Chief clerics in Saudi & Iran differ over Egypt

The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia , Sheikh Abdul -Aziz Al al-Sheikh has reportedly joined King Abdullah in condemning anti-Mubarak protests. However, Iran' s Grand Ayatollah, Nasser Makarem Shirazi expressed support earlier for the street' uprising in the Sunni -majority republic. Saudi Arabia and Iran are believed to be competing fairly intensely to win more hearts and minds of Muslims throughout the world on earth. Meanwhile, there is a Western criticism against Iran for its hypocrisy because Iran itself also suppressed a large-scale protest movement in the streets in the aftermath of its allegedly flawed presidential poll in 2009. However, there is an observation among younger Muslims that, although the electoral system in Iran may not be 'perfect' yet, there is no election in the family -founded absolute monarchy of Saudi Arabia. Liberal commentators in Western societies also often chide their own governments for not promoting the values and institutions of modern democracy in the Sunni-predominated and still family-based kingdom. Based upon the observation of Western liberals, Iran and Islamists of other nationalities also accuse governments in the West of hypocrisy. But, there is a politically conservative argument in the West that the status quo in Saudi Arabia is still very much needed for peace as well as stability in the Middle East and other surrounding regions or areas.

Outcome of 'change' in Egypt far from certain