In an article he posted following the death of former U.S. president George H. W. Bush, Prominent Saudi journalist 'Abd Al-Rahman Al-Rashed, the former editor of the London-based daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, praised Bush, calling him an important and brave leader who had a rare abili...
In a December 9, 2018 article on Al-Arabiya titled "Details of calls to attack Trump by U.S. 'Muslim Sisters' allied to [Muslim] Brotherhood," by Hudah Al-Saleh, criticized Palestinian-American activist Linda Sarsour, "with roots in Muslim Brotherhood and a member of the Council ...
On December 1, 2018, Egyptian and other Arab media reported that, for the first time, a Coptic Mass had been held in Saudi Arabia, in the city of Riyadh. The Mass was performed by Ava Morkos, Coptic Bishop of Shobra Al-Kheima in Egypt, as part of his visit to Saudi Arabia.[1] The...
Ibrahim Karagül, confidant of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and editor-in-chief of the Yeni Safak daily, the mouthpiece of Turkey's leading AKP party, warned that a "new axis" is promoting a Turk-Arab war in the Middle East. According to Karagül, this new axis is fo...
In addressing the West about the October 2, 2018 murder of Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan presents the need for strong measures against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman personally, as a human imperative and a...
In the recent weeks, UN Special Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths and officials from the U.S., U.K. and other European countries have been trying to affect a ceasefire in Yemen and promote a political solution to the conflict there. In October Griffiths announced plans for a new ro...
During a debate on Al-Hurra TV (U.S.) that aired on November 9, 2018, Saudi journalist Muhammad Al-Osaimi said that Iran is the "obvious and real enemy" of the Arab states. He criticized the Arab countries for not recognizing Israel's existence even though the entire world - the ...
On October 16, Al-Jazeera TV aired a simulation of Jamal Al-Khashoggi's murder at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. The simulation is based on information leaked by Turkish sources, and it shows Al-Khashoggi being grabbed by two attackers, who injected him in the neck with...
On November 11, 2018, The Washington Post published an article by Mohammed Ali Al-Houthi, chairman of the Houthi Supreme Revolutionary Committee in Yemen, attacking Saudi Arabia for its actions in the context of the war in Yemen. The article also attacked the U.S., arguing that t...
Now that Saudi Arabia has acknowledged its responsibility for the Khashoggi murder, it is time to clarify Turkey's role and responsibility in the affair, from the perspective of the battle between Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi Arabia's Muhammad Bin Salman for the leader...
The tension between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, which has been ongoing for 18 months, intensified even further following the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.[1] Known for his criticism of the Saudi authorities and support for the Muslim Brotherhood (which Saudi...
Since the murder in early October of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and with the daily publication of foreign media reports on Saudi involvement in the affair, many articles are appearing in the Saudi media expressing rage at what they called a hostile media campaign against t...
A Saudi TV debate dealt with the question whether people suffering from psychological problems should go to a psychiatric clinic or to someone who would recite Quranic verses over them. Psychiatrist Dr. Jamal Al-Tuwairqi said that Freud, who, he claimed, "went to New York and fou...
In contrast to the scathing criticism directed at Saudi Arabia by Western media and by Saudi Arabia's Arab rivals, headed by Qatar, following the murder of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the kingdom's Arab allies, as well as Arab bodies and organizations, have come t...
In an address at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Palestinian preacher Sheikh Abu Mus'ab Al-Hadra criticized Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman for having the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi carried out in the Saudi consulate. After spending infinite funds on weapons and forei...
In the last 24 hours, Saudi Arabia has sharped its tone towards the U.S., in response to recent statements by U.S. officials, among them President Donald Trump, that Saudi Arabia will be punished if it proves to be responsible for the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Al-Kh...
Following the September 22, 2018 shooting in Iran's Ahwaz region, Muhammad Ahl Al-Sheikh, a columnist for the Saudi government daily Al-Jazirah, described the shooting as a "legitimate resistance operation" by the Arab minority that is oppressed by the Iranian regime, and express...
Saudi-Kuwaiti singer Shams Bandar said that she accepts Jews, Christians, and people with no religion. Responding to criticism of a tweet blessing Jews on a holiday, she said sarcastically: "So burn them. Bring Hitler back. Bring ovens… We have modern ovens that burn faster." Whe...
Abdullah Al-Mutlaq of the Saudi Council of Senior Scholars said that polygamy was "sometimes a necessity and sometimes a crime" and that if a man marries multiple wives, he must treat them equally. Speaking on an October 3 fatwa show on Saudi Arabia's TV Channel 1, Al-Mutlaq said...
The disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, and was never seen leaving it, is a trending topic in the Arabic press, particularly the Saudi press. Khashoggi, whom some Turkish elements surmise was murdered ...
In 2014, Saudi cleric and author Sheikh Muhammad Al-Arifi gave an address in which he cited the antisemitic hadith "The Prophecy of the Rock and the Tree," and said that the Jews were cowardly by nature, as could be seen throughout history - in the days of the Prophet Muhammad, i...
In an article he published following the September 22, 2018 attack on the military parade held by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in Ahvaz, Saudi journalist Hussein Shubakshi attacked the resistance axis – Iran, Syria, Hizbullah and Hamas – which, he said, wages ...
On October 7, 2017, on the occasion of the 44th anniversary of the 1973 war between Israel and the Arabs, the London-based Saudi daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat published an article by its former editor, 'Abd Al-Rahman Al-Rashed, in which he praised then Egyptian President Anwar Sad...
In an article published August 9, 2018 in the London-based Saudi daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, Saudi author and researcher Fahd Al-Shkairan claims that Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden derived inspiration for his ideological and military activities from Iran's Islamic Revolution, and t...
Following the death, on August 25, 2018, of Republican U.S. senator John McCain, Khalid Al-Suleiman eulogized him in his column in the Saudi government daily 'Okaz. Titled "The Last of the Honorable American Politicians," the column describes McCain as a serious and wise politici...
Against the backdrop of the Canada-Saudi Arabia tension following the arrest in Saudi Arabia of human rights activists,[1] on August 8, 2018, Muhammad Al-Sa'ed, who writes in the Saudi daily 'Okaz, published an article harshly critical of Canada. He wrote that, following Hillary ...
MEMRI's Director of Reform in the Muslim World Mansour Al-Hadj discussed the recent arrests of human rights activists in Saudi Arabia. Al-Hadj said that the lack of political reform under Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman has disappointed those who were hopeful abou...
On August 6, 2018, the Saudi-based Twitter account Infographic_ksa tweeted an image of an Air Canada aircraft that appeared to be heading towards the CN Tower in Toronto – in an apparent hint at the September 11, 2001 attacks – accompanied by the text in English: "Sticking one's ...
Against the backdrop of the political crisis between Saudi Arabia and Canada, commentators on the Saudi 24 network launched an attack on Canada's human rights record, especially with regard to Canada's indigenous people. They "are being dispersed and killed," said Saudi jour...
On July 25, 2018, the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen attacked two Saudi tankers in the strait of Bab El-Mandeb in the Red Sea. In response to the attack, Saudi Arabia announced it was suspending shipments of oil via the strait "until maritime transit through Bab El-Mandeb is...
Recently, there has been a discussion in Saudi Arabia about appointing women to roles connected to the religious establishment, such as in issuing fatwas and serving as religious judges (qadis).
In a Ramadan edition of his television program on Saudi Al-Majd TV, 'Abdallah Al-M...
In an opinion piece published July 23, 2018 in the Saudi English-language daily Arab News, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States, Khalid bin Salman, called on the international community to adopt a unified and comprehensive strategy to confront the destabilizing behavior...
In an article published July 15, 2018 in the Saudi government daily Al-Yawm, Saudi journalist Sukina Meshekhis called on the Arab countries to take bold steps, including certain concessions, in order to advance peace with Israel. She wrote that peace is a supreme human aim for wh...
It has recently been reported that U.S. President Donald Trump plans to slap oil sanctions on Iran beginning in November of this year. To this end, on June 30, 2018 he asked Saudi King Salman Bin 'Abd Al-'Aziz to increase his country's oil production so as to prevent any shortage...
In a June 13, 2018 interview with Saudi MBC TV, Saudi journalist Mishal Al-Sudairy recounted the history of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, from Mufti Hajj Amin Al-Husseini, who allied himself with Hitler in WWII, through his successor Ahmad Al-Shukeiri, who "lived his entire l...
In a June 13 TV interview, Saudi journalist Mishal Al-Sudairy recounted the history of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, from Mufti Hajj Amin Al-Husseini, who allied himself with Hitler in WWII, through his successor Ahmad Al-Shukeiri, who "lived his entire life in five-star hote...
In an article he posted following the death of former U.S. president George H. W. Bush, Prominent Saudi journalist 'Abd Al-Rahman Al-Rashed, the former editor of the London-based daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, praised Bush, calling him an important and brave leader who had a rare abili...
In a December 9, 2018 article on Al-Arabiya titled "Details of calls to attack Trump by U.S. 'Muslim Sisters' allied to [Muslim] Brotherhood," by Hudah Al-Saleh, criticized Palestinian-American activist Linda Sarsour, "with roots in Muslim Brotherhood and a member of the Council ...
On December 1, 2018, Egyptian and other Arab media reported that, for the first time, a Coptic Mass had been held in Saudi Arabia, in the city of Riyadh. The Mass was performed by Ava Morkos, Coptic Bishop of Shobra Al-Kheima in Egypt, as part of his visit to Saudi Arabia.[1] The...
Ibrahim Karagül, confidant of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and editor-in-chief of the Yeni Safak daily, the mouthpiece of Turkey's leading AKP party, warned that a "new axis" is promoting a Turk-Arab war in the Middle East. According to Karagül, this new axis is fo...
In the recent weeks, UN Special Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths and officials from the U.S., U.K. and other European countries have been trying to affect a ceasefire in Yemen and promote a political solution to the conflict there. In October Griffiths announced plans for a new ro...
On November 11, 2018, The Washington Post published an article by Mohammed Ali Al-Houthi, chairman of the Houthi Supreme Revolutionary Committee in Yemen, attacking Saudi Arabia for its actions in the context of the war in Yemen. The article also attacked the U.S., arguing that t...
Now that Saudi Arabia has acknowledged its responsibility for the Khashoggi murder, it is time to clarify Turkey's role and responsibility in the affair, from the perspective of the battle between Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi Arabia's Muhammad Bin Salman for the leader...
Since the murder in early October of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and with the daily publication of foreign media reports on Saudi involvement in the affair, many articles are appearing in the Saudi media expressing rage at what they called a hostile media campaign against t...
In contrast to the scathing criticism directed at Saudi Arabia by Western media and by Saudi Arabia's Arab rivals, headed by Qatar, following the murder of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the kingdom's Arab allies, as well as Arab bodies and organizations, have come t...
In the last 24 hours, Saudi Arabia has sharped its tone towards the U.S., in response to recent statements by U.S. officials, among them President Donald Trump, that Saudi Arabia will be punished if it proves to be responsible for the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Al-Kh...
Following the September 22, 2018 shooting in Iran's Ahwaz region, Muhammad Ahl Al-Sheikh, a columnist for the Saudi government daily Al-Jazirah, described the shooting as a "legitimate resistance operation" by the Arab minority that is oppressed by the Iranian regime, and express...
The disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, and was never seen leaving it, is a trending topic in the Arabic press, particularly the Saudi press. Khashoggi, whom some Turkish elements surmise was murdered ...
In an article he published following the September 22, 2018 attack on the military parade held by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in Ahvaz, Saudi journalist Hussein Shubakshi attacked the resistance axis – Iran, Syria, Hizbullah and Hamas – which, he said, wages ...
On October 7, 2017, on the occasion of the 44th anniversary of the 1973 war between Israel and the Arabs, the London-based Saudi daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat published an article by its former editor, 'Abd Al-Rahman Al-Rashed, in which he praised then Egyptian President Anwar Sad...
In an article published August 9, 2018 in the London-based Saudi daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, Saudi author and researcher Fahd Al-Shkairan claims that Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden derived inspiration for his ideological and military activities from Iran's Islamic Revolution, and t...
Following the death, on August 25, 2018, of Republican U.S. senator John McCain, Khalid Al-Suleiman eulogized him in his column in the Saudi government daily 'Okaz. Titled "The Last of the Honorable American Politicians," the column describes McCain as a serious and wise politici...
Against the backdrop of the Canada-Saudi Arabia tension following the arrest in Saudi Arabia of human rights activists,[1] on August 8, 2018, Muhammad Al-Sa'ed, who writes in the Saudi daily 'Okaz, published an article harshly critical of Canada. He wrote that, following Hillary ...
On August 6, 2018, the Saudi-based Twitter account Infographic_ksa tweeted an image of an Air Canada aircraft that appeared to be heading towards the CN Tower in Toronto – in an apparent hint at the September 11, 2001 attacks – accompanied by the text in English: "Sticking one's ...
On July 25, 2018, the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen attacked two Saudi tankers in the strait of Bab El-Mandeb in the Red Sea. In response to the attack, Saudi Arabia announced it was suspending shipments of oil via the strait "until maritime transit through Bab El-Mandeb is...
Recently, there has been a discussion in Saudi Arabia about appointing women to roles connected to the religious establishment, such as in issuing fatwas and serving as religious judges (qadis).
In a Ramadan edition of his television program on Saudi Al-Majd TV, 'Abdallah Al-M...
In an opinion piece published July 23, 2018 in the Saudi English-language daily Arab News, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States, Khalid bin Salman, called on the international community to adopt a unified and comprehensive strategy to confront the destabilizing behavior...
In an article published July 15, 2018 in the Saudi government daily Al-Yawm, Saudi journalist Sukina Meshekhis called on the Arab countries to take bold steps, including certain concessions, in order to advance peace with Israel. She wrote that peace is a supreme human aim for wh...
It has recently been reported that U.S. President Donald Trump plans to slap oil sanctions on Iran beginning in November of this year. To this end, on June 30, 2018 he asked Saudi King Salman Bin 'Abd Al-'Aziz to increase his country's oil production so as to prevent any shortage...
In a June 13, 2018 interview with Saudi MBC TV, Saudi journalist Mishal Al-Sudairy recounted the history of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, from Mufti Hajj Amin Al-Husseini, who allied himself with Hitler in WWII, through his successor Ahmad Al-Shukeiri, who "lived his entire l...
In advance of the June 24, 2018 implementation of Saudi King Salman bin 'Abd Al-'Aziz's historic decree permitting women in the kingdom to drive, the Saudi Al-Watan daily published, on June 18, an infographic by the Saudi Department of Transportation featuring answers to question...
The decree issued by Saudi King Salman bin 'Abd Al-'Aziz nine months ago lifting the ban on women drivers in the kingdom will go into effect on June 24, 2018. In the lead-up to the historic date, Wafa Al-Rashid, a columnist for the Saudi 'Okaz daily, attacked the demeaning and pa...
The September 26, 2017 decree by the Saudi King granting women permission to drive is to take effect on June 24, 2018, and the various Saudi authorities have been taking measures in preparation for implementing it, such as issuing a Saudi driver's license to women who already hav...
The 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia will commence on June 14. This means that Ramadan – which falls this year between May 17, 2018 and June 14, 2018 – coincides with the period of intensive practice ahead of the games and with pre-tournament friendly matches. Furthermore, the first...
After 65 years of enmity between North and South Korea and of severe North Korea-U.S. tension, both conflicts appear to be moving towards resolution. At the historic April 27, 2018 summit between North Korean President Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, the two l...
The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
On May 31, 2018, Al-Malahem, the media arm of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), released a new issue of its M...
In an article in the London-based Saudi daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat that was published two days after the Arab League summit in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, Saudi writer Mish'al Al-Sudairy argued that these conferences are pointless because over the years they have produced almost nothing....
Lebanon's May 6, 2018 parliamentary election – held nine years after the previous election and under a new electoral law, which, according to many, benefited Hizbullah – resulted in an electoral achievement for this organization and its allies, who gained about 70 out of 128 seat...
The attempts of European countries, specifically France, Germany and Britain, to safeguard the nuclear agreement with Iran were met with criticism in the Saudi press. Articles in Saudi newspapers accused these countries of being even more eager to maintain the agreement than Iran...
In an article laced with invective, and titled "You Have No Shame, Do you? Soon, You Will Raise U.S./Israel Flags In Mecca/Medina… Jerusalem Is A Common Homeland For Us All!", the editor-in-chief of AKP mouthpiece Yeni Safak, Ibrahim Karagul accused UAE Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed ...
On May 15, 2018, the day after the opening of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, Saudi journalist Amal 'Abd Al-'Aziz Al-Hazzani called on Arabs and Palestinians to come to terms with reality and to take advantage of the event to renew negotiations with Israel. In an article in the Lo...
U.S. President Donald Trump's May 8, 2018 announcement of the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) and its reinstatement of the harsh sanctions against Iran won broad support from Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries. Saudi Arabia officially stated that it welcomed...
In addressing the West about the October 2, 2018 murder of Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan presents the need for strong measures against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman personally, as a human imperative and a...
The tension between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, which has been ongoing for 18 months, intensified even further following the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.[1] Known for his criticism of the Saudi authorities and support for the Muslim Brotherhood (which Saudi...
Among the Saudi intellectuals, journalists and writers who have recently been expressing open support for Israel,[1] the voice of intellectual 'Abd Al-Hamid Al-Hakim was especially prominent. Al-Hakim, until recently the director of the Middle East Center for Strategic and L...
Introduction:
The mounting tension between Israel and Iran, which came to a head with Iran's firing of missiles at Israel from Syrian territory and Israel's counterattack on Iranian sites in that country, sparked a debate in Saudi Arabia regarding which side Saudis should supp...
In recent weeks, there have been indications of a possible shift in Saudi Arabia's policy vis-à-vis Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and recognition of his regime. These indications have prompted various predictions regarding the possibility of normalization of Saudi-Syrian relat...
Following U.S. President Donald Trump's December 6, 2017 announcement recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital, harsh criticism was heard in the Palestinian territories and in Jordan towards Saudi Arabia, which, according to various leaks, is promoting Trump's "deal of the centu...
The decree issued September 26, 2017 by the Saudi King, which lifted the ban on women driving in the kingdom, sparked a storm of reactions in the government media and on Saudi social media accounts. The government media reported extensively on responses welcoming the decision, wh...
Introduction
On September 9, 2017, Saudi Arabia announced that it was cutting off all dialogue with Qatar on the resolution of the intra-Gulf dispute.[1] The announcement came following a phone call between Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Aal Thani and Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad...
Introduction
The attacks carried out in the name of Islam by terror organizations such as the Islamic State (ISIS) and Al-Qaeda, both in Arab countries and worldwide, have prompted recurring discussion about whether and how the school curricula in the Arab world have contribu...
Introduction
Recently, there have been significant developments in the conflict/rivalry between, on the one hand, Saudi Arabia and the Sunni axis that it established, and on the other hand Iran and the resistance axis. These developments concern not only the forces in the reg...
Introduction
In January 2015, MEMRI researched and flagged YouTube videos of support for jihadi fighters and "martyrs" and "martyrdom," to test the platform's "Promotes Terrorism" flagging feature. The test was a follow-up to MEMRI research and testing of jihad and terrorism o...
Introduction
On May 4, 2017, Saudi King Salman bin Abd Al-'Aziz issued a royal decree easing guardianship (wilaya) requirements for women in the country. The decree instructs all government institutions in the kingdom to provide services to women without requiring the consent ...
By: MEMRI Staff
Several days ago, a severe crisis erupted between Qatar and other Gulf states, headed by Saudi Arabia, following the publication of a report of uncertain authenticity on the website of the official Qatari news agency QNA. The report, which appeared on the websi...
Introduction
In his January 20, 2017 sermon at an Amman mosque, Jordan's Chief Islamic Justice and Imam of the Royal Hashemite Court Sheikh Ahmed Hilayel harshly criticized Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf states for failing to provide sufficient economic aid to Jordan, which i...
On October 28, 2016, the official Saudi daily Makkah reported that the Saudi Education Ministry is planning to launch an educational project called "Immunity" in the schools aimed at "inoculating" schoolchildren against intellectual currents that, according to the ministry, threa...
Introduction
In recent weeks there has been severe tension between Egypt and Saudi Arabia due to disagreements on the Syrian crisis. These disagreements, which are long-standing, recently deepened and became public, especially after on October 8, 2016, Egypt voted at the UN Se...
Introduction
In recent weeks there were numerous reports in the Palestinian, Egyptian and Jordanian media about an Arab initiative for promoting the Palestinian cause, which includes efforts to achieve internal reconciliation in Fatah between Palestinian President Mahmoud 'Ab...
Introduction
On May 22, 2016, the Saudi government daily 'Okaz reported that the Shura Council had rejected a bill that, if passed, would allow Saudis to add an organ-donor designation to their drivers' licenses; the bill was rejected on the grounds that this issue is "religio...
IntroductionIn
recent weeks, a deep crisis has developed in Lebanese-Saudi relations, to the
extent that Saudi Arabia took punitive measures against Lebanon: halting a $4
billion aid package to the Lebanese security forces;[1]
issuing a travel warning for this country, and tak...
In
light of the escalating tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran, as manifested by
the torching of the Saudi Embassy in Tehran and Saudi Arabia's subsequent
severing of diplomatic relations with Iran,[1]
Saudi soccer clubs have voiced apprehension about playing Iranian teams in ...
On
January 2, 2016, Saudi Arabia's interior ministry announced that the kingdom
had executed 47 individuals,[1]
Sunni and Shi'ite, on various charges, including carrying out terrorist
operations and inciting to terrorism; espousing takfiri ideology; attacking the
military and se...
Introduction
On December 12, 2015, Saudi
Arabia will, for the third time, hold municipal elections; for the first time,
women will participate in the elections as both voters and candidates, within the
confines of shari'a law, in accordance with a decision by the previous king, ...
Introduction
Since
the ouster of Muhammad Mursi in July 2013, Saudi-Egyptian relations have been
close and marked by common interests. Saudi Arabia backed the Egyptian
military's ousting of Mursi and supported its claim that the ouster expressed
the will of the people, in the fa...
Introduction
Russia's increasing military involvement in Syria, which constitutes another lifeline for the Bashar Al-Assad regime, is of great concern to Saudi Arabia, which together with Turkey and Qatar is leading the battle against this regime. However, Saudi Arabia is taki...
During Ramadan, the Arab MBC channel is airing Selfie, a satirical comedy TV show starring well-known Saudi actor-comedian Nasser Al-Qasabi and other Saudi comedians. The liberal Saudi journalist Khalaf Al-Harbi,[1] a writer for the satirical-comedy Saudi TV show Tash Ma Tash ("N...
Introduction
A terror cell arrested recently in Saudi Arabia includes two 15-year-olds and a 16-year-old, the Saudi Interior Ministry has revealed. The cell carried out the May 22, 2015 bombing of the Shi'ite mosque in Al-Qudaih in eastern Saab, in which 22 were killed and dozens...
Operation "Decisive Storm" in Yemen, and the reports of warming Saudi-Turkish relations that preceded it, sparked hopes among opponents of the Assad regime in Syria that a similar operation could be carried out in that country. These hopes were in line with reports in Western and...
Introduction
The March 26, 2015 attack by the Saudi-led coalition on the strongholds of Iran's proxy in Yemen, the Houthi, sent shockwaves through Tehran. The rousing of the Sunni Arab camp, and the formation of a fighting coalition, as well as the backing of the entire Arab Leag...
Following Saudi Arabia's continued rejection of Iran's demand in recent months to stop bringing down oil prices with its high production levels,[1] in the latter half of January 2015 Iranian spokesmen, particularly Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, stepped up their threats to ...
"ISIS is a true product of Salafism, and we must deal with it with full transparency." This statement was made not by liberal Muslim elements, who regularly criticize Salafism, but by Sheikh 'Aadel Al-Kalbani, former imam of the Grand Mosque in Mecca and a Salafi himself, hence i...
Introduction On March 28, 2014, U.S. President Barak Obama visited Saudi Arabia and met with its king, 'Abdallah bin 'Abd Al-'Aziz. The primary goal of the visit was to ease the tension between the two countries, which stems from Saudi Arabia’s displeasure with U.S. policy in the...
Introduction In an unprecedented move, on March 5, 2014, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain announced they were recalling their ambassadors from Qatar. The three countries explained that this move was a protest against Qatar's violation of its commitments to them and against its p...
Introduction Saudi Arabia has recently been facing harsh accusations that it is involved in terrorism in Syria. The kingdom is accused of dispatching young Saudis to join the jihad in Syria, and of funding and arming them, among other accusations. These allegations are frequently...
Introduction With the upsurge in attacks on Iranian interests, and on interests affiliated with Iran's proxies, in Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, and Afghanistan, the Iranian leadership and its mouthpieces have launched a campaign of harsh criticism against the Saudi regime, accusing Saud...
Introduction U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's November 3, 2013 visit to Saudi Arabia will take place amidst considerable tension between the two countries. The Arab Spring has given rise to more than a few disagreements between the two countries over the policy of the admini...
The prohibition against women driving has been a matter of public debate in Saudi Arabia for years.[1] The ban is based on a fatwa issued in October 1990 by the Senior Cleric's Council – the kingdom's top religious body – which stated that women were not allowed to drive and that...
With his recent Ramadhan TV show "Selfie," Saudi comedian Nasser Al-Qasabi incurred the wrath of cleric Saeed bin Farwah, who pronounced him an infidel and prayed "that Allah leave no bone unbroken in the body of that piece of filth." The show, which aired on the Saudi MBC TV cha...
In a recent Saudi TV interview, Abdul Rahman Al-Otaiby, a dean at the Naif Arab University for Security Sciences, said that Saudi Arabia had to develop nuclear weapons in order to create a balance of power with Iran. Al-Otaiby, speaking on the Saudi 2 TV channel on May 19, advoca...
In a May 15 address aired on Al-Manar TV, Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah criticized Saudi Arabia for its recent airstrikes in Yemen. Nasrallah accused Saudi Arabia of bombing tombs and pilgrimage sites and attributed this to the Saudis' "Bedouin" mentality. He added...
In an Iranian TV interview, Iranian Deputy Chief of Staff Brig.-Gen. Masoud Jazayeri threatened the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, saying: "There is a limit to Iran's self-restraint." Sending humanitarian aid to the region would "spark a strong fire, which they will not be able to exting...
On May 10, former Yemeni president Ali Abdallah Saleh denounced the Saudi bombardment of his home, saying: "An attack on me is an attack on our country and on all its citizens." Saleh pledged that the Al-Saleh Foundation would donate a million dollars to help Yemeni refugees retu...
In an Iraqi TV interview, former MP Mithal Alusi slammed Saudi Arabia, claiming that it was interfering in Iraqi affairs and saying that when Saudi Arabia becomes a democracy, it could pass judgment on Iraq. Alusi called on the Iraqi government not to prevent ISIS cells from stri...
In an address posted on the Internet on May 3, Saudi Islamist preacher Abdulla Ba Neema (sometimes spelled Baneameh) said that the Jews "put poison into things that the Muslims like." According to him, WhatsApp, Twitter, and Facebook are tools used by the Jews to poison and heart...
In a TV interview on April 20, former Yemeni finance minister Dr. Seif Al-Asli criticized Houthi leader Abdel Malik Al-Houthi, saying that the Yemenis had not granted him "legitimacy to speak on their behalf." Speaking on Yemen Today TV, a channel affiliated with former president...
In a recent TV interview, Brigadier-General Ahmad Reza Pourdestan, Commander of the Iranian Ground Forces, said: "If Saudi cities were targeted by bombings and missiles, it would be difficult for the officials there to withstand this." He further said that in order to prevent a S...
In a TV interview, Yemeni politician and tribal leader Mujahed Haidar refused, time and again, to criticize Egypt's role in Operation Decisive Storm, denying that it was part of the campaign. "Anyone who comes as an invader will meet his death," he said in the interview, which ai...
During a recent interview with the Hizbullah-owned Al-Manar TV channel, leading Lebanese journalist Ibrahim Al-Amin called Saudi Arabia the "kingdom of evil" and said that "getting rid of the rule of the Saud clan was no less important than wiping Israel out of existence." Al-Ami...
On March 25, during an interview on Hiwar TV, broadcasting from London, Syrian writer Muhydin Lazikani said that "all the childhood memories of the man who rules the White House are Shiite memories" and that "that is why he is so anxious for Iran to emerge victorious." On April 1...
Syrian Islamic scholar in exile Muhammad Surour Zein Al-Abideen welcomed the Saudi-led campaign in Yemen. Addressing the Iranians, whom he called "neo-caesars" whose barbarity "is unparalleled in history," Zein Al-Abideen said: "We have run out of patience. Know your true size. Y...
Against the backdrop of the Saudi-led campaign in Yemen, Lebanese TV anchor Hanadi Zaidan harshly criticized Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, saying: "Hizbullah and its secretary-general are the only ones who swim against the Arab and Lebanese current, declaring thei...
In his speech at the Arab League Summit in Sharm Al-Sheikh on March 27, 2015, PA President Mahmoud Abbas expressed support for the Saudi-led operation against the Houthis in Yemen and said: "Just like in the case of Yemen... there are other countries that suffer from division, st...
In an Al-Jazeera TV interview, Kuwaiti Professor Abdallah Nafisi said that the air strikes against the Houthis in Yemen were a "good and necessary beginning," but that "we must prepare for a ground operation." He further said that since Iran was debilitated, "this is the right ti...
British MP George Galloway recently criticized the Saudi-led campaign against the Houthis in Yemen, saying that the Saudis were treacherous snakes, who belly-danced for Netanyahu in the casinos and bordellos of London. Galloway was speaking on his regular program on the Iranian E...
Muhammad Al-Saghir, a former MP in the Muslim Brotherhood government of Egypt, came out in support of Operation Decisive Storm. During a March 30, 2015 interview on Rabea TV, an Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood channel broadcasting from Turkey, he said: "I hope that it will not be mer...
On March 29, 2015, Saudi Foreign Minister Saud Al-Faisal strongly criticized Russian President Putin, asking: "Aren't we entitled to ask him how he can call for a peaceful solution [in Syria], while at the same time continuing his support for the Syrian regime?" Al-Faisal was spe...
At a rally in the Al-Jawf province of Yemen, veiled Houthi women brandished weapons and protested what they called the "Zio-Saudi aggression against Yemen," vowing to fight America, Saudi Arabia, and Israel.
Following are excerpts from a report on the rally, which ai...
In a speech delivered at a rally on March 26, Houthi official Khaled Al-Madani of the Supreme Revolutionary Council said: "The horn of Satan [i.e., Saudi Arabia] has hired mercenaries to attack Yemeni soil, but Yemen will become their graveyard." The crowds chanted "Death to Amer...
Shiite Saudi researcher Ali Al-Ahmed, director of the Washington-based Institute for Gulf Affairs said in a March 26 interview with the Iranian English-language TV channel Press TV that the Saudi campaign against the Houthis in Yemen may bring the rule of the royal Saudi family t...
In a March 23, 2015 interview, senior Houthi official Muhammad Al-Bakhiti said: "If Saudi Arabia intervenes militarily, this will lead to the end of the rule of the Saud clan in the Land of the Two Holy Mosques." The interview aired on Mayadeen TV. Following are excerpts: Muham...
In a follow up to a previous show, in which he said that for Western women, getting raped is not a cultural problem, Saudi historian Saleh Al-Saadoon claimed that his comments were falsely translated. Later on in the show he said that women who ride taxis driven by foreign driver...
On the eve of the launching of Al-Arab TV, a Bahrain-based Saudi channel owned by Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, veteran Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the,editor-in-chief of Al-Arab TV, was interviewed on Rotana TV. Khashoggi discussed the channel's editorial policy, stating tha...
Bandar Al-Khaybari, a preacher with the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs in Al-Madina, claimed that the Earth is fixed and does not revolve around itself. The statements were made in a series of lectures held in the Sharjah emirate, between January 28 and 31, 2015, and posted on...
Bandar Al-Khaybari, a preacher with the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs in Al-Madina, claimed that the Earth is fixed and does not revolve around itself, during a series of lectures held in the Sharjah emirate, between January 28 and 31. The lectures were posted on the Internet...
In a Friday sermon in Tehran, on January 30, 2015, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati said that the Saudi king was "very hostile" toward the Shiites and that he "got what he deserved." Following are excerpts from the sermon, which was broadcast on Iranian Channel 1. Ayatollah Ahmad Jann...
During a TV show, Saudi historian Saleh Al-Saadoon said that women should not be allowed to drive on the grounds that they might get raped if their car broke down on the roadside. "[Western women] don't care if they are raped on the roadside, but we do", he said on the January 11...
Following are excerpts from an interview with AQAP Spokesman Nasr Al-Ansi, posted on January 21, 2015 on the Internet: Interviewer: Are we going to hear about Al-Qaeda attacks in the Land of the Two Holy Mosques? Nasr Al-Ansi: Allah willing. We pray that Allah will make it happ...
Following are excerpts from a Friday sermon given by Imam Issa Assiri of the Sa'eed bin Jubair Mosque in Jedda, Saudi Arabia, which was posted on the Internet on January 9 and 16, 2015 Issa Assiri: [The papers that published the cartoons] talked about freedom of speech, but afte...
In a video-clip posted on the Internet on January 23, 2015, ISIS members celebrate the death of Saudi King Abdullah, singing and dancing with weapons held high. Following are excerpts: ISIS member: With the blessing of Allah, we congratulate the entire Islamic nation, and espec...
In an address posted on the Internet on January 23, 2015, British Islamist Shahid Janjua (a.k.a. "Abu Waleed") called upon Muslims to celebrate the death of Saudi King Abdullah, saying that they "can rejoice at the death of this dirty, filthy enemy of Islam." In a recent tweet, h...
Following are excerpts from a statement by Saudi jihadist in Syria Sheik Abdallah Al-Muhaysini, which was posted on the Internet on December 28, 2014: Abdallah Al-Muhaysini: This is a message from the Levant, the land of Jihad and ribat, of which the Prophet Muhammad said: "Ther...
Ahmed Al-Ghamdi, the former head of the Mecca chapter of the Saudi Authority for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, recently responded to criticism of his claims that women did not have to wear the veil in public. He said, in a Saudi 4Shebab TV show, which aired on Decem...
In a Friday sermon delivered in Maarat Al-Nu'man, Syria, Saudi fighter Sheik Abdallah bin Muhammad Al-Muhayseni cited several hadiths glorifying martyrdom. Al-Muhayseni said that the Prophet Muhammad had promised a fighter that even though he was black, smelled bad, and had no mo...
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