In the minds of the vast majority of Westerners, Saudi Arabia is the quintessential Islamic state. Shops close at prayer time, niqab is mandatory, there are strict laws on gender segregation, hands are amputated, and heads are cut off in public punishments, etc, etc. Jihadis and Khilafah-ists, and most of us actually, do not regard Saudia as an Islamic state, however, primarily because we perceive it as subservient to the West.
But see, you have to analyze that.
A strict version of Shari’ah is enforced in Saudi Arabia…not much different from what Da’esh imposes…and the West has no hesitation about supporting it.
Where is the “Battle of ‘Aqeedah”, then?
You will say, “they support Saudi Arabia because it is subservient”, and you are right. But you have to then admit that subordination is, in fact, the important thing to the West; not Shari’ah, not ‘Aqeedah, not religion. It does not matter to them in the least if our women wear niqab…did they order Karzai to ban the burqa in Afghanistan? Did they tell Maliki to prohibit hijab in Iraq?
Yes, the Saudi regime is utterly subservient; so why hasn’t the US ordered them to establish a secular democracy?
I will tell you why, because they don’t care about that. You can have any system you want, follow any customs you want, enact any laws you want…as long as this does not interfere in any way with your overall obedience to their authority and the interests of their elites.