Saudi Arabia
(2004)
The country is ruled by a monarchy with a legal system
based on Islamic law (Shari'a). The Government does not provide legal
protection for freedom of religion, and such protection does not exist
in practice. Islam is the official religion, and the law requires that
all citizens be Muslims. The Government prohibits the public practice
of non-Muslim religions. The Government recognizes the right of non-Muslims
to worship in private; however, it does not always respect this right
in practice and does not define this right in law.
There generally was no change in the status of religious
freedom during the period covered by this report, although the Government
continued a campaign to foster greater moderation and tolerance of religious
diversity. The Government enforces a strictly conservative version of
Sunni Islam. Muslims who do not adhere to the officially sanctioned
Salafi (commonly called "Wahhabi") tradition can face severe
repercussions at the hands of the Mutawwa'in (religious police). The
Government continued to detain Shi'a leaders. Members of the Shi'a minority
continued to face political and economic discrimination, including limited
employment opportunities, little representation in official institutions,
and restrictions on the practice of their faith and on the building
of mosques and community centers. The Government has stated publicly
that its policy is to allow non-Muslims to worship privately; however,
this policy is not consistently enforced, resulting in the violation
of some non-Muslims' freedom of worship and causing other non-Muslims
to worship in fear of harassment and in such a manner as to avoid discovery.
During the period covered by this report, senior government officials
made some efforts to improve the climate of tolerance toward other religions
and within Islam. The Government convened a second and third session
of the "National Dialogue" meeting that included members of
different Muslim traditions and both men and women and issued statements
condemning incitements to violence. The session released a set of recommendations
that called for educational reform and development of tolerance and
moderation in education. The Government also took measures to remove
what it deemed to be disparaging references to other religious traditions
from the educational curriculum. In addition, increased press freedom
permitted journalists to criticize publicly abuses by the religious
police. However, religious discrimination and sectarian tension in society
continued during the period covered by this report, including denunciations
of non-Muslim religions from government-sanctioned pulpits.
In January and February, the country hosted approximately 2 million
Muslim pilgrims from around the world and all branches of Islam for
the annual hajj pilgrimage. The majority of citizens support a state
based on Islamic law, and many oppose public non-Muslim worship, although
there continued to exist differing views regarding how this should be
realized in practice. There continued to be societal discrimination
against members of the Shi'a minority.
The U.S. Government discusses religious freedom issues with the Government
as part of its overall policy to promote human rights. Senior administration
officials continued to raise U.S. concerns with the Government. In September
2004, the Secretary of State designated Saudi Arabia as a "Country
of Particular Concern" under the International Religious Freedom
Act for particularly severe violations of religious freedom.
Section I. Religious Demography
The country has a total area of 1,225,000 square miles, and its population
is approximately 24 million, with an estimated foreign population of
6 to 7 million. The foreign population includes approximately 1.4 million
Indians, 1 million Bangladeshis, nearly 900,000 Pakistanis, 800,000
Filipinos, 750,000 Egyptians, 250,000 Palestinians, 150,000 Lebanese,
130,000 Sri Lankans, 40,000 Eritreans, and 30,000 Americans. Comprehensive
statistics for the religious denominations of foreigners are not available;
however, they include Muslims from the various branches and schools
of Islam, Christians, and Hindus. Approximately 90 percent of the Filipino
community is Christian. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops estimates
there are considerably more than 500,000 Catholics in the country and
perhaps as many as 1 million.
The majority of citizens are Sunni Muslims who predominantly adhere
to the strict interpretation of Islam taught by the Salafi School.
Approximately 2 million citizens are Shi'a Muslims, the vast majority
of whom live in the Eastern Province, where they constitute between
40 and 50 percent of the Province's citizen population.
There is no information regarding foreign missionaries in the country.
Proselytization by non-Sunni Muslims is not permitted, and the promotion
of non-Salafi Sunni Islam is restricted.
Section II. Status of Religious Freedom
Legal/Policy Framework
Freedom of religion does not exist. It is not recognized or protected
under the country's laws, and basic religious freedoms are denied to
all but those who adhere to the state-sanctioned version of Sunni Islam.
Citizens are denied the freedom to choose or change their religion,
and noncitizens practice their beliefs under severe restrictions. Islam
is the official religion, and all citizens must be Muslims. The Government
limits the practice of all but the officially sanctioned version of
Islam and prohibits the public practice of other religions. During the
period covered by this report, the Government publicly restated its
policy that non-Muslims are free to practice their religions at home
and in private. While the Government does not always respect this right
in practice, many non-Muslims engage in private worship without harassment.
As custodian of Islam's two holiest sites in Mecca and Medina, the Government
considers its legitimacy to rest largely on its interpretation and enforcement
of Shari'a. Consequently, the Government has declared the Koran and
the Sunna (tradition) of Muhammad to be the country's Constitution.
The Government follows the rigorously conservative and strict interpretation
of the Salafi (often referred to as "Wahhabi") school of the
Sunni branch of Islam and discriminates against other branches of Islam.
Neither the Government nor society in general accepts the concept of
separation of religion and state.
The country is governed according to the Basic Law, which sets out the
system of government, rights of residents and citizens, and powers and
duties of the Government. The judiciary bases its judgments largely
on Shari'a, a legal system derived from the Koran and the Sunna. The
Government permits Shi'a Muslims to use their own legal tradition to
adjudicate cases limited to family law, inheritance, and endowment management.
However, there are only two such judges, one in Qatif and one in al
Hasa, which is insufficient to serve the sizable Shi'a populations of
those areas and the rest of the country.
The 'Eid al-Fitr and 'Eid al-Adha religious holidays are recognized
as the only national holidays. During the period covered by this report,
the Government again permitted the observance of the Shi'a holiday of
Ashura in the eastern city of Qatif and in the southern province of
Najran. Small-scale, public observances of Ashura also occurred in Al-Hasa
and Saihat.
Hindus are considered polytheists by Islamic law, which is used as a
justification for greater discrimination in calculating accidental death
or injury compensation. According to the country's "Hanbali"
interpretation of Shari'a, once fault is determined by a court, a Muslim
male receives 100 percent of the amount of compensation determined,
a male Jew or Christian receives 50 percent, and all others (including
Hindus and Sikhs) receive 1/16 of the amount a male Muslim receives.
Restrictions on Religious Freedom
Tolerated Islamic practice generally is limited to a school of the Sunni
branch of Islam as interpreted by Muhammad Ibn Abd Al-Wahhab, an 18th
century Arab religious leader. (This branch of Islam is often referred
to as "Wahhabi," a term that many adherents to this tradition
do not use. The teachings of Abd Al-Wahhab are more often referred to
by adherents as "Salafi" or "Muwahiddun," that is,
following the forefathers of Islam, or unifiers of Islamic practice.)
Practices contrary to this interpretation, such as celebration of the
Prophet Muhammad's birthday and visits to the tombs of renowned Muslims,
are forbidden. The Government prohibits the spreading of Islamic teachings
that do not conform to the officially accepted interpretation of Islam.
During the period covered by this report, there was an increasing degree
of public discussion of the conservative religious traditions. Particularly
after the May 2003 terror attacks in Riyadh, some citizen writers began
to criticize abuses committed by the religious police (the Committee
to Promote Virtue and Prevent Vice, commonly called the "Mutawwa'in").
However, discussion of religious issues is severely constrained, and
the editors and writers of major local daily newspapers have been temporarily
or permanently banned for the publication of articles and cartoons critical
of the religious establishment.
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs supervises and finances the construction
and maintenance of almost all mosques, although approximately 30 percent
of all mosques are built and endowed by private persons for charity
or at private residences. However, all mosques fall under the jurisdiction
of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs. The Ministry pays the salaries of
imams (prayer leaders) and others who work in the mosques. The Committee
to Promote Virtue and Prevent Vice is a governmental entity, whose chairman
has ministerial status. A separate government committee defines the
qualifications of imams.
Since the May and November 2003 terrorist attacks in Riyadh, the Government
has taken public measures to control religious extremism. It continued
to fire imams for immoderate preaching, and it began retraining and
providing "guidance" for preachers. The Government also held
training courses for Mutawwa'in in interpersonal relations.
The Government bars foreign imams from leading worship during the most
heavily attended prayer times, and it prohibits them from delivering
sermons during Friday congregational prayers. The Government states
that its actions are part of its "Saudization" plan to replace
foreign workers with citizens. Writers and other individuals who publicly
criticized this interpretation, including both those who advocated a
stricter interpretation and those who favored a more moderate interpretation
than the Government's, risked sanctions. Several journalists who wrote
critically about the religious leadership or who questioned theological
dogma temporarily were banned from writing or traveling abroad.
Under Shari'a, conversion by a Muslim to another religion is considered
apostasy, a crime punishable by death if the accused does not recant.
There were no executions for apostasy during the period covered by this
report, and there have been no reports of such executions for several
years. During the period covered by this report, a schoolteacher was
tried for apostasy, and eventually convicted in March of blasphemy;
the person was given a prison sentence of 3 years and 300 lashes. The
trial received substantial press coverage.
The Government prohibits public non-Muslim religious activities. Non-Muslim
worshippers risk arrest, imprisonment, lashing, deportation, and sometimes
torture for engaging in religious activity that attracts official attention.
The Government has stated publicly, including before the U.N. Commission
on Human Rights in Geneva, that its policy is to allow non-Muslim foreigners
to worship privately. However, the Government does not provide explicit
guidelines--such as the number of persons permitted to attend and acceptable
locations--for determining what constitutes private worship, which makes
distinctions between public and private worship unclear. This lack of
clarity and instances of inconsistent enforcement led many non-Muslims
to worship in fear of harassment and in such a way as to avoid discovery.
The Government usually deported those detained for visible non-Muslim
worship after sometimes lengthy periods of arrest during investigation.
In some cases, they also were sentenced to receive lashes prior to deportation.
The Government officially does not permit non-Muslim clergy to enter
the country to conduct religious services, although some come under
other auspices, and the Government generally has allowed their performance
of discreet religious functions. Such restrictions make it very difficult
for most non-Muslims to maintain contact with clergymen and attend services.
Catholics and Orthodox Christians, who require a priest on a regular
basis to receive the sacraments required by their faith, particularly
are affected.
Proselytizing by non-Muslims, including the distribution of non-Muslim
religious materials such as Bibles, is illegal. Proselytizing by non-Sunni
Muslims also is not permitted, and the promotion of non-Salafi Sunni
Islam is restricted. Muslims or non-Muslims wearing religious symbols
of any kind in public risk confrontation with the Mutawwa'in. The Ministry
of Islamic Affairs sponsors approximately 50 so-called "Call and
Guidance" centers employing approximately 500 persons to convert
foreigners to Islam. Some non-Muslim foreigners convert to Islam during
their stay in the country. The press often carries articles about such
conversions, including testimonials.
The Government requires noncitizens to carry Iqamas, or legal resident
identity cards, which contain a religious designation for "Muslim"
or "non-Muslim." There have been reports that individual Mutawwa'in
have pressured sponsors not to renew Iqamas, which had been issued for
employment, of individuals for religious reasons.
Members of the Shi'a minority are the subjects of officially sanctioned
political and economic discrimination. During the period covered by
this report, authorities continued to permit a greater degree of freedom
to Shi'ites in the Eastern Province city of Qatif than in the past,
overlooking religious practices and gatherings that were previously
prevented. There were no reports of meeting places being closed in Qatif.
However, in other areas with large Shi'a populations, such as al-Hasa
and Dammam, there continued to be restrictions on Shi'a religious practices.
In February and March, observances of Ashura took place in Qatif, although
the police presence outside of Qatif was much larger than in the past.
However, there were no reports of police interference with Ashura celebrations.
In Qatif's city center, large groups of Shi'a gathered to hear Shi'a
clerics speak and to purchase books and other religious paraphernalia.
Many Shi'a travel to Qatif or Bahrain to participate in Ashura celebrations
because of restrictions on public observances in other parts of the
country. The Government continued sporadically to enforce other restrictions
on the Shi'a community, such as banning Shi'a books and excluding Shi'a
perspectives from the extensive religious media and broadcast programming.
Shi'a have declined government offers to build state-supported mosques
because they fear the Government would prohibit the incorporation and
display of Shi'a motifs in any such mosques. In the past, Shi'a have
been permitted to build new Hussainiyas (gathering places) in Qatif
and Ahsa, but the Government has closed Shi'a mosques built without
government permission.
Members of the Shi'a minority are discriminated against in government
employment, especially in national security-related positions, such
as in the military or Ministry of Interior. While there are some Shi'a
who occupy high-level positions in government-owned companies and government
agencies, many Shi'a believe that openly identifying oneself as Shi'a
will have a negative impact on career advancement. There is an absence
of Shi'a representatives in government, both local and national. While
there is no formal policy concerning the hiring and promotion of Shi'a,
anecdotal evidence suggests that in some companies -- including companies
in the oil and petrochemical industries--Shi'a are passed over for less-qualified
Sunni compatriots.
The Government also discriminates against Shi'a in higher education
through unofficial restrictions on the number of Shi'a admitted to universities.
There are no Shi'a principals in the approximately 300 female schools
in the Eastern Province. While government officials state that textbook
language with prejudicial, anti-Shi'a statements has been removed, some
teachers have not been retrained and continue to use anti-Shi'a rhetoric.
Some cases have resulted in punitive measures being taken against Shi'a
parents who have complained. There are no Shi'a cabinet ministers, and
there are only 2 Shi'a in the 120-member Majlis al-Shura (consultative
council). There are no Shi'a members of the country's highest religious
authority, the Council of Senior Islamic Scholars (Ulema).
Since 2001, the Government has allowed Shi'a citizens to travel freely
to Iran for religious pilgrimages. Travel to Iraq is more difficult
due to the security situation. However, many Shi'a from the Eastern
Province traveled to Karbala during Ashura.
Under the provisions of Shari'a law as practiced in the country, judges
may discount the testimony of nonpracticing Muslims or of individuals
who do not adhere to the official interpretation of Islam. Legal sources
report that testimony by Shi'a is often ignored in courts of law or
is deemed to have less weight than testimony by Sunnis.
Customs officials routinely open mail and shipments to search for contraband,
including Sunni printed material deemed incompatible with the Salafi
tradition of Islam, Shi'a religious materials, and non-Muslim materials,
such as Bibles and religious videotapes. Such materials are subject
to confiscation, although rules appear to be applied arbitrarily.
Sunni Islamic religious education is mandatory in public schools at
all levels. Regardless of which Islamic tradition their families adhere
to, all public school children receive religious instruction that conforms
to the Salafi tradition of Islam. Non-Muslim students in private schools
are not required to study Islam. Private religious schools are not permitted
for non-Muslims or for Muslims adhering to non-Salafi traditions of
Islam. Shi'a are banned from teaching religion in schools.
Public debate over reform in the country continued during the period
covered by this report. In August 2003, Crown Prince Abdullah announced
the establishment of the King Abd al-Aziz Center for National Dialogue.
In December 2003, the Second Session of the "National Dialogue"
was held in Mecca. The session issued recommendations that called for
educational reform and studies to examine religious extremism in the
country, and it included representatives from different Muslim religious
traditions. Following the second session in January, a group of religious
conservatives published a petition to the Crown Prince warning against
diminishing the role of religion in school curriculums. Shi'a were represented
at both sessions. Nevertheless, despite positive statements, there has
been little tangible improvement in the status of those who do not adhere
to the state-sanctioned version of Islam or who belong to a minority
religious group.
During the period covered by this report, the Government approved the
formation of the National Human Rights Association (NHRA). The NHRA,
the country's first human rights organization, is chaired by a member
of the Majlis al-Shura (Consultative Council) and has stated that one
of its tasks is to ensure that the Government complies with international
human rights agreements to which it is a signatory, as well as with
human rights standards under Islam.
Abuses of Freedom of Religion
During the period covered by this report, the Government continued to
commit abuses of religious freedom. However, reports of abuses often
are difficult or impossible to corroborate. Fear and consequent secrecy
surrounding any non-Muslim religious activity contribute to reluctance
to disclose any information that might harm persons under government
investigation. Moreover, information regarding government practices
is incomplete because judicial proceedings generally are closed to the
public, although the 2002 Criminal Procedural Law allows some court
proceedings to be open to the public.
While there was an improvement in press freedom during the period covered
by this report, open discussion of religious issues remained constrained.
The press reported on debates in the Majlis al-Shura that focused on
whether individuals must be Muslim to attain citizenship and included
opinions on both sides of the issue. In November 2003, Mansur al-Noqaidan,
a writer for Al-Riyadh, an Arabic-language paper, published an editorial
in the New York Times criticizing the Government's response to religious
extremism. Al-Noqaidan was sentenced to lashes for writing articles
critical of the religious establishment in the press. This sentence
had not been carried out by the end of the period covered by this report.
There was also a report that a university professor was banned from
teaching for criticizing the Government's discriminatory policies against
Shi'a. The professor also was banned from traveling abroad.
There were no reported arrests of Shi'a religious leaders for religious
violations. In September 2003, the press reported a raid in the Al Jouf
region, where 16 Sufis were arrested for possession and distribution
of books, videos, and brochures promoting Sufism. According to various
reports, a number of Shi'a remained in detention during the period covered
by this report, and there were reports of religious prisoners who were
subjected to torture. Sheikh Ali bin Ali al-Ghanim was released from
prison in 2002 after 20 months' imprisonment. During the period covered
by this report, there were no new reports of young Shi'a being detained
for extended periods of time. In the past, in such cases charges were
rarely filed, and family members were not notified where the young men
were held.
The Government continued to detain and deport non-Muslims for religious
reasons. In 2003, an Ethiopian Christian activist leader was deported
after an employment dispute led to investigation of his religious activities.
In October 2003, two Egyptian Christians were arrested by Mutawwa'in
and jailed for religious activities. They were both released in November
2003, and neither was deported. Two other Catholics were arrested in
Riyadh in October 2003 by regular police and released the same day without
charge.
In February, a resident Christian was deported after providing an Arabic
Bible to a citizen. In April, there were credible reports that Mutawwa'in
arrested Brian O'Connor, an Indian Christian, for religious reasons
after a dispute with his employer. According to reports, the Mutawwa'in
beat him on the day of the arrest. The reports also claim that the Mutawwa'in
confiscated his personal property, in addition to two Bibles, compact
disks, a personal computer, and religious materials in video format.
The Indian was in custody in Al Ha'ir jail on alcohol charges at the
end of the period covered by this report, but colleagues claim that
the charges against him were false and based on planted evidence.
There also were reports of surveillance of Christian religious services
by security personnel.
Magic is widely believed in and sometimes practiced; however, under
Shari'a the practice of magic is regarded as the worst form of polytheism,
an offense for which no repentance is accepted and which is punishable
by death. There were an unknown number of detainees held in prison on
the charge of "sorcery," including the practice of "black
magic" or "witchcraft." There have been no reports of
executions for several years. During the period covered by this report,
the local press reported several cases of arrests of foreigners and
citizens for practicing sorcery.
Mutawwa'in practices and incidents of abuse varied widely in different
regions of the country. Reports of incidents were most numerous in the
central Nejd region, which includes the capital Riyadh. In certain areas,
both the Mutawwa'in and religious vigilantes acting on their own harassed,
assaulted, battered, arrested, and detained citizens and foreigners.
The Government requires the Mutawwa'in to follow established procedures
and to offer instruction in a polite manner; however, Mutawwa'in did
not always comply with the requirements. During the period covered by
this report, the Government acknowledged inappropriate conduct by some
Mutawwa'in but refused to provide information on the number of reported
incidents or disciplinary actions. While senior officials have defended
the role of the Mutawwa'in, in 2003 the committee announced plans for
a training program for Mutawwa'in in interpersonal skills; however,
the extent and effect of the program was not clear at the end of the
period covered by this report. During this period, and particularly
after the May 2003 terrorist bombings in Riyadh, reports of Mutawwa'in
abuses declined considerably.
Mutawwa'in enforcement of strict standards of social behavior included
closing commercial establishments during five daily prayer observances,
insisting upon compliance with strict norms of public dress, and dispersing
gatherings in public places. In October 2003, the Mutawwa'in reminded
foreign workers to respect Ramadan, stating that if individuals were
found ignoring the societal norms associated with Ramadan, they would
be liable for punishment. Mutawwa'in reproached citizen and foreign
women for failure to observe strict dress codes, and they detained men
and women found together who were not married or closely related. In
December 2003, the press reported that the Mutawwa'in warned shopkeepers
in the Eastern Province not to sell New Year's or Christmas gifts or
decorations. The warning also reminded employees not to allow their
staff to celebrate either holiday openly. In February, the Grand Mufti
restated a previously issued fatwa that declared Valentine's Day a "pagan
Christian holiday" that could not be celebrated publicly. The Mutawwa'in
banned shopkeepers from selling Valentine's Day gifts and decorations
and forbade vendors from selling roses 5 days prior to and following
February 14.
The Mutawwa'in have the authority to detain persons for no more than
24 hours for violation of strict standards of proper dress and behavior;
however, they sometimes exceeded this limit before delivering detainees
to the police. Procedures require a police officer to accompany the
Mutawwa'in at the time of arrest; Mutawwa'in generally complied with
this requirement. According to reports, the Mutawwa'in also are no longer
permitted to detain citizens for more than a few hours, may not conduct
investigations, and may no longer allow unpaid volunteers to accompany
official patrols.
During the period covered by this report, there were no reports of abuse
cases involving Hindus. The Government regards members of the large
Hindu community as polytheists, and non-Muslim, non-Western religious
communities must exercise extreme caution when practicing their religion.
During the period covered by this report, there were frequent instances
in which mosque preachers, whose salaries are paid by the Government,
used violently anti-Jewish and anti-Christian language in their sermons.
Although this language has declined in frequency since the May 2003
attacks, there continue to be instances in which Mosque speakers prayed
for the death of Jews and Christians, including from the Grand Mosque
in Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina.
Abuses by Terrorist Organizations
During the period covered by this report, al-Qa'ida terrorists conducted
a campaign of terrorist attacks in various locations in the country.
In these attacks, they killed both Muslims and non-Muslims, citizens
and expatriates, and members of the security forces. The terrorists
justified these murders through an extreme religious ideology. In at
least one incident, the May attack on a Western housing compound in
al-Khobar, terrorists singled out non-Muslims for execution.
Forced Religious Conversion
Under the law, children of male citizens are considered Muslim, regardless
of the country or the religious tradition in which they have been raised.
The Government's application of this law discriminates against non-Muslim,
noncitizen mothers and denies their children the freedom to choose their
religion. There were no reports of the forced religious conversion of
minor U.S. citizens who had been abducted or illegally removed from
the United States during the period covered by this report.
Improvements and Positive Developments in Respect for Religious Freedom
During the period covered by this report, senior government officials
made some efforts to improve the climate of tolerance toward other religions
and within Islam. The Government convened a second and third session
of the "National Dialogue" meeting that included members of
different Muslim traditions and both men and women. The sessions presented
a set of written recommendations to the Government that called for educational
reform and development of tolerance and moderation in education.
The Government also took limited measures to remove what it deemed to
be disparaging references to other religious traditions from the educational
curriculum. In addition, increased press freedom permitted journalists
to publicly criticize abuses by the religious police.
During the period covered by this report, the Government approved the
formation of the NHRA, the country's first independent human rights
body, which is chaired by a member of the Majlis al-Shura.
Senior leaders, including the Crown Prince and the Grand Mufti, called
for moderation. These efforts continued to intensify after the May and
November 2003 terror attacks in Riyadh. In August 2003, the highest
religious authorities called on Muslims in the country to turn away
from religious extremism and unjustified jihad.
Section III. Societal Attitudes
As a deeply conservative and devout Muslim society, there is intense
pressure to conform to societal norms. During the period covered by
this report, a citizen teacher was tried for apostasy. The case received
substantial press coverage, but after testimony the court declined to
convict him of apostasy and instead convicted him of blasphemy.
The conservative religious leadership also exerts pressure on the state
to maintain its strict Islamic practices. To combat religious extremism,
in May 2003 the Government announced the firing of several hundred prayer
leaders and began to retrain them and other mosque employees.
Following the June 2003 session of the "National Intellectual Dialogue,"
participants representing different Muslim traditions in the country,
including Sunni and Shi'ite leaders, issued a statement acknowledging
that theological differences are "natural" and committing
themselves to resolve differences through dialogue. The Government held
a second session in Mecca in December 2003 that discussed educational
reform, including the role of religion in school curriculums.
There is societal discrimination against members of the Shi'a minority.
The majority of citizens support a state based on Islamic law and oppose
public non-Muslim worship, although there are differing views as to
how this should be realized in practice. The official title of the head
of state is "Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques," and the role
of the King and the Government in upholding Islam within the country
is regarded as a paramount function throughout the Muslim world.
Many non-Muslims who undertook religious observances privately and discreetly
during the period covered by this report were not harassed. However,
some non-Muslims claimed that informants paid by the Mutawwa'in infiltrated
their private worship groups.
Relations between Muslim citizens and foreign Muslims are generally
good. Each year the country welcomes approximately 2 million Muslim
pilgrims from all over the world and of all branches of Islam, who visit
the country to perform the hajj and umra.
In certain areas, religious vigilantes unaffiliated with the Government
and acting on their own, harassed, assaulted, battered, arrested, and
detained citizens and foreigners.
During the period covered by this report, the local press rarely printed
articles or commentaries disparaging other religions; however, following
the May attack in which terrorists killed six Westerners in Yanbu, the
Crown Prince publicly stated that he believed Zionism was behind recent
acts of terrorism.
Section IV. U.S. Government Policy
The U.S. Government discusses religious freedom issues with the Government
as part of its overall policy to promote human rights. U.S. Government
policy is to press the Government consistently to honor its public commitment
to permit private religious worship by non-Muslims, eliminate discrimination
against minorities, and promote tolerance toward non-Muslims.
During the period covered by this report, the U.S. Ambassador discussed
U.S. concerns over the lack of religious freedom with a wide range of
senior government and religious leaders. The Ambassador also raised
specific cases of violations with senior officials, and U.S. Embassy
officers met with Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) officials to deliver
and discuss the U.S. Government's 2003 Annual Report on International
Religious Freedom. Senior Embassy officers called on the Government
to enforce its public commitment to allow private religious practice
and to respect the rights of Muslims who do not follow the Salafi tradition
of Islam. The U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom
visited the country in October 2003 and met with senior government officials
to raise religious freedom issues. In addition, Embassy officers met
with MFA officials at various other times to discuss matters pertaining
to religious freedom. In September 2004, the Secretary of State designated
Saudi Arabia as a "Country of Particular Concern" under the
International Religious Freedom Act for particularly severe violations
of religious freedom.
Sources: U.S. State Department - Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor |