Other

BBC World Service South Asia

The Compass v2 Podcast

The Compass

Documentaries

Factual: Life Stories

The Compass v2 Standard

With ideas too big for a single episode, The Compass presents mini-series about society

Surprising stories from unusual places. With ideas too big for a single episode, The Compass presents mini-series about the environment and politics, culture and society.

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Online

BBC World Service

BBC World Service East Asia

BBC World Service Australasia

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

The Compass: Islam, People and Power: Islam, People and Power: The Salafis

Magazines & Reviews

Factual

The Salafis

24/11/2016 GMT

Islam, People and Power: The Salafis

Islam, People and Power

BBC World Service - The Compass, Islam, People and Power, Islam, People and Power: The Salafis

Disputes in Islam’s most misunderstood sect - the Wahhabis, also known as Salafis

Wahhabi Islam is more correctly called salafism. Safa al Ahmad finds that, post the Arab uprisings, the salafis are split between jihadists, democrats and apolitical pietists.

Wahhabism is the most misunderstood brand of Islam. It is more correctly called Salafism and is a fundamentalist interpretation of the faith, often associated with Saudi Arabia. The salafis have long been split between jihadists who justify violently overthrowing their rulers and quietists who believe that even oppressive governments should be obeyed. Since the Arab uprisings, two new groups – salafi democrats and salafi revolutionaries – have come to the fore too.

Presenter Safa Al Ahmad talks to representatives of all positions in the current debate within salafi Islam about the relationship between religion and politics.

(Photo: Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh. Credit: Hassan Ammar/AFP/Getty Images)

The Compass: Islam, People and Power

Safa Al Ahmad investigates the dominant political debate in the Arab world - the relationship between Islam and the state.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

The Compass

Islam, People and Power

Islam, People and Power: The Salafis

Genres

Formats

Brand

Series

BBC World Service South Asia

About BBC World Service