[18] In the past, Sri Lankan officials have also rejected reports regarding labor conditions issued by New York-based Human Rights Watch. Persons accused of blasphemy may be subjected to torture or to cruel and degrading treatment as well as to prolonged and solitary detention. [15] [1], Members of the Shi’a minority are discriminated against in government employment, especially with respect to positions that relate to national security, such as in the military or in the Ministry of the Interior. The Shi’a minority are subjected to sanctions and economic discrimination practices. In May 2009, Al-Mutaif was still in prison. What Languages Are Spoken In Saudi Arabia? Retrieved 2017-01-12, BBC News, "Pleas for condemned Saudi 'witch'", 14 February 2008. The Red Sea Project resort is due to begin construction in 2019 with a projected completion date of 2022. The government’s stated policy for its diplomatic and consular missions abroad is to inform foreign workers applying for visas they have the right to worship privately and possess personal religious materials. (CNN)The State Department's top official for international religious freedom said Friday that Saudi Arabia continues "to be one of the worst actors in the world on religious persecution" -- a blunt assessment in light of the administration's consistent pro-Saudi policies. Foreign citizens are not exempt from this law, and although they may not be sentenced as severely as a local, the punishment could still include a public flogging, prison sentence, and deportation.

Such lack of clarity, as well as instances of arbitrary enforcement by the authorities, obliges most non-Muslims to worship in such a manner as to avoid discovery. The Sunni Islam believe that Prophet Muhammad designated Mecca as the holy city and all Muslims should face its direction when praying. Catholics and Orthodox Christians, who require a priest on a regular basis to receive the sacraments required by their faith, particularly are affected. Those violating the law are handed harsh punishments. The report, prepared annually for Congress, catalogs Saudi Arabia's extensive religious freedom abuses in 2018. The current government of Saudi Arabia (i.e., the Saʿūd family) has largely relied on religion—including its close and continuing ties to Wahhābism and its status as the custodian of Mecca and Medina, the two holy cities of Islam—to establish its political legitimacy. [35], On 3 September 1992, Sadiq 'Abdul-Karim Malallah was publicly beheaded in Al-Qatif in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province after being convicted of apostasy and blasphemy. The area - named the Red Sea Project - will operate as a semi-autonomous region, with no visas and under separate laws from the rest of the country.

Non-Muslims must practice their religion in private and are vulnerable to discrimination and deportation. All non-citizens who enter the country must carry a “Muslim” or “non- Muslim” identity card. [1], In 2007, Saudi religious police detained Shiite pilgrims participating in the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage, allegedly calling them "infidels in Mecca and Medina"[23], The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) in its 2019 report named Saudi Arabia as one of the world’s worst violators of religious freedom.

"I think there was a lot of hope at first with the change of leadership that things would open up substantially," Ambassador at Large Sam Brownback said at the State Department's release of the. The foreign population in the country, including many undocumented migrants, may exceed 12 million. [6] Another report says one of Al-Maziani's colleagues accused Al-Maziani of saying that the textbooks at the University were radical. No other Ashura celebrations are permitted in the country, and many Shi’a travel to Qatif or to Bahrain to participate in Ashura celebrations. The court also sentenced Al-Sahimi to three years in prison and 300 lashes. This designation, given by the secretary of state to nations with severe violations of religious freedom, can be coupled with sanctions. The majority of Saudi Arabia follows Wahhabi or Salafi Islam. The county is opposed to the Muslim reforms of the 21st Century that seek to reinterpret the Islamic Law to recognize the social and economic developments, personal autonomy, gender relations, and democracy. [1], Accurate religious demographics of citizens are difficult to obtain. Such restrictions make it very difficult for most non-Muslims to maintain contact with clergymen and attend services. To express the policy of the United States to ensure the divestiture... "Saudi Arabian Government Confiscates Non-Islamic Religious Items That Enter Country", "International Religious Freedom Report 2007: Saudi Arabia", "Two men arrested for "forced conversion" of a young woman: they gave her religious books", Washington Institute for Near East Policy. We need a new Reformation, a bold reinterpretation of the religious text so that we can reconcile ourselves with the world." Islamic practice generally is limited to that of a school of the Sunni branch of Islam as interpreted by Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab, an 18th-century Arab religious scholar. Testifying before the U.S. Congressional Human Rights Caucus on June 4, 2002, in a briefing entitled "Human Rights in Saudi Arabia: The Role of Women", Ali Al-Ahmed, Director of the Saudi Institute, stated: Saudi Arabia is a glaring example of religious apartheid. He was then transferred to al-Mabahith al-'Amma Prison in Riyadh, where he remained until the date of his execution. These texts continue to instruct students to hold a dualistic worldview in which there exist two incompatible realms – one consisting of true believers in Islam ... and the other the unbelievers – realms that can never coexist in peace. Non-Muslims are also strictly banned from the Holy Cities of Mecca and Medina. Under the law, children born to Muslim fathers are also Muslim, regardless of the country or the religious tradition in which they have been raised. However, the process of modernizing Saudi Arabia laws is still ongoing, and there are a number of laws and corresponding punishments for breaking them that may surprise foreign travelers. As there are no official written rules for Sharia, the judge at each individual trial must interpret the law at their own discretion. Problems with the muttawa are easy to avoid if travelers practice discretion. The state does not legally recognize the freedom religion and neither the state government nor the society recognizes the separation of religion and the state. Saudi Arabia is a devoutly Islamic country and still governed under strict Sharia law, which is derived from several Islamic texts including the Quran. Alan Dershowitz wrote in 2002, "in Saudi Arabia apartheid is practiced against non-Muslims, with signs indicating that Muslims must go to certain areas and non-Muslims to others. He had also criticized the strict religious interpretations of hard-line Wahabbi Islamists. [52], In 2003, Amir Taheri quoted a Shi'ite businessman from Dhahran as saying "It is not normal that there are no Shi'ite army officers, ministers, governors, mayors and ambassadors in this kingdom. [14], Under Saudi law conversion by a Muslim to another religion is considered apostasy, a crime punishable by death. [21] Sharia applies to all people inside Saudi Arabia, regardless of religion. Avoid breaking the Lese Majeste laws – It’s completely illegal to publicly criticize in any way the government, King, royal family, or flag of Saudi Arabia, including on social media platforms. 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.

He appealed to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah. The country has monopolized religion, and there is no tolerance of other religions beliefs, ideologies, and symbols. All rights reserved. [1] Since 2004, Saudi Arabia has been designated as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 for having engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom. [2] Children born to Muslim fathers are by law deemed Muslim, and conversion from Islam to another religion is considered apostasy and punishable by death. The Saudi eVisa allows eligible citizens to obtain a tourist visa for Saudi Arabia exclusively online, eliminating the need to apply for a visa from a Saudi embassy or consulate. Writers and other individuals who publicly criticize this interpretation, including both those who advocate a stricter interpretation and those who favor a more moderate interpretation than the government's, have reportedly been imprisoned and faced other reprisals. In January 2019, 18-year-old Rahaf Mohammed fled Saudi Arabia after having renounced Islam and being abused by her family. The overwhelming majority of the population of Saudi Arabia identifies as Muslim. Congressional Human Rights Caucus (2002). [2], On 3 September 1992, Sadiq 'Abdul-Karim Malallah was publicly beheaded by sabre in al-Qatif in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province after being convicted of apostasy and blasphemy. Alcohol may also be served in the area. Al-Sahimi denied the charges. Comprehensive statistics for the religious denominations of foreigners are not available, but they include Muslims from the various branches and schools of Islam, Christians (including Eastern Orthodox, Protestants, and Roman Catholics), Jews, more than 250,000 Hindus, more than 70,000 Buddhists, approximately 45,000 Sikhs, and others. Islam is the official religion. A majority of Saudi citizens are Salafi Muslims, and the strict interpretation of Islam taught by the Salafi or Wahhabi (historically known as Sufyani in early Islam but now named as Salafi) sect is the only officially recognized religion. He was reportedly held in solitary confinement for long periods during his first months in detention and tortured prior to his first appearance before a judge in July 1988. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an Islamic absolute monarchy in which Sunni Islam is the official state religion based on firm Sharia law. Religion affects all facets of life in Saudi Arabia. Information regarding government practices was generally incomplete because judicial proceedings usually were not publicized or were closed to the public, despite provisions in the criminal procedure law requiring court proceedings to be open. Visitors to the largest state on the Arabian Peninsula are projected [...], Saudia Arabia is now issuing visas following temporary suspension as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, Report on International Religious Freedom, Committee to Promote Virtue and Prevent Vice, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, Religious discrimination against Neopagans, Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, "2013 Report on International Religious Freedom:Saudi Arabia", "Middle East :: Saudi Arabia — The World Factbook - Central Intelligence Agency", http://www.wingia.com/web/files/news/14/file/14.pdf, "Atheism explodes in Saudi Arabia, despite state-enforced ban", "A surprising map of where the world's atheists live", "Saudi Arabia Public Holidays 2012 (Middle East)", "Saudi Arabia's New Law Imposes Death Sentence for Bible Smugglers? Their citizens enjoy little religious freedom.