separate fact from fiction. The best way to cut through the lies and misinformation, is by using a simple analogy that will help readers to see that Syria is not in the throes of a confusing, sectarian civil war, but the victim of another regime change operation launched by Washington to topple the government of Bashar al Assad.

With that in mind, try to imagine if striking garment workers in New York City decided to arm themselves and take over parts of lower Manhattan. And, let’s say, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau decided that he could increase his geopolitical influence by recruiting Islamic extremists and sending them to New York to join the striking workers. Let’s say, Trudeau’s plan succeeds and the rebel militias are able to seize a broad swathe of US territory including most of the east coast stretching all the way to the mid-west. Then– over the course of the next five years– these same jihadist forces proceed to destroy most of the civilian infrastructure across the country, force millions of people from their homes and businesses, and demand that President Obama step down from office so they can replace him with an Islamic regime that would enforce strict Sharia law.

How would you advise Obama in a situation like this? Would you tell him to negotiate with the people who invaded and destroyed his country or would you tell him to do whatever he thought was necessary to defeat the enemy and restore security?….

Counterpunch
Obama Stepped Back From Brink, Will Hillary?
Mike Whitney

Larry C. Johnson — Hillary Knew the Saudis Were Funding ISIS

I have written for quite some time that Saudi Arabia and Qatar are funding ISIS. Glad to see that John Podesta informed Hillary of this fact back in 2014. Here’s a portion of that email:

While this military/para-military operation is moving forward, we need to use our diplomatic and more traditional intelligence assets to bring pressure on the governments of Qatar and Saudi Arabia, which are providing clandestine financial and logistic support to ISIL and other radical Sunni groups in the region. This effort will be enhanced by the stepped up commitment in the KRG. The Qataris and Saudis will be put in a position of balancing policy between their ongoing competition to dominate the Sunni world and the consequences of serious U.S. pressure. By the same token, the threat of similar, realistic U.S. operations will serve to assist moderate forces in Libya, Lebanon, and even Jordan, where insurgents are increasingly fascinated by the ISIL success in Iraq.

If you read the entire email you will discern that there is a recommendation to “put pressure” on Saudi Arabia and Qatar using diplomatic and intelligence channels. But nothing concrete is proposed. The solution to Saudi Arabia and Qatar is very simple–work with Russia and China and pass a UN Security Council resolution that imposes sanctions on any country that provides any kind of support to ISIS. Very simple.

Why does Hillary not want to do that? Also very simple. The Saudis and the Qataris have pumped millions of dollars into the Clinton Foundation. This is the ultimate pay for play.…

No Quarter
Hillary Knew the Saudis Were Funding ISIS

Larry C. Johnson, counterterrorism expert formerly with the CIA and US State Department

Noah Feldman — The Geopolitics of Deciding Who Is Sunni

"Bloomberg view writer defends KSA state-sponsorship of jihadi terrorism and US support of it." (snark)

Ok, a bit snarky, but that is the subtext and implication. 

The author apparently doesn't realize that moderate Sunni rejection of Wahhabism in the face of US support of its chief advocate, KSA, implies US support of KSA state-sponsored jihadi terrorism. And suggests that Vladimir Putin is attacking the US by rejecting Sunni extremism, which threats Russia directly since the Russia Federation has population of about 15 million and Islam has been established there since the 7th century.

Oh, and the IsraelI hardline government also supports KSA and is on board with using jihadis as proxies, based on the strategic maxim, "the enemy (KSA) of our enemy (Iran) is our friend." (Disclaimer: I am neither anti-Semitic, nor anti-Israel, I am anti-Zionist and anti-apartheid.)

The idea that this is "geopolitics" is contradicted by the author's reporting.

Ahmed el-Tayeb, the state-appointed grand imam of the Al-Azhar University in Cairo, was the event’s headliner. Although it has declined in recent decades, Al-Azhar was for centuries considered the most influential Sunni scholarly institution. Its head, known as the Sheikh of Al-Azhar, is by job description alone a major figure in the Sunni world.

The world should be celebrating this amidst the calls for moderate Islam to denounce Wahhabi and Salafi takfirism and jihadism. Instead Bloomberg View bemoans that a US ally is being called out for it. Shame on them.

Bloomberg View

The Geopolitics of Deciding Who Is Sunni
Noah Feldman

Mike Whitney — Assad’s Death Warrant

"Secret cables and reports by the U.S., Saudi and Israeli intelligence agencies indicate that the moment Assad rejected the Qatari pipeline, military and intelligence planners quickly arrived at the consensus that fomenting a Sunni uprising in Syria to overthrow the uncooperative Bashar Assad was a feasible path to achieving the shared objective of completing the Qatar/Turkey gas link. In 2009, according to WikiLeaks, soon after Bashar Assad rejected the Qatar pipeline, the CIA began funding opposition groups in Syria.”

— Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Why the Arabs don’t want us in Syria, Politico

Counterpunch
Assad’s Death Warrant

Mike Whitney

See also

Fort Russ
The top ten western lies about the war in Syria [Part one, Lies 1 through 5]

rt.français, September 9, 2016
Translated from French by Tom Winter September 15, 2016

The top ten western lies about the war in Syria [Part two, lies 6 through 10]

The Moderate Syrian Opposition Are Terrorists from All over the World — Desislava Pateva Interviews Mohammed Ibrahim

Interview with a Syrian who also has Bulgarian citizenship and now lives in Bulgaria. Longish but revealing.

SouthFront

The Moderate Syrian Opposition Are Terrorists from All over the World

Interview conducted by Desislava Pateva with Mohammed Ibrahim, chairman of the Association of Syrians in Bulgaria; Originally appeared at A-specto, translated by Borislav exclusively for SouthFront

Rakesh Krishna Simha — How the West used radical Islam and unleashed global terror

Western nations have backed fundamentalist forces at the expense of secular, nationalist Muslims. With western funding and support, the Islamic fringe has come to occupy the mainstream.…

How it all began.

“The British Empire had an overprotective attitude toward Islam,” writes Nu’man Abd Al-Wahid of the Lebanon-based Al-Akhbar.

Considering that Britain was one of the prime culprits in the destabilisation of Iran in the 1950s and is behind the devastation of Iraq, Libya and Syria in more recent times, one would be tempted to take the view the British are anti-Muslim. But in fact they are only opposed to nationalist Muslims and the moderate middle classes.

Al-Wahid explains: “When the Empire began to consolidate its lordship over the Arab world after World War I, it partnered with Saudi Wahhabis and the Muslim Brotherhood. The trends these movements represented were not so much ‘invented’ by the British but favoured and promoted.

"Before the British allowed the Wahhabis to establish themselves in Riyadh in 1901, they were an isolated, exiled cult in the Basra region known as ‘Kuwait’. With further support from the Empire, the Wahhabis expanded into the western part of the Arabian peninsula in 1924 and 1925.”

The British advocated the Muslim Brotherhood brand of Islam rather than the traditional moderate Islam as practised by the oldest university in the Islamic world, Al-Azhar.

“The British Empire...heroically and selflessly defended Islam, even if al-Azhar, the traditional bastion of Islamic learning in the world, didn’t comprehend this urgency. By the time these two major trends of Islamism strategically coalesced in the 1950s to meet the challenge of third world independence and socialism, the Americans had embraced the British Empire’s imperialist strategy.”

“This embrace meant bringing British puppets, such as the al-Saud clan of Saudi Arabia and the Thani clan of Qatar, under its protective umbrella. This American appropriation of the puppets had initially gained doctrinal credibility through the Eisenhower doctrine and extended all the way until the 1980s to support the Islamist mercenaries, or mujahideen, against the Soviets in the 1980s.”

Downhill from there.

During the Carter administration, under the influence of Zbigniew Brzezinski, the US began to employ Wahhabi, Salafi, Takfiri mujahideen as "freedom fighters" and used them subsequently in  proxy wars — until the mujahideen turned on them. But the mujahideen presented too good an opportunity to give up entirely so the US still incorporates them.

However, the desire to play cynical geopolitical games is too strong in the West. In most cases western politicians and generals are way over their heads in events they cannot begin to understand, let alone control. Meanwhile, the battle is spilling over into the streets of Europe and occasionally the United States. The West’s ‘Freudian Bargain’ is clearly coming unstuck.

Russia & India Report
How the West used radical Islam and unleashed global terror
Rakesh Krishnan Simha