In a video published by Saudi Arabia’s state security agency, ideas such as feminism, homosexuality, and atheism were labeled as “extremist” ideas. This development is in stark contrast with the progress of the country towards becoming more liberal to attract tourists in their land. 

An animated clip was posted on Twitter by one of the official accounts under the state security agency which categorized the above-mentioned ideas as extremist in nature.

It referred to feminism and homosexuality as examples of extremism that can hamper Saudi interests. The voice-over in the video says: “Don’t forget that excess of anything at the expense of the homeland is considered extremism.”

The following is an archived version of the video clip that has now been deleted:

Lately, the country has been slowly steering away from its radical approach and has been adopting a moderate form of Islam. The crowned prince Mohammad Bin Salman has loosened the restrictions over the tourist visa to attract more foreign investment and tourism.

Women’s rights were also welcomed in this approach. The guardianship system was also done away with which had stated that a woman needs to have a male guardian to make  important decisions for her.

Last year, the ban on women driving in the country was lifted after strong campaigning. The campaigning had resulted in several of them getting arrested on the suspicion of harming national interests and offering support to negative elements outside the country.

However, the instances of arresting many critics and the clamping down of any form of dissent have been rampant in the country, a complete opposite of the somewhat progressive image the country is portraying to be.

Apart from feminism, homosexuality and atheism have also been categorized as extremist ideas. The two ideas have been considered illegal for a very long time and fostering these ideas results in a death sentence by the monarchy. The media is also tightly controlled and public protests are banned in the country.

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