Writing in Arab News, Samar Fatany reports her shock and dismay in seeing how some Islamic scholars in Saudi Arabia are distorting and perverting Islam in the name of conservatism. She details a conversation she had at the Riyadh airport with a group of women who were convinced by preachers (and government-provided pamphlets) that they must wear black and cover their faces while performing Haj or Umrah in Mecca. She points out that there is absolutely no religious authority—beyond the cranks who preach this and write pamphlets—to support this. Further, misinformation like this does damage to Saudi Arabia within the world of Islam. She calls for new leadership among the ulema.

Let’s embrace moderation
Samar Fatany I Arab News

NOBODY likes to argue or discuss serious subjects like local traditions and religious injunctions with the people one happens to meet in the departure lounge of an airport. But there are occasions when you feel drawn to an argument or debate against your best judgment, as I learned at the lounge of the Riyadh airport last week.

Most of the passengers at the airport were people going to Makkah to perform Umrah. Whether locals or those coming from abroad, men in ihraam and women in pure white garbs have always fascinated me. They are a reminder that although there may be a lot of evil people in the world, there are many more who are good. They come from far-away lands and endure all kinds of hardships to reach out to Allah and ask for His blessings and forgiveness and pray for the good of mankind. They also remind us (Saudis) of how blessed we are to be part of this holy land and be able to perform Umrah whenever we wish — especially when you are someone like me who lives in Jeddah.
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