The media, which has been hostile to Prince Mohammed bin Salman ever since Trump worked well with him, has downplayed the news that the Saudi kingdom is abolishing flogging. However, it’s a big story in a land that is slowly leaving the Middle Ages behind. In 1932, when Saudi Arabia was created, the Royal House of Saud and the Wahhabis agreed to support each other. This deal went into overdrive in 1979 when the Saudi royals saw Ayatollah Khomeini’s mob drive the Shah of Iran off the throne. The Wahhabis promised the royal house that, if Saudi Arabia funded Wahhabi madrassas all over the world, the Wahhabis would protect the House of Saud. Saudi Arabia, therefore, has always been run on sharia lines. The rules, of course, don’t apply to the numerous men in the royal family, provided that they keep their non-sharia peccadillos out of the public eye.  Sharia law made women second class citizens. For decades they had no legal rights, could not drive cars,...(Read Full Post)