"The Captive Peninsula"- Islamic State Editorial on Saudi Arabia and Social Liberalisation

Whatever one thinks of Saudi Arabia monarchy, it is undeniable that under the tenure of Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, the country has undergone a significant trend of social liberalisation, from hosting World Wrestling Entertainment shows to an event featuring a performance by American pop singer Jennifer Lopez in clothing that would have been unthinkable to witness in public in Saudi Arabia just ten years ago.

As Cole Bunzel suggests, Saudi Arabia is moving ever further way from the legacy of Muhammad bin ‘Abd al-Wahhab (the founder of the Wahhabi trend of Islam with which the Saudi state has been historically associated), while jihadists like the Islamic State are the purists in upholding many of Muhammad bin ‘Abd al-Wahhab’s key ideas such as the emphasis on hatred of infidels/‘idolaters’ and the concept of ‘nullifiers of Islam.’ Although modern Saudi Arabia has often been compared to the Islamic State by casual commentators, it would be more accurate to see the Islamic State as upholding the legacy of the first Saudi state in terms of aggressive expansion and anti-Shi‘ism.