As Saudi Arabia takes a nationalist turn, 'traitor' is the new 'infidel'

Saudi's undergoing an aggressive nationalist rebranding, downplaying an austere religious doctrine associated abroad with terrorism, and promoting veneration of de facto ruler Crown Prince Salman

Muna AbuSulayman was relaxing in bed last month when her phone pinged with news that the grand mufti, Saudi Arabia’s religious leader, had died.

After checking that the alert appeared to originate from an official source, the former talk show host shared it with 544,000 Twitter followers. It was a fateful misjudgment that pitched her deep into an ugly struggle over what it means to be Saudi as the kingdom forges a new identity under its young crown prince.

The story about the mufti was fake. AbuSulayman deleted her post and apologized, but the damage was done. Over several sleepless nights, she