Britain, Saudis, Wahhabism: a look

However, that is not the whole story as far as Britain is concerned because Brits were there when the Wahhabi reading of Islam was first founded and before even the Saudi Arabia existed. There are accounts, including the Memoirs Of Mr Hempher, The British Spy To The Middle East, that show British Foreign and Commonwealth Office created Wahhabism that takes an intolerant view of other interpretations of Islam and other religions. Even if such accounts are not precise - as several commentators have objected -- Britain did create Saudi Arabia in collaboration with the Wahhabi Al-Saud tribe and did use Wahhabis intolerance and its old policy of divide and conquer to wage an internal war in the Ottoman empire, which was the most serious obstacle to Londons control over the Middle East until the First World War (1914-1918). Abdulaziz Bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud, who founded the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932, was a local ruler in the Arabian Peninsula when the Great War began. Following the outbreak of war, the British who were fighting Ottomans established diplomatic ties with Abdulaziz and the two signed the Treaty of Darin as early as 1915, which made the lands of the Al-Saud family a British protectorate. Abdulaziz was a descendent of Muhammad Al Saud, who ruled the Najd area of the peninsula in the 18th century, who was a friend of founder of Wahhabism Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab (1703-1792), and who chose Wahhabism for his tribe for the first time. The British followed the treaty with a monthly tribute of 5,000 as well as huge supplies of arms and helped the would-be king conquer the central Arabian Peninsula, especially the cities of Hejaz, Mecca and Medina until 1927. London replaced the Treaty of Darin with the Treaty of Jeddah on May 20, 1927 that recognized the Saudi-held territories independence, a move that helped Abdulaziz start kingdom of Saudi Arabia on September 23, 1932. It was a win-win situation as Britain installed a regime ruled by one of its paid puppets to protect Londons interests and used the Al-Sauds Wahhabi beliefs to shatter its archenemy, the Ottomans, while Abdulaziz realized Al-Sauds long-sought rule over the peninsula.

Britain was indeed Abdul Azizs mentor from the very beginning and the later Saudi monarch did not hide these ties. In his public speeches to the army of Wahhabi Brothers, he always thanked the British for their favors, reminding the Wahhabis that they would not have achieved victory without Britain. The creation of Saudi Arabia was also a victory for Britain in line with its original designs envisaged in Wahhabi Islam, whose founder was excommunicated by scholars of all other Islamic sects in the 18th century. Britain meant to open a chasm among Muslims to lay hands on the Middle East in line with the policy of divide and conquer and Wahhabis extremism was the key to Londons ambitions. Indeed, it was initially illegal for a Muslim to wage war on another Muslim. Yet, Britain needed a new interpretation of Islam that would sanction such fratricide, under the guise of Jihad. that led to Wahhabism. Memoirs Of Mr Hempher outlines the autobiographical account of Hempher, who claims to have acted as a spy on behalf of the British government, with the mission of seeking ways of undermining the Ottoman Empire. Hempher reveals in his memoirs that infiltrating Muslims from within was considered to be the answer. He says he trained Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab and helped him found Wahhabism in line with the wishes of the then British Ministry of Colonies (Foreign and Common Wealth Office). Muslims unity had to be undermined through focus on their points of disagreement, and Britain aimed to change Saudi Arabia into what it is now, in a bid to strengthen Wahhabi extremism to dent Muslims unity. Hemphers account is disputed, but it is widely acknowledged that Britain remained one of the biggest supporters of Saudi Arabia, which has did its best to promote Wahhabism across the world, helping London sow discord among Muslim nations.

Britain has kept Saudi Arabia, which hosts two of Muslims holiest sites i.e. the Kabba and the Prophets mosque, as close as in the early 20th century up until now. There are more than 150 joint ventures between British and Saudi Companies and some 30,000 British nationals are living and working in Saudi Arabia, while the Middle Eastern country is Britains primary trade partner in the region. Britain has been a major arms supplier to the Saudi Arabia since the 1960s, which has in turn supplied invaluable oil shipments to the west. British Foreign Office described UK/Saudi relationship in the 1990s as a house built on two solid pillars; the defence and trade relationships. Under Al-Yamamah arms deal, Saudi Arabia exports a daily 600,000 barrels of oil to Britain in exchange for sales that begun in 1985 and saw London sell Riyadh 72 Eurofighter jets in August 2006. British arms giant BAE Systems and its predecessor British Aerospace earned 43 billion in twenty years from the contracts, BAE CEO said in August 2005, adding that it could earn 40 billion more. Saudis have, in turn, used western backing, especially from Britain and the US, and the Islamic worlds attention to Mecca and Medina to promote their version of Islam that was initially rejected by almost all Muslim sects in the 18th century. Britain remains one of the chief allies of Saudi Arabia and the two eye even closer ties. Britain is already slated to clinch another big deal with Saudis to sell weapons and military equipment worth billions of pounds to the most autocratic regime in the Middle East region.