Saudi Arabia’s powerful Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman will be welcomed to the White House by US president Donald Trump on Tuesday ahead of three days of meetings with officials and Congressional leaders from both parties. King Salman’s favourite son proclaimed heir to the throne in June, prince Mohamed, 32, arrived with heavy religio-cultural and political baggage. Prince Mohamed repeated the fiction that the narrow, puritan, misogynistic practices of the Sunni Saudi regime were imposed in 1979 only after the challenge mounted by Shia Iran’s Islamic Republic. In reality, the House of Saud’s formed an alliance in the 18th century with ultra-conservative preacher Mohamed bin al-Wahhab with the aim of conquering the Arabian peninsula and purging “distortions” of Islam. Tough MeasuresWhile prince Mohamed proclaimed all Saudis equal, women remain under the guardianship of male relatives and cannot marry, divorce, seek medical treatment and education, and travel without permission.

Source: The Irish Times March 20, 2018 04:52 UTC