The crushing of secular nationalism in 1967 and Nasser's death a few years after created an opening for Faisal. The war of 1973 further bolstered Saudi Arabia's image in the Arab world. The Saudi-led oil embargo that followed the war elevated its prestige to such an extent that it was able to seize the initiative from secular nationalism and put its homegrown brand of Islam, Wahhabism, on the map. Wahhabism is an ultra-conservative interpretation of Sunni Islam which has functioned historically to sanction the rule of the al-Saud family.

DEFINE: Defines Wahhabism as an ultra-conservative Sunni interpretation historically sanctioning al-Saud rule. XREF: Connects to the post-1967 decline of Nasserist secular nationalism and the rise of religious political movements in the Middle East.

Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politi…, loc. 235