ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

International propagation of Salafism and Wahhabism

Okay kiddo, so you know how some people have different beliefs about how to live their lives and what they think is important? Well, Salafism and Wahhabism are two types of beliefs in Islam that some people follow.

Salafism is the belief that Muslims should follow the same way of life as the first Muslims who lived a long time ago. They believe in going back to the basics of Islam and following the original teachings very strictly.

Wahhabism is similar, but it also puts a lot of emphasis on following one specific interpretation of Islam that was developed a long time ago by a man named Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. This interpretation is quite strict and involves avoiding anything that could be seen as sinful or corrupting.

Now, these beliefs are mostly followed in a few specific countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar. But some people want to spread these beliefs all around the world, even to places where most people believe very differently.

So they might try to build mosques or schools in other countries where people can learn about these beliefs. They might also try to give people money or other resources to help them live in a more Salafi or Wahhabi way.

Sometimes, people have concerns about these efforts to spread Salafism and Wahhabism. They worry that it could lead to people becoming more extreme in their beliefs or that it could create conflicts between different groups of people who believe different things.

So, it's something that people are keeping an eye on and talking about to try to make sure everyone can live in peace and respect each other's beliefs.