The Saudis are trying to reign in their more militant Imams by disseminating a more moderate form of Islam. Its sorta like a re-education program. Its a program they started a few years ago when it became apparent that security measures alone would not save them from militant islamists.

That sounds great. I wonder how its working ……

Saudi clerics have long been accused of encouraging Saudi youth to join global jihad and of inciting hatred of non-Muslims.

Nearly 1,000 imams have already been sacked over the past few years.

The Saudi royal family has come under increasing pressure - mainly from Washington - to change religious textbooks and to rein in militant clerics.

But critics are sceptical about whether such initiatives would work as long as the powerful, and ultraconservative, religious establishment in Saudi Arabia continues to exert enormous influence over society.

Only last week, a prominent cleric called for the beheading of two liberal writers who had questioned the orthodox view that Muslims can not change their religion.

It sounds like they’ve got a ways to go with this yet.

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