How Israel Will Corrupt Saudi Arabia

It is one thing for Israeli Arabs to be adapting Hebrew words and phrases into their Arabic, but now Asharq Alawsat reports that Israeli cultural influence has begun to extend beyond her boundaries:

Today it is common to see large numbers of young Saudi men sporting a piece of red string around their wrists. This trend has spread all over the world in recent years especially since A-list celebrities and football players were spotted wearing the red string bracelet that is believed to ward off the evil eye. However, the cultural connotations of this trend that include a religious or ideological belief in the Jewish sect known as Kabbalah are a cause for concern amongst some Saudi experts who are against what they consider a form of “cultural invasion”.

The wearing of the red string is practiced by followers of the Kabbalah, a school of thought that focuses on the mystical aspects of Judaism.

A number of Arabic websites have warned against this trend that is gaining popularity amongst secondary school students in Saudi Arabia.

First Kabbalah, then Madonna--we'll have those Saudis corrupted in no time!

Technorati Tag: Saudi Arabia.