In Saudi Arabia, the ultraconservative birthplace of Islam, Twitter is the clergy’s favorite new tool to propagate the 14-century-old faith. Saudi cleric Mohammad al-Arifi has the most popular Twitter account based in the Middle East, and one of the top 120 Twitter accounts worldwide. He has more than 7 million followers, with an average of 8,000 more signing up every day — on a par with pop stars such as Jessica Simpson and 50 Cent.
He’s not unique, either. From the “Dear Abby” sheikh to the self-proclaimed “Elvis” televangelist to the more conservative, a wide range of Saudi clerics now have millions of Twitter followers.