Turns out the reported “snub” to Barack Obama from Saudi Arabia’s newly crowned king, Salman, was a product of Islam: the king — indeed, apparently every Saudi present — interrupted the welcoming protocol for the U.S. president because it was prayer time.
You can see the video here, where the king and his entourage meet and welcome Obama, according to protocol, until a man comes apparently to remind Salman it’s prayer time, and the king and all his men turn their back on Obama without a moment’s hesitation and depart — leaving Obama seemingly “hanging” for a moment (see around the :40-45 second mark). With no Saudis remaining with him, Obama turns to a nearby Western diplomat and strikes up a perfunctory conversation.
Performing prayers is ultimately a product of Islamic law. But if the king and Saudis take prayer so seriously, what of Sharia’s other injunctions — the ones the West dismisses as “radical” — such as killing apostates, banning religious freedom, having enmity for non-Muslims, etc.
