by B. R. GOWANI
IMAGE/Google
Saud ibn Muhammad (d. 1765) and
Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab (1703-1792)
took an oath in 1944 to establish an Islamic state
Wahab told Saud
I’ll screw up people with religion
you do the same, but with politics
I’ll be the religious imam
whereas you’ll be the political imam
Wahhab was a demolisher of shrines and other objects
venerated by Muslims
he wanted them to believe in Allah only
ties were strengthen through the marriage of
Wahhab’s daughter and
Saud’s son, Abdul-Aziz bin Muhammad (d.1803)
Aziz’s son
his son’s son
his son’s son’s son
his son’s son’s …
kept on expanding the territory
sometimes it was enhanced
sometimes it diminished
but the balance sheet showed great gains
IMAGE/Wikipedia
then came 1932
Aziz’s son’s son’s son’s son’s son’s … son
Abd al-Aziz ibn Saud (1876-1953)
in 1932, declared himself a king of Saudi Arabia
he married 22 times
and produced 45 children?
no, 45 sons
any daughters?
yes, but no number kept
they were considered unworthy of record
even Allah had disowned his daughters:
goddesses Al-Lat, Al-Manat, and Al-Uzza
“Have ye seen Lat. and ‘Uzza,
“And another, the third (goddess), Manat?
“What! for you the male sex, and for Him, the female?
Behold, such would be indeed a division most unfair!”
Qur’an 53:19-22
the first king died in 1953
wife number one’s son became king
then wife number three’s son became king
followed by wife number two’s son
next one was wife number four’s son
then it was wife number seven’s son’s turn to become king
with his death, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud became the new king
he is 25th son of self declared king
there are many more sons left
and each of the sons have sons and grandsons
so the the kingdom will continue
transitions have always been smooth
if one ignores the internal struggle among the princes
no elections
no election expenses
no news media hoopla
for the public
no expectations
no disappointments
unless there is a revolt from within
or an end of US protection from without
B. R. Gowani can be reached at brgowani@hotmail.com