Muhammad bin Salman is opening up one of the world’s most closed and intolerant countries. But discontent is bubbling below the surface
Save time by listening to our audio articles as you multitaskPublic-opinion polls are rare in Saudi Arabia. So it is tough to gauge the backlash against Prince Muhammad’s efforts to open up and reform one of the world’s most closed and intolerant countries.
Some Saudis still spread critical Salafist commentary by word of mouth. The clerics are said to have condemned the government-sponsored winter festival, featuring rides, games and music, in Riyadh. They accuse Prince Muhammad of playing God. The critics are “like ants. Their kingdom is underground,” says a Saudi religious commentator in the western city of Jeddah. “The prince has closed their mouths, but he hasn’t ended their kingdom.
Many Saudis have been happy to see corrupt princes taken down a peg. Others are thrilled with Prince Muhammad’s expansion of personal freedoms. But some are uncomfortable with all the change. The sight of girls studying with boys in primary schools has made parents uneasy. Men often see women’s empowerment as their own disempowerment. In the old days, “if I reported my daughter for leaving at night without my permission, they’d return her in handcuffs,” says a former soldier.
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