“Following the death of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah, two videos have emerged showing Saudis pledging allegiance to their new ruler – by shaking hands with cardboard cutouts of King Salman and the two heirs to the throne. Actors standing behind the life-sized cutouts extend their arms to shake hands with visitors. Of course, it wouldn’t be possible for the kingdom’s new king to shake hands with everyone who wanted to pledge allegiance. So the cardboard cutouts are the next-best solution. The ritual is part of an Islamic custom known as the bay’ah – a traditional oath of allegiance given to a leader. In the video, they also “shake hands” with cardboard cutouts of Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz and Prince Mohammed bin Nayef.…………….”

So, who said there is no democracy and popular participation in the Kingdom Without Magic? A cardboard king and a paper people. Cartoon cardboard participation is better than none. This is progress under the new king, and so much cheaper and less disruptive than ballot boxes……….

On the other hand, some trouble-maker, some foreign agitators, might add that a truly cardboard royal family might be cheaper to maintain than………..
Cheers

Mohammed Haider Ghuloum