A statement issued by the grand mufti of Saudi Arabia on Aug. 19 warned against the danger of the Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda. It is part of an escalating Saudi stance against jihadist groups in the region, and comes on the heels of its classification of IS and Jabhat al-Nusra as terrorist groups in March.

The harsh statement of the grand mufti was preceded on Aug. 1 by a speech from Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, in which he addressed IS and warned against the danger of armed jihadist groups that declare Muslims infidels and permit the bloodshed of innocents. This royal statement was followed on the same day by a verbal message from the monarch, in which he criticized the Saudi religious establishment for remaining silent and not assuming its duty regarding the terror phenomenon.

This public and candid royal criticism of the religious establishment was seen as a historical precedent in the relationship between the ruling political establishment and its ally, the religious establishment. Khalid al-Dakhil, a Saudi political analyst, said the public royal criticism of the religious establishment pointed out the weakness and declining influence of the religious establishment.

Since the events of Sept. 11, 2001, Saudi Arabia has been at the receiving end of media and political accusations of supporting extremism and terrorism. This has pushed Saudi policy to focus on denying any ties between the Saudi community or state and jihadist movements, be they financial or ideological. Thus, it has over the years tightened financial supervision and arrested large numbers of those suspected of having connections with al-Qaeda and its various branches. It has also brought about changes in the religious curriculum and developed control mechanisms over the content of religious discourse in mosques.