Saudi Arabia

January 2007 | Ratings Update

The recent announcement by a highly influential Saudi cleric regarding Shi'a Muslims is an indication of growing sectarian tensions both within the country and in the region, and highlights the difficult position that the House of Saud finds itself. 'The rejectionists [Shi'a Muslims] in their entirety are the worst of the Islamic nation's sects. They bear all the characteristics of infidels' stated the fatwa declared by Sheikh Abdel-Rahman al-Barrak. According to reports, the cleric is also critical of government efforts at rapprochement with the country's Shi'a minority. While we see little prospect of sectarian conflict within Saudi itself at least

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