Anti-Saudi sentiment

Anti-Saudi sentiment refers to the historical and current resentment towards Saudi Arabia, Saudis, or Culture of Saudi Arabia. It's also called as Saudiophobia.

Anti-Saudi sentiment has been exclusive and widely practiced among other countries in the world, which has shown a great disapproval of what Saudi Arabia is doing. Some reasons leading to anti-Saudi sentiment includes human rights abuse, censorship, terrorism and more specifically, Salafism. Many countries, including Muslim ones, have long viewed Saudi Arabia as an evil oasis which is the cause of global terrorism and fear in the world.

History

In 19th century, after the First Saudi State was demolished by the Ottoman Empire in the Wahhabi War, the Ottomans accused the Saud family for its religious terrorism and intolerance, and had executed a number of Saudi religious leadership. This was the first time anti-Saudi sentiment was directly demonstrated. Due to the Saudis being majority followers of Wahhabism, an extreme version of Islam, this gave birth to the modern anti-Saudi sentiment.

Since 20th century and the booming of oil industry, Saudi Arabia became the world's largest oil producer and is one of the richest countries in the world. Using money from producing oil, Saudi Arabia began a series of Salafization process, funding, building and establishing Salafi-based institutions and mosques not just in the Muslim world, but also in non-Muslim countries. As for the result, Saudi Arabia-funded institutions were thought to have given birth of Islamic terrorism which led to a growing criticisms from not just only in non-Muslim world, but even from Muslim states which accused Saudi Arabia as the cause of spreading terrorism, thus marked the height of Saudiophobia, despite Saudi efforts to whitewash its image.

Anti-Saudi sentiment also stemmed from many Muslim countries that Saudi Arabia is seen as a "Zionist entity" allying with Israel and to cause destabilization across the other Muslim nations, and Zionism is also frequently used to connect Saudi Arabia as an ally of Israel and traitor of Islam, worsening the perception of Saudi Arabia. Some believed that, if not for Saudi Arabia, Islam would not be hated so much like today and Islamophobia was the result of Saudi terrorism.

By countries

Muslim world

In Muslim countries, with exception of the Gulf in majority (outside Qatar), most Muslim countries hold Saudi Arabia responsible for the corruption of Islam, its betrayal of Palestinian cause and the rise of global Islamophobia, blaming Saudi Arabia for all the messes in the Islamic world.

Egypt

Gamal Abdel Nasser, Egypt's first President, stated that "Shoe has more honor than the Crown of Saudi Arabia" and condemned Saudi Arabia for its hypocrisies.

Many Egyptians also held strong disdain against Saudi Arabia, accusing it for being the source of all terrorism in the world, since Saudi Arabia had refused to support Egypt in its conflicts with Israel and further more, sided with anti-Egyptian forces in the North Yemen Civil War. Many Egyptians also believe Saudi Arabia is responsible for corruption of Islam in Egypt and spread of intolerance, to its backing for Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the current military dictator of Egypt. Egypt also refused to back Saudi-led anti-Iranian coalition in fear that Saudi Arabia might use Egypt as a shield for its interests, further highlighting the fear of Saudi interference in Egypt.

Algeria

Many Algerians harbor that Saudi Arabia was directly responsible for the Algerian Civil War, and the spread of terrorism in Algeria has part dated back from Saudi Arabia's lucrative role on sponsoring the Islamists, many would go radicalized and become core of Al-Qaeda there.

Thus, in Algeria, depiction of Saudis have been centered around the fact that Saudi Arabia is a terrorist and dangerous country with restless terrorism, led to a growing wave of anti-Saudi sentiment especially since Mohammed Bin Salman era.

Afghanistan

Ahmad Shah Massoud, who fought the Afghan Civil War, stated that Saudi Arabia was the reason why Taliban could sustain such a long war, and called for war against Saudi Arabia and its interest because of Saudi terrorist ideology. Many Afghans also harbor its disdain against Saudi Arabia because of terrorism in the country.

Iraq

Iraq has a long tensions toward Saudi Arabia, dated back from 1950s. However, it only exploded during the Gulf War, when Iraq launched a military invasion against Kuwait, the ally of Saudi Arabia. Saddam Hussein had called for war against Saudi Arabia, accusing the state as infidel who stabbed Iraq from the back.

In modern contemporary era, Saudi Arabia is still being depicted negatively in Iraq, many Iraqis believe the rise of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant as well as other terrorist groups, are the work of Saudi clergy and Islamic institutions.

Palestine

For Palestinians, accusation against Saudi Arabia has been mostly direct toward Saudi Arabia's close relationship with Israel which is regarded as enemy by many Palestinians.

After Saudi blogger and a government supporter, Mohammed Saud, arrived to Israel in accordance on boosting Saudi–Israeli relations, Palestinians had reacted furiously and considered it an act of Saudi hypocrisies, the worst thing Saudi Arabia could do.

Turkey

See also: Wahhabi War

Turkey has one of the least favorite rate toward Saudi Arabia among Muslim world, and this was stemmed from the Ottoman past when the Ottomans destroyed the First Saudi State and beheaded many Saudi leaders. For this reason, Saudi Arabia has always been perceived in a negative light by the Turks.

Another evidences of growing hostility against Saudis among Turks came from the Saudi education attempt to erase the Ottoman past, its authoritarianism and there are still a great lack of respect for women among Saudis in Turkey. Some Turks also believed, the Saudis have been supported by the West to provide terrorism, further strained the relations between the Turks and Saudis. Racism against Saudis are widespread in Turkey.

Iran

See also: Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict

Iran and Saudi Arabia has a long history of antagonism against each other. While it was rooted from history of Arab conquest, it became tense since the Iranian Revolution and Iranian desire to expand its revolution to other Muslim countries.

In Iran, regardless the position of the Iranian Government and Iranian people, both share a similar hostility against Saudi Arabia. While the Islamic regime of Iran considers Saudi Arabia as a Western stooge, infidel and un-Islamic; the Iranian population regards Saudi Arabia as the source of global terrorism and its hawkish desire to create war against Iran. It is mingled together to create a nationalist and Islamist frontier and Saudi Arabia became a scapegoat by Iranian hardliners.

Tunisia

Many Tunisians have long disapproved Saudi influence and its regime, considering it as a terrible government. Furthermore, Tunisia is supportive of Arab Spring movement which started from Tunisia, while Saudi Arabia is hostile against it, thus lead to the growing tensions between Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.

Tunisians have objected Mohammed Bin Salman's visit in 2018, considering it a human right violation and a direct fear of growing Saudi meddling on Tunisian affairs.

Yemen

See also: Saudi–Yemeni War (1934) and Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen

There is a long-standing tensions between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, in particular after the Yemeni war with Saudi Arabia in 1934. Some Yemeni nationalists believed they are the rightful owners of Najran, Asir and Jizan; the Saudis were foreigners who stole its ancestral lands. This gave birth for anti-Saudi sentiment in Yemen. This, in particular, has also been seen from the Houthi movement, a Zaydi Shi'a-based movement mingled with Yemeni nationalism that desired to re-draw the border and reclaim its territories from Saudi Arabia. It became frequent since the Yemeni Civil War and subsequent Saudi air raids against the Houthis.

Syria

See also: Saudi Arabian involvement in the Syrian Civil War

There is also a strong anti-Saudi sentiment in Syria, in particular since the Syrian Civil War, although it had dated back from 20th century. Saudi Arabia has armed and trained the army of the Free Syrian Army in hope to expel the forces loyal to dictator Bashar al-Assad, but because of its alignment with ISIS funding, Saudi Arabia became the target for all calamities in Syria.

Due to terrorist bases in Syria have links with Saudi Arabia, the U.S. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has accused Saudi Arabia for terrorizing Syria and arming ISIS, and demanded Saudi Arabia to get out of Syria.

Qatar

See also: Qatar diplomatic crisis

Qatar and Saudi Arabia had once been in line until 2017 when Saudi Arabia cut tie with Qatar and ignited regional tensions. Due to this, hostility against Saudis increased among Qataris, who saw Saudi Arabia as traitor who worked in greed of interests disregarding Gulf unity.

Anti-Saudi postures are increasingly found in Qatari-backed media and propaganda which was the result of restless tensions between two states.

Morocco

Although Saudi Arabia and Morocco have a fine relations, Moroccans have long been cautious of Saudi influence because of its Salafism. Saudi Arabia has always been distrusted by Moroccan nationalists, ranged from its Islamic doctrine, its terrorism, Palestine and Arab disunity. However, it came to peak in 2017 when Saudi Arabia, displeased with Morocco's neutrality over Qatar, began to broadcast a series of media disregarding Moroccan territorial control over Western Sahara, refusing to back Morocco in 2026 FIFA World Cup bids and warming relations with rival Algeria. This had increased hostility against Saudis and Moroccans had chanted anti-Saudi jeers, booed Saudi anthem in 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Rest of the world

Like many Muslim countries, non-Muslim nations view Saudi Arabia with a great disdain due to human right issues, its terrorist background and oil money. Negative about Saudi Arabia has frequently ranged from political bribery to killing of dissidents, as well as terrorism and Salafist funding crackdowns.

United States

Although being a strong ally of Saudi Arabia, majority of Americans dislike Saudi Arabia and it ranges from government officials to even American population. Many Americans believed Saudi Arabia was behind the September 11 attack. While the U.S. Government, especially under Donald Trump has sought to preserve this relationship, anti-Saudi measures have been several times passed in the United States Congress as a response for ongoing Saudi terrorist links and destabilization in the region.

Australia

Many Australians hold Saudis as uneducated, uncivilized, immoral, terrorists and incapable, as demonstrated by its disrespecting behaviors during the 2018 World Cup qualification encounter between two nations when the host offered one minute silence for victims of 2017 London Bridge attack.

See also

• Arabophobia

References

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