Saudi Youth Question Traditional Approach to Islam
Saudi youth are seeking Islamic guidance that speaks to the issues they face in their lives, writes Caryle Murphy.
![Grooms take part in a mass wedding ceremony in Tabuk Grooms take part in a mass wedding ceremony in Tabuk, 1500 km (932 miles) from Riyadh, May 2, 2012. Governor of Tabuk Prince Fahad Bin Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz and a local group organised the mass wedding for about 1600 couples to help youths who are unable to afford expensive ceremonies because of the rising cost of living. REUTERS/Mohamed Alhwaity (SAUDI ARABIA - Tags: SOCIETY) - RTR31J79](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/almpics/2013/02/1-RTR31J79.jpg/1-RTR31J79.jpg?h=2d235432&itok=ZEtLdlex)
On March 30, 2012, a little-noticed but remarkable document from young Saudis was posted online.
Beneath its cumbersome title — “Statement of Saudi Youth Regarding the Guarantee of Freedoms and Ethics of Diversity” — it challenged a central tenet of the kingdom’s ultraconservative religious establishment: That it has the right to impose its strict interpretation of Islam on all Saudis.