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.
