Christmas trees and glittering ornaments are displayed in a Saudi souvenir shop. It's an image once unthinkable in the cradle of Islam, where all non-Muslim public celebrations are banned.
In recent years, Christmas decorations and holiday sales have gradually introduced themselves into the beautiful capital Riyadh, a sign of easing of social restrictions since the crown prince Mohammed bin Salman he pledged to lead the conservative Gulf kingdom towards “open and moderate Islam”.
“I would never have imagined seeing it in Saudi Arabia,” a Riyadh resident (who prefers to remain anonymous) told Associated France Presse when he was caught and interviewed in the shop that sells Christmas decorations, trees, Santa Claus clothes, tinsel, baubles and other items. ornaments.
“I'm surprised,” said one resident, who asked to remain anonymous.
Unthinkable scenes even just a short time ago
Until just three years ago, it was almost impossible to openly sell Christmas decorations and similar items in Saudi Arabia, but the authorities have "limited" the powers of the clerical establishment, long known for enforcing Islamic traditions.
For decades, Christmas sales have been largely clandestine, and Christians in the Philippines, Lebanon and other countries have celebrated behind closed doors or in expatriate enclaves.
“It was very difficult to find these Christmas items in the kingdom,” says Mary, a Lebanese expatriate based in Riyadh who prefers to be identified by her first name only. “Many of my friends bought them from Lebanon or Syria and smuggled them into the country,” she said.
Christmas decorations in Saudi Arabia: a strong sign of the times
A Riyadh store manager reports that this year his store sold not only Christmas items but also Halloween clothes, an occasion widely seen by conservatives as an American tradition that deviates from Islam.
It may not seem like it, but it's a very strong signal. Saudi Arabia is the custodian of Mecca and Medina, the two holiest sites in Islam. The Arab kingdom has long been accused of exporting its ultra-conservative Sunni Wahhabi doctrine around the world. Today, he is slowly pushing for interfaith exchange.
In recent years it has also hosted officials linked to the Vatican and Jewish personalities.
New prospectives
Local officials say school textbooks, once known for denigrating Jews and other non-Muslims as "pigs" and "monkeys," are being revised. It is an initiative that is part of Prince Mohammed's campaign to fight extremism in education.
The heir to the Saudi throne has curbed the influence of the once-powerful religious police. A very invasive apparatus that allows mixed-genre music concerts, cinema and other entertainment, but temples and churches are still prohibited.
Earlier this month, the United States reaffirmed Saudi Arabia's place on a list of countries blacklisted for religious freedom. Countries accused of having committed or tolerated "systematic, continuous and egregious violations of religious freedom", according to the US State Department.
Last month, Prince Mohammed pledged to strike extremists with an "iron fist" after an attack on a gathering of Western diplomats at a non-Muslim cemetery in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, claimed by the Islamic State group .
