There was little fanfare from the main stream media when Saudi Arabia was finally given the nod by major trading nations to join the World Trade Organization (WTO).  The 12 year—long negotiations were stymied partly by internal Saudi religious elements that feared a breakdown of restrictions regarding imports forbidden by Islam, mainly pork and alcohol, and by concerns from the United States about Saudi Arabia's economic viability to join the elite club.

Saudi Arabia's economic viability is a given, for certainly the world will need its oil for decades to come.  It is also highly improbable that the Kingdom will ever allow foreign imports of pork and alcohol into the rigid Islamic state. So everyone should be happy, especially the Saudis for

'it is expected to boost foreign investment, providing funds for diversification of the largely oil—based economy, and bring new export opportunities for Saudi firms, especially in the petrochemical industry.'

At this point one must ask what other export opportunities do Saudi Arabia possess besides those derived from their petroleum industry?

The Unchecked Export

Another bit of news that went largely unnoticed is the developing situation in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. For decades the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has been trying to seize control of the island from the rest of the Philippines in order to create a separate state based on Islamic principles. The Philippine government and the terror group have been negotiating for several months. It appears the government of the Philippines has tentatively  agreed

"to allow Muslims in the South to draft their own constitution, impose their own tax system, and to form and maintain legal and financial institutions."

It has yet to be determined whether this move is mere political expediency being employed by the Philippine president Mrs. Arroyo to satisfy rebel demands for the time being or if her government has finally succumbed to the onslaught of relentless jihad.  What is significant is just ten days after this provisional agreement between the Philippine government and MILF rebels was made was the announcement that the Saudi government would pledge $100 million for the troubled island.

According to the report,

'the money is part of a recent loan agreement between the two countries and would be sourced from the Saudi Fund for Development to the Philippines.'

But what does this 'development' mean for the whole of the Philippines when Saudi Arabia pledged another $50 million

'to boost development projects in the five—province Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao?'

A curious development is the appearance of a radio show in the heart of the northern Philippine city of Baguio. The stated purpose of the 'Islam Hour' is

'to bridge the gap between minority Muslim and majority non—Muslim Filipinos, and to make everyone know what Islam truly is and is not against the backdrop of terrorism, extremism and fundamentalism, to which Islam has been stereotyped in and out of this largely Christian nation.'

Is the startup date of October 4th for this new radio station just a coincidence? What is one to make of this statement by an enthusiastic fan?

"A friend from Saudi Arabia told me about it, and I followed it religiously," Baling, a professional working in the Philippine capital Metro Manila, told IOL. "What I like about it is that I appreciate and better understand our beliefs," he added.

The unchecked export of Islam is the other 'opportunity' which Saudi Arabia possesses. The sheer magnitude of petroleum dollars set aside by the Saudi government will assure that this export will take root and supplant the indigenous cultures of developing nations like the Philippines.

An Air of Legitimacy

Saudi Arabia has in the past and continues to this day to provide food and shelter to groups which are considered terrorist organizations by Western governments. Jihad organizations will continue to be funded by Saudi Arabia and the goal has and always will be to make the world Islamic. The jihad will always remain necessary to soften up those who violently resist, and Saudi wealth will ensure in the aftermath that adherence to the message remains sound. But why engage in bloody jihad if the message can be conveyed and secured via pecuniary means?

The inclusion of Saudi Arabia into the WTO has provided that country with a certain 'air of legitimacy' when spreading Islam to the rest of the world. It may not always be necessary for the Saudis to fund violent jihad activities when their goals can be secured by monetary mechanisms.

As our world continues to shrink because of emerging markets and competition for natural resources, it will necessarily follow that nations will cooperate or war with one another to get what is best for them. This collaboration or conflict will accordingly bring about an exchange of ideas, both politically and culturally. The Saudis know this and have chosen to impose their agenda through subversive means.

The duplicitous Saudi approach to international affairs seems to be accepted (for now) because world demand for oil is so great. Western governments exercise a pragmatic approach towards the Kingdom, allowing for their 'slight transgressions' here and there.  President Bush has gone so far to even certify Saudi Arabia as an 'ally' on the war on terror.

Saudi intentions and Western pragmatism actually play into the hands of hard core Islamic terrorists who dream of the restoration of the Caliphate. If the relentless Saudi agenda is followed through to its logical end, this restoration will not be on a regional level, but one which is global in nature. It is not unreasonable to consider the possibility of an Islamic influence undermining the status quo of Western civilization, because it is already happening in Europe and to a lesser degree, Canada and the United States.

The hatred expressed by Islamic fundamentalists towards a Saudi regime that appears to be cooperating with the West has blinded these radicals to the fact that the Kingdom is actually troweling out the first layer on to which these Islamists can build their gloabl  Shari'a regime's foundation.  For once Islam gets any semblance of a foothold, however moderate, the process of reverting back to historical Islam can be made that much easier by traditional Islamists.