FEATURES OF CENTERS FOR PUBLISHING FATWAS IN SAUDI ARABIA

Abstract

In Saudi Arabia, conservative Ulema are trying to resist the process of the country's modernization. Other clerics take a balanced view of the progress of Saudi society, including changing their religious positions in response to changing circumstances. There are two main problems that lead to the fragmentation of the uniformity of religious thought in the kingdom: the increased political activity of the clergy and undeniable social changes in society. From the end of the 17th century to the 90s of the last century, the clergy of Saudi Arabia issued fatwas that rejected and protected the population from the achievements of modern science, culture and art. The Ulema criticized King Fahd for his decision to allow the presence of US military bases on Saudi territories, arguing that cooperation with non-Moslems is unacceptable. The Ulema liberal to the state supported their government and issued a fatwa justifying the state's decision on the principle of “eliminating great harm with less harm.” The KSA Fatwa Institute was radically reformed in August 2010, the circle of persons who could issue fatwas was limited, but not all clergymen were silenced. In 2011, the Ulema issued a fatwa banning protest rallies and demonstrations in the KSA. The bureaucratization of religious institutions in Saudi Arabia weakened the position of the Ulema, as they became the object of state control and became an important factor supporting the Ulema in the face of modernization.