The Saudification of America is under way | Karen Attiah

Jamal Khashoggi's plight and murder was a warning sign for the US, of the impending loss of freedom and censorship that would sweep the country

The first time I ever used the words alhumdulilah", which translates to praise be to God in Arabic, was the night of 16 November 2018. A Friday night news alert came through on my phone: CIA concludes Saudi crown prince ordered Jamal Khashoggi's assassination." I collapsed into my couch, repeating the words.

I am not Muslim. But Jamal, in life and death, has taught me a lot about faith and looking for hope in all the wrong places. As a writer with a history of criticizing America's meddling in weaker countries, in normal circumstances, I should have been loath to celebrate the CIA.

Karen Attiah is a writer and educator whose work focuses on race, global culture and human rights