Saturday, July 14, 2018

What's Behind Saudi Arabia's Arrest of Religious Leaders? | Inside Story


Saudi Arabia has arrested prominent preacher and scholar Safar Al-Hawali just days after he published a book criticising the ruling family.

Three of his sons - Abdul Rahman, Abdullah and Ibrahim - were also detained. Rights groups say Abdul Rahman and Abdullah were reportedly taken into custody while attending a family wedding on Wednesday. While Hawali and his son Ibrahim were arrested the following morning.

Hawali became known almost three decades ago as the leader of the Sahwa movement - which advocated for democracy in Saudi Arabia. He was previously detained for opposing the ruling family. Saudi Arabia, under Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, has launched a crackdown against activists, religious figures and opponents in recent months. But how far will this go?

Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra | Guests: Ahmed Al-Burai - Lecturer at Aydin University; Rami Khouri - Senior Fellow at the American University of Beirut; Saeed Al-Shehabi - Columnist with Al-Quds Al Arabi newspaper