News and Commentary

Saudi Arabia: We Own Holy Islamic Sites, Internationalization Is ‘Declaration Of War’

   DailyWire.com

Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic war with Qatar is spiraling out of control. After cutting ties with Doha, the Saudis issued several demands to bring the Qataris back into the Sunni fold. One of the chief demands was scaling back friendly relations with Shia powerhouse Iran, Saudi Arabia’s primary geopolitical rival. Now, the Qataris are firing back with a list of their own demands, a move that has Riyadh seeing red.

Most notably, the Saudis are taking issue with Qatar’s request to “internationalize” Islamic holy sites peppered throughout the Saudi kingdom.

“Qatar’s request to internationalize the holy sites is an aggressive act and a declaration of war against the kingdom,” Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told Al-Arabiya Sunday. “We reserve the right to respond to any party working in the field of internationalization of the holy sites.”

The foreign minister added that the kingdom is making a concerted effort to welcome all Muslim religious pilgrims, including those from Qatar.

“Saudi Arabia rejects Qatar’s attempt to politicize the arrival of Qatari pilgrims into the kingdom,” he stressed. “The kingdom’s history is clear in facilitating the arrival of pilgrims. … Saudi Arabia welcomes the Qataris to perform Hajj like the rest of the pilgrims.”

Qatar’s call to “internationalize” holy sites echoes Iran’s decades-old battle cry to strip the Two Holy Mosques in Mecca and Medina — exclusively entrusted to the Saudi Arabian King — away from exclusive Saudi control.

The fact that the honorific titles “Servant of the Two Noble Sanctuaries” and “Protector of the Two Holy Cities” have been bestowed on the Saudi monarch is evidence enough of just how much Iran’s demands cut to the heart of the monarchy’s sense of sovereignty.

For the Saudis, the holy shrines are sacred cows, or better yet, cash cows. In addition to the loads of money the Saudis collect from pilgrimages and religious tourism, control of the sites grants the kingdom priceless prestige within the Islamic world.

Every devout Muslim must try to make the pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina at some point in his/her lifetime as the Hajj is one of Islam’s five pillars of faith. As long as Saudi Arabia holds onto to these sites, it will be seen as holding the keys to the gateway of Allah.

Got a tip worth investigating?

Your information could be the missing piece to an important story. Submit your tip today and make a difference.

Submit Tip
The Daily Wire   >  Read   >  Saudi Arabia: We Own Holy Islamic Sites, Internationalization Is ‘Declaration Of War’