Delegation to Qatif

Wahhabi religious leaders praying in a Shi'ite mosque isn't just a big deal, it's actually rather shocking:

"In a rare gesture of unity and amity with their brothers in Islam, a delegation of Sunnis performed Juma prayers at one of the Shiite Mosques in the eastern city of Qatif, the only part of Saudi Arabia where Shiites are a majority.

"Observers see it as an unprecedented move to soothe the feelings of alienation among the Shiite minority in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

"The delegation, headed by Shaikh Mukhlef Bin Daham Al Shamri, were attentive to the Friday sermon delivered by the well-known Shiite Shaikh Hassan Al Safar, in which the preacher underscored the significance of strengthening Islamic and national unity and closing ranks among followers of Islam."

I suspect King Abdullah's reformist tendencies lie behind this, as they did the visit of the Shi'ite delegation to 'Uyaynah a year or two ago.