Top conservative Saudi cleric who once headed judiciary dies

By AYA BATRAWY and ABDULLAH AL-SHIHRI
Associated Press

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — An influential Saudi cleric who once served for years as head of the kingdom’s Shariah courts and whose ultraconservative views sparked outcry has died. His family announced the sheikh’s death on Twitter on Wednesday. The 90-year-old cleric leaves behind a legacy that mirrors the kingdom’s decades-long slide toward Wahhabism, a conservative interpretation of Islam that shaped all aspects of life inside the Sunni-led kingdom for decades. The kingdom has changed dramatically in recent years as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman solidifies his grip on power and shakes up the economy. With backing by King Salman, the crown prince has clipped the powers of the kingdom’s clerics and religious police.