One lesser-known aspect of the Eisenhower Doctrine was the "Islam strategy." This strategy consisted of bolstering Islamist organizations against secular nationalists and trying to create an Islamic pole of attraction in King Saud of Saudi Arabia. In a letter to a confidant in the early fifties, Eisenhower said that "we wanted to explore the possibilities of building up King Saud as a counterweight to Nasser. The king was a logical choice in this regard; he at least professed anti-Communism, and he enjoyed, on religious grounds, a high standing among all Arab nations." Some administrators even began to develop the notion of Saud as a kind of "Islamic Pope." A year after Eisenhower wrote his letter about Saud, he received Said Ramadan, the son-in-law of the Muslim Brotherhood's founder Hassan al-Banna, at the White House. Even though the Brotherhood had resorted to violent actions, killing several Egyptian officials, it was to become a part of the United States' strategy in the Middle East.

XREF: Connects to broader Cold War strategy of supporting religious/counter-revolutionary forces against Soviet-aligned secular nationalists.

Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politi…, loc. 225