Will President Trump's Visit to Saudi Arabia Tackle Terrorism and Promote Religious Freedom?

by A. Z. Mohamed
May 15, 2017 at 4:00 am

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10350/trump-saudi-arabia-visit

A number of recently published books on the history, culture and internal workings of Saudi Arabia cast doubt on the ability of the kingdom to undergo the kind of change required to tackle extremism when its chief aim is to preserve and enhance the power of the royal family.
The government in Riyadh neither believes in nor permits religious liberty and free speech for its own citizens or for Muslims elsewhere. Indeed, the kingdom's human rights record is abysmal at best.
Although Trump is right that America should not "dictate to others how to live," he needs to consider how he can "build a coalition of partners" whose entire way of life is indelibly linked to the cause and spread of the very extremism, violence and global terrorism that he aims to eradicate.

As part of his first official trip abroad at the end of May, U.S. President Donald Trump will visit Saudi Arabia, Israel, Italy and Brussels, Belgium.

According to a statement released by the White House, Trump's meetings with King Salman and other key figures "will reaffirm the strong partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia and allow the leaders to discuss issues of strategic concern, including efforts to defeat terrorist groups and discredit radical ideologies."

The goal may be commendable, but it is hardly attainable in a country like Saudi Arabia, ruled politically by an absolute monarchy and theologically by Wahhabism, both immensely radical.

Saudi Arabia is ruled politically by an absolute monarchy and theologically by Wahhabism, both immensely radical. Pictured: U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis (left) visits Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud (center) on April 19, 2017 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Image source: Jonathan Ernst - Pool/Getty Images)

In testimony before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs' Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade, Georgetown University professor and Middle East expert Daniel Byman explained the "paradox" this presents:

"On the one hand, the Saudi government is a close partner of the United States on counterterrorism. On the other hand, Saudi support for an array of preachers and non-government organizations contributes to an overall climate of radicalization, making it far harder to counter violent extremism."

Byman is not alone in this assessment. A number of recently published books on the history, culture and internal workings of Saudi Arabia cast doubt on the ability of the kingdom to undergo the kind of change required to tackle extremism when its chief aim is to preserve and enhance the power of the royal family.

That the announcement of Trump's trip coincided with the signing of an executive order on "Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty" could not have been more ironic. The government in Riyadh neither believes in nor permits religious liberty and free speech for its own citizens or for Muslims elsewhere. Indeed, the kingdom's human rights record is abysmal at best.

Moreover, during his speech in the Rose Garden to introduce the executive order, Trump said that another reason for his upcoming foreign trip was to "unite Islam, Judaism and Christianity in the common cause of fighting 'intolerance'" -- a claim just as jaw-dropping, given Saudi Arabia's role in the persecution of Christians across the Middle East.

This is not to say that the U.S.-Saudi relationship is not valuable or crucial in many respects. Both countries consider ISIS and al-Qaeda to be serious threats. Neither wants Iran to obtain regional hegemony, while hoping for a Palestinian-Israeli peace deal. Both want to guarantee the flow of oil through the Persian Gulf.

In addition, Saudi Arabia remains a key U.S. investor and trading partner, and is the largest recipient of American-made arms. Even during the years of the Obama administration, when relations were strained, the U.S. provided Saudi Arabia more than $115 billion in weapons. Today, the Trump administration is pushing through tens of billions of dollars' worth of arms sales to Riyadh; and garnering American support in its raging conflict against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen is at the top of the Saudi agenda.

In a piece in Foreign Affairs last summer, Professor F. Gregory Gause III -- head of the International Affairs Department at the Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University -- wrote that the relationship between Washington and Riyadh serves immediate American interests, but in the long term, Saudi Arabia is far from being a faithful and effective partner in battling radical ideologies. The Saudis simply do not have the same values, worldview or strategic vision as their U.S. counterparts.

In his Rose Garden address, Trump said:

"Our task is not to dictate to others how to live but to build a coalition of friends and partners who share the goal of fighting terrorism and bringing safety, opportunity and stability to the war-ravaged Middle East."

Although Trump is right that America should not "dictate to others how to live," he needs to consider how he can "build a coalition of partners" whose entire way of life is indelibly linked to the cause and spread of the very extremism, violence and global terrorism that he aims to eradicate.

A.Z. Mohamed is a Muslim born and raised in the Middle East.

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Related Topics: Saudi Arabia

Recent Articles by A. Z. Mohamed

To the Secretary General of Muslim World League, 2019-01-24
How Extremist Scholars Promote Terrorism, Violence, 2018-11-08
Saudi Arabia: Challenges for "Vision 2030", 2018-10-16
Abbas: The Same Mistakes as Arafat, 2018-09-06
Is Canada Prepared for the Threat of Returning Jihadists?, 2018-08-30

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Comment on this item

6 Reader Comments

Bisley • May 15, 2017 at 21:58

There isn't anything Trump can do to influence the Saudi government to fight terrorism, or allow religious freedom -- and very little they can do to rein in terrorism and the radical Islam that promotes it. The Saudi monarchy derives its legitimacy from its partnership with, and support of, Wahhabi Islam. The royal family is already regularly denounced by the more radical for becoming too westernized, and straying too far from Islam -- if they were to try to force reform, and lost the support of the ulema, it would probably result in revolt, and overthrow of the monarchy.

There are probably many in the royal family in favor of a less virulent brand of Islam and more liberal government (and also many in favor of terrorism), but they are constrained in their actions by the need to keep peace within the family, and retain the support of the imams, to maintain themselves in power.

However things go, the Saud family isn't likely to rule for many more years -- either the family will break into warring factions, or the terrorists will overthrow them for not being pious enough. What comes next isn't likely to be any better -- Wahhabism is the main problem, and it's not likely that whoever rules Arabia will have the will, or ability to control it.

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Podargus • May 15, 2017 at 17:10

The Saudis, like Iran, are part of the problem, not the solution.

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DockyWocky • May 15, 2017 at 11:13

It must be very frustrating to have to deal with the Saudis. They are the most 2-faced folks on the face of the Earth. On the one hand, Saudis lament islamic terrorism while on the other hand, provide financing and direction to stables of islamic terrorists.

When the time for serious retribution arrives, many of us hope they suffer greatly for being such hypocrites.

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vivienne • May 15, 2017 at 10:03

Only one way to deal with extremism in both Saudi and Iran, is for the peoples of both nations to rebel, depose both Saudi royals and ayatollah's. This won't happen these people are too scared, gutless and unable to think for themselves - we waste our time I can't think. China will deal with these monoliths once the Silk Road is proving a success which it will be. Trade on the Silk road in history was attacked by Muslims, Genghis Khan put them down and China will do the same then there will be peace.

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penelope • May 15, 2017 at 09:37

Islam and religious freedom cannot be in the same sentence or thought as no such thing exists in Islam. They want tolerance for them but they have NO tolerance for Christians and Jews; otherwise, why do they continue to destroy Christian and Jew places of worship? And there is no worldwide outrage but you let a mosque be attacked and all hell breaks loose. Pretty much a double standard.
Islam is pure hate; that pretty much says it all.

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Jeff Page • May 15, 2017 at 09:24

"Religious Freedom"? In Saudi Arabia? That is a joke! The Saudis have been promoting their Wahhabi theology as far across the world as they can.
Still, Western leaders want to hit their heads against a wall and insist on maintaining a relationship with these backwardly mobile degenerates who promote a religion of hatred towards any others who worship differently.

These people have, instead of taking in fellow Muslims would rather spend their money on building Mosques in most European cities in order to gain a strong foothold. The idiotic Western politicians allow them to do so, knowing full well that within these same Mosques, Imams will be preaching hate against them.

Crazy political fools!

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