Thank you for the thoughtful piece. I’m not writing to disagree or push you toward a particular side. I recognize that these issues are nuanced—neither fully black nor white. Rather, I hope to offer clarification and context as someone born and raised in Saudi Arabia.
The era of Saudi government-led funding of classical Islam abroad, particularly the export of rigid Salafi doctrine, is largely over. This isn’t speculation—it’s observable in Vision 2030 and the structural reforms reshaping Saudi society. I encourage you to explore the public work of the Saudi Ambassador to the U.S. (a woman), as well as broader reforms on women’s empowerment, economic diversification, and cultural liberalization.
Yes, there may have been past periods of Quran distribution or mosque construction in Indonesia, but these efforts were not necessarily about exporting a rigid ideology. That era is gone. What remains is often the legacy of those earlier engagements—not an active campaign of doctrinal control. It’s important to distinguish past influence from present intent.
In fact, the reforms underway in Saudi Arabia are being guided through frameworks that remain rooted in Salafi jurisprudence. Principles like “bringing benefit and preventing harm” (jalb al-maslahah wa dar’ al-mafsadah) and the maqāṣid (objectives) of Sharia allow scholars and lawmakers to override older rulings—such as male guardianship—when they obstruct national welfare. Saudi women now drive, travel, and work without male permission. And yes, many still wear the veil—by choice, not by force.
That brings me to a specific linguistic note in your piece. You repeatedly use the word “madrasa.” I gently ask: why? In Arabic, madrasa simply means “school.” My own sister runs a highly ranked international IB school that technically qualifies as a madrasa. Yet in much of Western discourse, the term has become unfairly loaded—evoking images of radicalization, segregation, or fundamentalism. This framing risks reinforcing bias. Surely, a school should be judged by its content and context—not by a word that simply means "place of learning."
Also, if Saudi funding is claimed to shape Indonesia’s religious landscape, I wonder: why only Indonesia? Why not Sudan, Pakistan, or Egypt—nations with long-standing religious and strategic ties to Saudi Arabia? Could it be that local socioeconomic and political conditions in Indonesia make it more fertile ground for religious conservatism, regardless of foreign support?
Lastly, I sincerely appreciate your advocacy for gender equality. It’s a cause many of us care deeply about. But patriarchy is not exclusive to Islam or the Global South. It’s a human pattern with deep roots in many civilizations. You might find Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus an interesting contrast—not as doctrine, but as a reminder that gender dynamics, limitations, and expectations are global.
Thank you again for raising these issues. I hope this adds a grounded perspective from within the culture you’re examining.
Thank you so much, Alice. I truly appreciate your generous reply — and I owe you an apology for not taking the time to navigate more of your work before responding. That’s on me.
It honestly means a lot to see Saudi Arabia’s evolution acknowledged with such clarity and curiosity. I’m honored that our reform journey has reached your radar — not just politically, but culturally and intellectually. I’m sure you’ll find your future visit to the Kingdom both eye-opening and layered.
Just one tip: avoid the summer heat! Between May and August, even the locals retreat indoors. Timing your trip in winter or early spring will make a world of difference.
Thanks again — it’s been a pleasure engaging with your reflections.
3.5% of the world's population but very little is written in the West about Indonesia.
I have a couple of questions:
- How effective do you think is religious education in Indonesia? Judging by the Spanish experience (*) I'm a bit skeptical of the effect that madrasahs have on piousness and religiosity.
- Do you have any ideas on why Aceh is more religious than the rest of Indonesia? It would seem the rest of Indonesia is actually catching up with Aceh, but I don't know of any good explanation for why islamisation would have happened earlier in Aceh.
My naive explanation would be that historically Aceh had more contact with the big Islamic centers in Arabia and Muslim India, being close to the route that Muslim traders traveled on their way to Eastern Asia. But I don't find it very convincing.
(*) More than 30% of education in Spain is private, and most private schools are religious.
Thank you for the thoughtful piece. I’m not writing to disagree or push you toward a particular side. I recognize that these issues are nuanced—neither fully black nor white. Rather, I hope to offer clarification and context as someone born and raised in Saudi Arabia.
The era of Saudi government-led funding of classical Islam abroad, particularly the export of rigid Salafi doctrine, is largely over. This isn’t speculation—it’s observable in Vision 2030 and the structural reforms reshaping Saudi society. I encourage you to explore the public work of the Saudi Ambassador to the U.S. (a woman), as well as broader reforms on women’s empowerment, economic diversification, and cultural liberalization.
Yes, there may have been past periods of Quran distribution or mosque construction in Indonesia, but these efforts were not necessarily about exporting a rigid ideology. That era is gone. What remains is often the legacy of those earlier engagements—not an active campaign of doctrinal control. It’s important to distinguish past influence from present intent.
In fact, the reforms underway in Saudi Arabia are being guided through frameworks that remain rooted in Salafi jurisprudence. Principles like “bringing benefit and preventing harm” (jalb al-maslahah wa dar’ al-mafsadah) and the maqāṣid (objectives) of Sharia allow scholars and lawmakers to override older rulings—such as male guardianship—when they obstruct national welfare. Saudi women now drive, travel, and work without male permission. And yes, many still wear the veil—by choice, not by force.
That brings me to a specific linguistic note in your piece. You repeatedly use the word “madrasa.” I gently ask: why? In Arabic, madrasa simply means “school.” My own sister runs a highly ranked international IB school that technically qualifies as a madrasa. Yet in much of Western discourse, the term has become unfairly loaded—evoking images of radicalization, segregation, or fundamentalism. This framing risks reinforcing bias. Surely, a school should be judged by its content and context—not by a word that simply means "place of learning."
Also, if Saudi funding is claimed to shape Indonesia’s religious landscape, I wonder: why only Indonesia? Why not Sudan, Pakistan, or Egypt—nations with long-standing religious and strategic ties to Saudi Arabia? Could it be that local socioeconomic and political conditions in Indonesia make it more fertile ground for religious conservatism, regardless of foreign support?
Lastly, I sincerely appreciate your advocacy for gender equality. It’s a cause many of us care deeply about. But patriarchy is not exclusive to Islam or the Global South. It’s a human pattern with deep roots in many civilizations. You might find Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus an interesting contrast—not as doctrine, but as a reminder that gender dynamics, limitations, and expectations are global.
Thank you again for raising these issues. I hope this adds a grounded perspective from within the culture you’re examining.
Thank you so much for this detailed and careful response.
I entirely agree that the Saudi export of Wahhabism is in the past. It is a legacy.
I also agree that saudi has now embarked on new cultural engineering, to culturally liberalise and encourage women in the public sphere - see my earlier essay https://www.ggd.world/p/netflix-and-change-tracking-cultural
Going forward, I’m very eager to visit Saudi Arabia.
I think meaning is use and madrasa is widely used to mean Islamic school. Even in Pakistan, a madrasa is a faith school.
I totally agree that many other cultures are patriarchal and please do explore my writings on them!
Thank you again!
Thank you so much, Alice. I truly appreciate your generous reply — and I owe you an apology for not taking the time to navigate more of your work before responding. That’s on me.
It honestly means a lot to see Saudi Arabia’s evolution acknowledged with such clarity and curiosity. I’m honored that our reform journey has reached your radar — not just politically, but culturally and intellectually. I’m sure you’ll find your future visit to the Kingdom both eye-opening and layered.
Just one tip: avoid the summer heat! Between May and August, even the locals retreat indoors. Timing your trip in winter or early spring will make a world of difference.
Thanks again — it’s been a pleasure engaging with your reflections.
Warm regards,
Nadir
Ha! Yes, certainly, December is optimal! Thank you!
Great post!
3.5% of the world's population but very little is written in the West about Indonesia.
I have a couple of questions:
- How effective do you think is religious education in Indonesia? Judging by the Spanish experience (*) I'm a bit skeptical of the effect that madrasahs have on piousness and religiosity.
- Do you have any ideas on why Aceh is more religious than the rest of Indonesia? It would seem the rest of Indonesia is actually catching up with Aceh, but I don't know of any good explanation for why islamisation would have happened earlier in Aceh.
My naive explanation would be that historically Aceh had more contact with the big Islamic centers in Arabia and Muslim India, being close to the route that Muslim traders traveled on their way to Eastern Asia. But I don't find it very convincing.
(*) More than 30% of education in Spain is private, and most private schools are religious.