Modern Diplomacy
Published 2 months ago
Saudi Arabia’s combustible mix of religion, nationalism, and tradition as well as contradictions in the kingdom’s projection of itself as a driver of moderate Islam and major voice in combatting discrimination and racism spark heated debate on social media.
How the mix plays out will ultimately spotlight the outcome of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s efforts to inject a significant dose of nationalism in a Saudi identity that historically has been heavily shaped by religion.
The contours of public engagement are evident in the contrast between passionate debates over issues such as a proposal to remove the sword from the Saudi flag and discussions of what constitutes Muslim holy land and the status of Jerusalem as Islam’s third-holiest city as opposed to far more cautious social media responses to changes in US policy as the Biden administration settles into office.
Saudi author and journalist Fahd Al-Ahmadi, who writes a column for the government daily
Al-Iqtisadiyya, recently sparked a heated debate among Saudis on Twitter by proposing a change to the Saudi national flag. The flag in its present form features the
shahada (the Islamic declaration of faith, There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His messenger ) and beneath it a sword. Al-Ahmadi proposed to remove the sword, arguing that it does not suit the current age and also goes against the spirit of the Quran, which states that there is no coercion in religion. He also proposed that removing the sword will help to rebuff claims that associate Islam with violence. He added that many countries have changed their flags over the years, and that the Saudi flag itself has gone through several permutations, some of which did not include the sword.