Saudi Arabia's holidays are becoming more colorful and livelier in the Kingdom emphasizing King Abdullah's push to reform the conservative country.
A prominent political writer, Khalid al-Dakhil said authorities' push for a more jubilant celebration of the National Day highlights that the monarchy no longer feels it has to follow the mores of the Wahhabi clerics.
"The Saudi state had in the past felt a need -- or was forced -- to listen to the religious establishment ... King Abdullah has chosen a different path. Such change could not have happened 40 years ago," Dakhil said.
"But now you have young Saudis accounting for 70 percent of the population, the internet, the satelite television channels. "The state is getting stronger."
Many Saudi clerics consider as heresy any celebration outside the Islamic holidays of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, including the Prophet Mohammad's birthday. They had previously been successful in reducing the symbolism of the national jubilee to a mere date on the calendar.
Under King Abdullah, the absolute monarchy has been bolder in reining in a conservative clergy that has sometimes stood in the way of political reform.
The world's biggest oil exporting country, a close U.S. ally, is based ultimately on a historic pact between the al-Saud and the house of Ibn Wahhab, who follow the austere Wahhabi school of Islam. Under this pact, clerics have normally held control over the judiciary and education systems and the regulations of social life.
Since 2005, a growing number of cities in the kingdom gradually laid out more elaborate celebration plans that sometimes include plays -- an art form abhorred by many conservatives in a country that does not allow cinemas.
There have been claims that Saudi Arabia would be an open country by the year 2011... Of course it's still 1413 in Saudi Arabia! ^^,
So what to encounter today? A dose of Chuck and an afternoon of shut eye! ^^, No Naruto Shippuden 179 today folks. It's the finale of Naruto Shippuden season 7 so I guess they're making it special (though it's still a filler). You can check out Charice on the first episode of Glee if you're up to it or watch some Machete. -.-
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