Wahhabism
by David Krusch
The Wahhabi religious movement
is a fundamentalist Islamic order that advocates a strict interpretation
of the teachings in the Qur'an,
the holy book of Islam.
Adherents of this movement do not refer
to themselves as “Wahhabis” because
it is a reference to the founder of the
movement Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab, and
they do not want others to view them as
venerating a specific person over God (Allah in Arabic). Rather, they
often refer to themselves as Salafis, “followers
of the forefathers,” or al-Muwahhidun,
“the monotheists.” The Wahhabi movement is the dominant form
of Islam in Saudi
Arabia.
Wahhabism was founded in the 16th century
in what is now Saudi Arabia as a reaction against the
influences of Sufism and the Shi'a interpretation of
Islam. The early Wahhabi leaders believed that Islam
had become rife with superstition and what they believed
to be deviant practices. These practices included invoking
the names of prophets or saints for veneration, practicing magic and sorcery,
and changing the accepted methods of worship. The goal
of the Wahhabi movement is to restore Islam back to
its spiritual beginnings by advocating a puritanical
position on religious matters and practices. Consumption
of wine and alcohol is forbidden because wine is literally
forbidden in the Qur'an. Wahhabism extended
its ban on all alcoholic drinks and other stimulants,
including tobacco.
Modest dress is prescribed for both
men and women in accordance with the Qur'an,
but Wahhabi adherents specify the type of clothing that
should be worn, especially by women, and forbid the
wearing of silk and gold, although the latter ban has
been enforced only sporadically. Music and dancing have
also been forbidden, as have loud laughter and demonstrative
weeping, particularly at funerals.
In Saudi Arabia, these codes of public
modesty are strictly enforced by the Islamic religious
police, or Mutaween (“Authority
for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention
of Vice”). These
police, who's values stem from the Wahhabi
movement, have the power to arrest men and
women for socializing in public, or for violating
perceived modesty standards in the country.
Many public beatings, amputations of the
hands and feet, and executions have taken
place in Saudia Arabia after people were
arrested for violating modesty codes or accepted
sexual practices (i.e. practicing
homosexuality).
Sources: GlobalSecurity.org;
Wikipedia |