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Are Saudi Arabia's Reforms for Real?
(Washington Post) David Ignatius - Are Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's proposals for change supported by the religious leadership and the public in this very conservative country? During a trip there, I heard strong support for reforms from young Saudis interviewed on the street as well as a senior Muslim cleric. Sheikh Mohammad al-Issa, since 2016 the head of the Saudi-backed Muslim World League, said the moves are backed by his colleagues in the senior religious leadership. The new Saudi stance against radical Islam has an operational side, too, which I saw at the new Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology, known as ETIDAL, or moderation. Under a giant dome, several hundred analysts sit at computer screens watching Arabic social media traffic for signs of support for extremist groups.