Overview

In recent years, an internal debate has arisen in Saudi Arabia on the legitimacy of Saudi religion and the foundations of Islam. Sparked by concerns such as the absence of divine intervention in the Syrian civil war, the question of the Muslim monopoly on heaven, and politically subversive differentiations between ""Saudi religion"" and Islam, the challenge within Saudi Arabia to religious orthodoxy has never been greater. Tweeted Heresies explores the emergence of these patterns of non-belief and the responses to them from the Salafi-Wahhabi religious institutions. Previous studies have focused on formal institutions and their role in religious change. Abdullah Hamidaddin focuses on individuals who took advantage of social media during a period of relative freedom of expression to criticize religion and question the most fundamental aspects of Saudi society: its politics, religion, social justice, gender and sexual relations, and the future of the country. These individuals mounted a direct challenge to religious orthodoxy, whether through calls for religious reform or, even more provocatively, debates over concepts of deity, morality, and duty to Allah. For the foreseeable future criticism is limited to virtual spaces, and the conversation was especially active on Twitter. Tweeted Heresies examines a large body of tweets, as well as interviews with Saudis about how their understanding and critique of religion have developed over the course of their lives. The result is a uniquely revealing portrait of an otherwise hidden current of religious change that promises to ultimately transform Saudi society.

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9780190062583

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Furthermore, by focusing on micro-level processes of indi-vidual experiences with non-religion, both in interviews and public discussion online, Hamidaddin shines a welcome light on the individual underpinnings of larger social structural changes. Those interested in the religious politics of Saudi Arabia, in secu-larization and non-religion, or in the use of online research methodologies will find much of use here. * Gregory Goalwin, Sociology of Religion *

By focusing on micro-level processes of individual experiences with non-religion, both in interviews and public discussion online, Hamidaddin shines a welcome light on the individual underpinnings of larger social structural changes. Those interested in the religious politics of Saudi Arabia, in secularization and non-religion, or in the use of online research methodologies will find much of use here. * Sociology of Religion *

Author Information

Abdullah Hamidaddin is a researcher in Islam in contemporary Arab societies, with a focus on critical discourses on religion. He is also a writer and commentator on Middle Eastern societies, politics, and religion with a special focus on Saudi Arabia and Yemen. His books include Al-Kaynuna al-Mutanaghima (Harmonious Being), published in 2012, and Al-Zaydiyya (Zaydism), published in 2010. He has contributed scholarly research to books on Yemen, Islamic discourse, and jurisprudence.

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