Saudi Hysteria Over Kabbalah Bracelets

by Jonathan Schanzer  •  May 23, 2008 at 1:39 pm

http://www.jewishpolicycenter.org/blog/2008/05/saudi-hysteria-over-kabbalah-bracelets

Ash-Sharq al-Awsat reports that it is increasingly common to see young Saudi youth sporting a red string around their wrists. The youth are, of course, mimicking A-list celebrities (like Madonna) who wear the red string to ward off the evil eye.

The custom stems from Kabbalistic beliefs, prompting Saudi religious figures to warn of a "cultural invasion." Numerous Arabic websites have warned against this trend.

The Saudis have long been frightened by a Jewish invasion. At one point, they even feared that Pokemon was a Jewish conspiracy.

The problem stems from the fact that Saudi Arabia is an anti-Semitic state that demonizes Jews, often portraying them as seeking to gain a stranglehold on the Muslim world.

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