State of Africa and Saudi’s Sweeping Reform to “Moderate Islam”
Under Saudi ruler Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s reign Saudi has been witnessing sweeping changes away from their orthodox Islamic ideology. The Kingdom used to be closed and highly radical which started from 1979 Sahwa (Islamic Awakening) era. Has anyone noticed any changes in recent years? Okay let’s start from sports. The Saudi Nation League last year started to attract heavyweight footballers from Europe to the country, they started with Cristiano Ronaldo moving to Al Nasser. Months after, the current Balon d’Or winner, Karim Benzema, Riyad Mahrez, Jordan Henderson, Ngolo Kante, Steven Gerrard (manager) and a host of elite football stars from top leagues in Europe will be plying their trade in the Kingdom used to be highly conservative. Please note that Saudi had to bend its law on unmarried couple staying together to permit Ronaldo and his ‘girlfriend’ live together. Beyond the fanfare of having one of the greatest footballers of all time around they knew what they wanted from him. Unarguably, Ronaldo’s influence and the mega paycheck on offer are sending the right signal about Saudi to the rest of the world.
Prior to Ronaldo’s transfer, Saudi had opened its borders to some big sport events and entertainment. In 2022, the rematch of Anthony Joshua and Oleksander Uzyk was hosted in Jedda and Saudi coughed out over £64m to stage the fight. They had already hosted Joshua Vs Andy Ruiz Jr fight in 2019. They have invested in golf and now have Saudi Grand Prix in Formular 1. Having SaudiGP in F1 calender means the Kingdom will have the biggest F1 drivers in the world—Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Fernando Alonso, Sergio Perez, etc.— have a feel of the “new” Saudi.
Okay, another scenario; popular American rapper Lil Wayne was heading to Saudi in 2020 or thereabouts but had issues at the airport with local authorities over his flamboyance and was ready to hop on his plane and leave the Kingdom. Bin Salman heard about the matter and went to his hotel room to apologize. He gave Lil Wayne a $25k Franck Muller wristwatch and another big gift.
The rapper recounted his experience; “After he was leaving the room, he said, ‘oh, I forgot, Lamborghini or Ferrari?’ I thought it was a general question. I said ‘Lamborghini’— I thought he was asking me which one was better.”
“Then he asked, ‘what color?’ I said ‘black.’ He said, ‘In front of your house in three weeks. I’m very sorry for this.’ I was still thinking that he was joking, too. I said Lamborghini truck, I heard they are new. I got that like two or three days ago!” CP Salman knew what he wanted from people like Lil Wayne! These are deliberate efforts to reconstruct the image of the Kingdom around the world. Come to Saudi and spend your money, not UAE alone is the message.
Did you know that the Saudi Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (CPVPV) — known as the religious police — has had its power whittled down? The religious police, an equivalent of Hisbah in Northern Nigeria, has always been to advise and guide society spiritually but became a law to itself. The rules have been relaxed. Today, under its reforms, Saudi now permits women to drive, go out without any male guidance, obtain passport and take leadership roles.
Have you heard about Saudi’s Vision 2030? It is a blueprint for Saudi’s further development and roadmap to a diversified economy. The Kingdom is the biggest exporter of oil with $1.7trn GDP. It is the 18th largest economy in the world and the biggest in Middle East. However, with the reality of the obvious divestment from oil in developed economies and the adoption of clean energy, the Kingdom is already planning for the future. “The Kingdom’s oil and energy sector remains key to a smooth transition to the vibrant, diversified economy envisioned and will continue to play a vital role in the Kingdom’s future,” it says.
On the implementation of the Vision 2030 and the immediate achievements the document says “We worked on improving the effectiveness and response of the government, unlocked opportunities for growth and investment, opened Saudi Arabia to the world, built and launched platforms for future growth, and increased citizens’ quality of life. These achievements belong to the sons and daughters of this great nation.” Please note “opened Saudi Arabia to the world” aspect. According to Salman, these reforms will bring Saudi back to “moderate Islam” like the pre-1979.
One of the areas Saudi is investing on is tourism! Just like the United Arab Emirates; the Kingdom cannot afford to be left behind in the Middle East and indeed around the world. Hence, the opening up of its borders. Did you think Qatar squandered the billions of dollars spent on hosting the last World Cup? The country has been opened up! Whatever negative perception about the country in the West and other parts of the world has been neutralised. It was by the virtue of the World Cup I had the urge to know more about Qatar. Wow! What a wonderful country! Massive infrastructure, beautiful, peaceful and serene. I now look forward to visiting Qatar. The country had to bend many rules to host the world; that is wisdom and it will reflect on their further development. Fortunately, against all odds they hosted a memorable tournament— one of the best if not the best.
Don’t be surprised if post-Ayatollah Khomeini’s era in Shia dominated Iran begins to change its hard-line ideology from the post-Shah era. As Saudi has opened up its borders and introduced reforms, its culture and history will be the next trillion dollar spinner. Did you know that Salman is planning to give a compilation of the most authentic and verifiable Hadith, the sayings and deeds of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Unto Him) to the Islamic world?
Now Africans, you see that your heritage ehn, keep destroying! Your monuments, continue to demonise and say they belong to the “uncivilised” past. Some will even ignorantly say religion must come before culture. It is not necessary you worship Osun or participate in Olojo Festival in Ife but it can create billions of dollars for you and me. Christians outside of Israel see Jerusalem as a holy land, Israelis don’t see it as such. They see it as their ancestral land with their history, culture and monuments.
I once held a radio programme on my former station in Nigeria discussing the Palestinian question; and I was bombarded with calls and even received a subtle threat. What was my statement? I said “Christian population in Isreal is just 12% and Judaism is the dominant religion.” Lol, a Pastor apparently got angry and started quoting bible verses and I laughed. The fact is Christianity started after Jesus Christ had been elevated and his disciples were said to be “Christ like.” Israel is not = to Christianity. Despite Judaism being the dominant religion in Isreal they have guarded the holy sites for Christians jealously for their own economic gain. Economic gain and cultural! Nothing more! The tragedy is that we want to be more Catholic than the Pope! Many African Christians pitch their tent with Isreal even where there is obvious injustice against the Palestinians because they are perceived to be Arabs— for your information there are Arab Christians. Religion without critical thinking breeds disaster!
Isreal rake in billions of dollars annually from pilgrimage. Have Yorubas thought about packaging their Traditional Religion to also receive millions of people from Brazil, Cuba and other countries where the spirituality is gaining traction on annual pilgrimage? Have they not used their ignorance to de-market it? The artifacts plundered by British from Benin Empire and Ife generate a lot of money for them in tourism—thank God they are returning some of the stolen items. If oil loses value today what will Africa fall back on?
The countries that propagated the major religions around the world are moving away from conservative posture and embracing development with “necessary measures.” Did you say they are backsliding? Continue! Compare Saudi’s GDP with Africa’s biggest economy (Nigeria projected to be 491.71 USD Billion at the end of 2023) and see how backward the continent is. Everything falls on leadership; and how does a purposeful leadership emerge in Democracy already embraced in Africa? It is by sincerity of desire by a united people devoid of ethno-religious motifs. To me, I always believe in Africa creating a new government model that will factor in the peoples’ cultural reality. Adoption of western democracy is a demonstration of craze (apologies to Fela Kuti). Niger is the latest example.
We have a continent to build. Citizens of Saudi, Israel, Qatar, US, UK, etc. all live as human beings should live and their leaderships are still working hard to improve their living condition. Citizens also hold their leaders accountable. You see Africa, if we don’t spend our energy on Davido’s video where they are dancing in front of a mosque, we bicker on whether a TV advert by a milk company has misrepresented Jesus or not; when many youths now consider this abode to no longer be inhabitable and they flee.
The Middle East is changing fast and embracing reforms to keep up with the pace the world has set, just for better life for their citizens. Saudi, a long ally of the West is now romancing with the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), a block which seeks the de-dollarization of the world economy. The Kingdom has made huge money from trade with Russia since the war with Ukraine. Does Africa want to continue on this path? The day Africans drop ethno-religious differences is the day the “mad man will say where I’m I? What I’m I doing?”
Please note, the attire on the Saudi Crown Prince is their cultural representation!