Should we believe in the Saudi religious reconciliation conference?

Representatives of the world’s major religions are gathering in Spain this week for an interfaith conference sponsored by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. The conference is unusual because it is an effort by Arab Muslims to reach out to other faiths to ostensibly promote tolerance and moderation and reject extremism (such as the Taliban and Al Qaeda.) The media is making much of the fact that even Jewish rabbis were invited and are attending the conference. This follows an unprecedented meeting earlier this year between Abdullah and Pope Benedict.

However, critics point out that Saudi Arabia itself has been both the ideological and financial birthplace of modern Islamic extremism. There is no religious freedom in Saudi Arabia – in fact it is illegal to practice or promote any faith other than Islam. The reason the conference is being held in Spain is to avoid having to allow so many infidels into the Holy Kingdom. The Saudi Royal family has been intimately bonded with the conservative Wahhabi religious movement since they were nothing but tribal rulers of an insignificant desert village hundreds of years ago. The Wahhabis have preached hatred for non-Muslims and those Muslims they view as heretics such as the Shiites.

Given all this, should this conference be viewed as merely a publicity stunt to improve the Saudi kingdom’s PR? Or does King Abdullah sincerely want to promote understanding between faiths? The answer, I think, is both. King Abdullah is over 80 years old and does not have many years left. There is no doubt that he wants to leave his successor a stable and prosperous kingdom. Although external criticism of Saudi Arabia focuses on its strict Islamic laws, opposition to the regime inside Saudi Arabia tends to come from the other side of the spectrum – the radical elements of the Wahhabi sect and others like Al Qaeda who view the royals as corrupt and degenerate. Therefore, Abdullah and his family have a good reason to want to combat religious extremism, at least in the form of militant groups such as Al Qaeda that are willing to act against Muslim states. Further, Abdullah is well aware of how his country has been viewed by a substantial portion of Western public opinion since it was learned that Bin Laden and most of the 9/11 hijackers were Saudis. The Saudi regime depends totally on oil revenue, much of which comes from the West, and associated investments in Western countries, as well as on the military protection of the United States. Thus, the regime needs to maintain goodwill in the West.

All of this makes now a good time for a Saudi “peace offensive”. Nothing of substance will come of this conference, but I would expect the Saudis to continue to position themselves as the moderate friend of the West in the Middle East while maintaining their strict religious puritanical laws and repression of other faiths at home. Abdullah is sincere in wanting a world where religions get along, but only in the sense of minding their own business and not meddling in each others’ affairs, rather than in promoting religious freedom or toleration.