Saudi Arabia's tough talk against terrorism leaves a lot to be expected

Often it is said that actions speak louder than words. Case in point - Saudi Arabia. It is universally known that members of the Saudi royal family (which estimates place around 6-7000) contribute to fronts for terrorist organizations - a report issued earlier this year declared Saudi Arabia as the top country of which terrorists obtain funds from. It is the media's favorite statistic that 15 of the 19 hijackers on September 11 were Saudi. It is no doubt that the kingdom has an eery connection with the jihadist movement.

Over this year, senior Saudi officials - ranging from King Abdullah to most recently, the muftis - have made statements denouncing aspects of terrorism, which is a significant step in the right direction. Take for instance the most recent order issued by the muftis, in which they said that "following the path of terrorism is opposed to Islam" and sanctioned "offering refuge and protection to terrorists" as "a grave sin." While this is finally something worth discussing in Saudi Arabia, the religious declarations of the muftis usually specifically cite Al-Qaida or refer to terrorism within the kingdom. Furthermore, some of the statements lend credit to the jihadist mindset of Muslims being victims of aggression. Within the same statement, the muftis declared that:

"The aggression against Muslims and the occupation of their lands cannot justify attacks and violence: obeying the dictates of the Qur'an without fomenting hatred and division is a basic principle of Islam, in accord with the precepts sanctioned by the prophet Mohammad".

Perhaps the biggest problem is that the muftis have been replaced by new pro-jihadists who have changed the role religious leaders play in combating terrorism. Within a recent MEMRI report, it is suggested that some elements within the Salafist movement have framed the mujahideen as being essential in any decisions regarding jihad, eliminating the need for approval by the muftis. The groups have exploited the role of charisma and given the mujahideen supernatural traits, such as infallibility, which were typically reserved only for the prophets. This new approach has gotten even bin Laden angered at how youth in particular, have accepted in respects a new form of Islam which ignores the traditional need for an individual understanding of the Qur'an and respect for the scholars that bin Laden's cause believes as necessary for the successful implementation of Shari'a law. The report cites that in his 2007 recording, he argues that:

"I [address] the jihad fighters [in Iraq] in order to oppose the growing [tendency] that has appeared among them, [namely the tendency] to assign great weight to the orders of its group and its commanders, to the extent that some of them have come to regard [these orders] as infallible, even though they believe, in theory, that infallibility is a virtue that only Allah's Messenger possesses. A person [who holds such a view] becomes a fanatical [follower] of his group and its commanders, instead of obeying a Koranic verse or a hadith from the Sunna of Allah's Messenger."

If bin Laden sees this as a problem that is within his own ranks, it is unlikely that the mufti hold the cure-all. Perhaps teachings from the religious elite and the royal family are not what would-be terrorists need, as bin Laden has made it a point to label the Saudi hierarchy as illegitimate and being complicit in the "siege of Islam" that Al-Qaida is battling. Words are just words, and they will not in actuality rid the kingdom of it's influence on global terrorism. The facts are indisputable, Saudi Arabia has remarkable power in controlling matters pertaining to numerous terrorist fronts. Now it's their time to show results. Arrests of terrorist group members, such as the nearly 700 detained in January, clearly show that terrorism has not left the Arabian Peninsula. Who knows what other revelations regarding terrorism remain undiscovered inside the kingdom.