Carmen bin Laden and Tribal Practices

In the Malaysia Today article, Understanding the Malay-Muslim mind, Raja Petra described about the Wahhabi sect practised by Saudi Arabia, which houses the holy land of Mecca and Medina.

It was said that Saud is a tribe who fought the way into the establismenf of its Saudi kingdom. These days, Muslims all over the world are returning to the roots of their religion and seem to get the idea that practices in Saudi Arabia reflects the true way of Islam. Ironically, a big number of the Muslims come from the Sunni sect.

Actually, the practices of Saudi Arabia is more tribal than Islamic in nature.

I have made two essential highlights and made additional comments on it based on a book I read about Carmen bin Laden, the ex-sister-in-law of the Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

HIGHLIGHT 1:
Abdul Aziz then declared Wahhabi the official religion of the land and all other religions and other versions of Islam were banned.

HIGHLIGHT 2:
Tolerance was not on the agenda as what Abdul Aziz said, “The Arabs understand two things only; the Word of Allah and the sword.”

COMMENT:
Perhaps that is why the West always view Islam in the way that Abdul Aziz mentioned (The holy book and the sword thing). You see, my father and his friends mentioned to me that they were taught to brand Islam that way.

My father mentioned to me that it was mentioned to them that the third World War may arise from the basis of religious differences, which could be somehow true.

For more information on medieval Saudi Arabian practices, please read the book below.

-----------------------------
CARMEN BIN LADIN
Inside the Kingdom: My Life in SAUDI ARABIA(Hardcover)
-----------------------------

Link: http://www.amazon.com/Inside-Kingdom-Life-Saudi-Arabia/dp/0446577081

I got mine from MPH Mid-Valley. Even Carmen (originally an Iranian Muslim) was culture-shocked with the MEDIEVAL practices adopted by Saudi Arabia. It took her 14 years to get herself and her daughters out of the country albeit legally.

If you read the book, you will certainly feel very sad, women does not even get a right to their own name. Her mother-in-law's name is Om Yeslam. Mothers use the names of their first son on his puberty. Women are placed in harem arrangements in the house. They are not supposed to move out of the house. If they were to go somewhere, they had to be driven in a car fully clothed in a burqa, which covers the face as well. The surroundings must be 100% made clear of men. All this are done as if the women are seriously diseased; avoid at all cost. Quarantined as sex slaves meant for breeding and full enjoyment of the husband.

Please don't tell me this is the true Islam. Islam is not about suppression of women. This is the Saudi Arabia version, which I detest and protest against.

She mentioned that Arabians are very uptight (most of the time very unreasonable) in their own Saudi Arabia. Once they got out of Saudi Arabia, it is freedom. Women dress without head scarves. In fact, if they are in America, they wear jeans and act like any average American. Woman and man can shake hands.

In matters of personal opinion, I do not think Wahhabi represents the so-called true version of Islam. Muslims around the world somehow have this idea because Saudi Arabia is where the holy cities, Mecca and Medina resides.

So, by simple logic, most Muslims assume the practice that come from the people who lives in the place where they perform the hajj should be the purest. It's definitely not true.

The best way is to learn the religion by referring the Qur'an all by yourself. Do not be controlled or misled by other people.

Islam is OK but please "Say No to Saudi Arabisation" or "Wahhabi-ism"

I will uncover more details from the book in my upcoming blog postings.