Saudi Arabia, capitalizing on its success in suppressing al Qaeda in the kingdom, has turned to the mosques and universities to halt the spread of Islamic radicalism. This is a big deal, because Saudi Arabia is the most religious state in the Moslem world, and the home of the most sacred shrines. For that reason, Saudis were prominent among the first wave of Islamic terrorists. This was disturbing to the Saudi royalty, as many of these Islamic radicals were calling for the establishment of a religious dictatorship in Arabia, and the destruction of the Saudi monarchy.
Now the government has warned the imams (clerics) of the kingdom's 15,000 mosques that they had best tone down promotion of Islamic radicalism, or else. This is not an idle request, because the kingdom pays for the mosques, and pays the salaries of the imams. The monarchy also decides who can run a mosque, so the threat is real. The government has already removed several of the most rabid Islamic radicals running mosques, and the new rule is that many more will get punished if preaching does not push a softer and gentler version of Islam.
The universities are also held responsible for the spread of radical religious ideas. Until recently, the universities taught a lot of religion, and a disproportionate number of students, and graduates, shunned science for religious studies and non-science degrees. This will change.
Long ago I wrote that one day we'd need a reckoning with Saudi Arabia for their role in training the jihadis to hate. But I recognized that a combination of more immediate problems and Saudi Arabia's vital role in the oil industry argued against rash actions.
We did not take rash actions. And now the Saudi rulers are doing what we want them to do with the determination of those convinced their own survival is at stake, rather than seeing their actions as a favor to us.
