Christians arrested and persecuted in Saudi Arabia

For a country that preaches one of the fastest growing 'versions' of Islam, they sure are tolerant. I wonder what would be said if Europe or the United States was to throw Muslims in jail for mission work or just meeting and worshiping?


Christians arrested and persecuted in Saudi Arabia

25 November, 2004
SAUDI ARABIA
Christians arrested and persecuted in Saudi Arabia
Riyadh prisons are full of Christians but also Shiites and �heretical� Sufi practitioners.

Riyadh (AsiaNews) - Brian Savio O�Connor�s case is but the latest one in a long series of arrests, torture and abductions endured by Christians in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi regime�s oppression of anything that is not Wahhabi Islam is raising fears among the eight million foreigners working in the desert kingdom.

Christianity is especially marked for repression. Local sources told AsiaNews that many Christians are in Saudi prisons for religious reasons.

In October 2003, the Muttawah, the Saudi religious police, arrested two Egyptian Christians. They were released a month later.

In February 2003, a foreign Christian of unknown nationality was expelled for giving an Arabic Bible to a Saudi citizen: foreigners are allowed to have Bibles in their own language, but owning one in Arabic is tantamount to proselytising, a crime that is punished with a jail sentence.

Again in 2003, an Ethiopian Christian was expelled for refusing to provide a public inquiry with information about his religious beliefs.

In early 2003, four Pakistani Christians were arrested by the Muttawah for no apparent reason: two were eventually released and expelled; nothing is known of the other two.

In May 2002, Jeddah police arrested 10 Christians from Eritrea and Ethiopia who had gathered for their weekly meeting, on a Friday, Islam�s day of rest. At the time of their arrest, the police tried to incriminate them by promising them alcohol and drinks.

There is no religious freedom in Saudi Arabia. With the exception of Wahhabi Islam, all other religions are banned from public life. In principle, Saudi law allows members of other confessions to worship in the privacy of their home, but in practice, this is not the case



Christians arrested and persecuted in Saudi Arabia

[edit on 26-11-2004 by edsinger]

Its a shame, but not all countries unfortunately share the same freedom that the united states citizens often take forgranted.

Money can overcome all , how else could these muslim princes be in bed with a christian american government....

One begins to understand that in such a repressed country, even more extremistic views/persons (OBL) could have emerged.

Maybe the best thing to to would be to invade Saoudi-Arabia, lots of oil, low population, much easier to control than iraq or iran where towns we never heard of, contain hundreds of thousands of people.

Surely many links between saoudi princes paying protection money to al-quaida for relative peace in their country can be found and are actually known by the CIA, one could use this as pretext for an invasion, but the thing is that it would also reveal that the U.S all this time willingly has been sleeping with criminals...

[edit on 27-11-2004 by Countermeasures]

Originally posted by Countermeasures
Maybe the best thing to to would be to invade Saoudi-Arabia, lots of oil, low population, much easier to control than iraq or iran where towns we never heard of, contain hundreds of thousands of people.

And what of Mecca and Medina? The Saudi's are in bed with the US Government and have been for many years, its why Osama wants the Royal Family gone. And to think Osama's dad was very good friends with the king.

It seems like a great way to control a populations idealism and social acceptances.


'Other' religions would probably rock the boat, and end up requiring significant governmental changes if it were to 'get out of hand'.

Well it is a way to control ones population. As for the United States, they need to pressure the Saudis to stop this # right now.

We need to quit selling them weapons , hell the French will and then if we have to fight them later, no worries.

Saudi Arabia is a problem, a very old and important ally, and yet one I would not consider a friend in some ways.

Originally posted by edsinger
For a country that preaches one of the fastest growing 'versions' of Islam, they sure are tolerant. I wonder what would be said if Europe or the United States was to throw Muslims in jail for mission work or just meeting and worshiping?

They'd be considered intolerant dicatorial theocratic regimes, just like Saudi Arabia is considered. Their actions are clearly intolerable, and their state support of Wahhabiism is unacceptable too. Hell, the Saudis have made it illegal to be publically be a Shi'ite in their country. Only sunniism is legal in that country.

Originally posted by NygdanThey'd be considered intolerant dicatorial theocratic regimes, just like Saudi Arabia is considered. Their actions are clearly intolerable, and their state support of Wahhabiism is unacceptable too. Hell, the Saudis have made it illegal to be publically be a Shi'ite in their country. Only sunniism is legal in that country.

This is just plain sad but it does show how intolerant that Islam is toward other religions doesn't it?

The problem is that this current Saudi regime is slightly more acceptable than the alternative, more of the same, anti Western rhetoric spouting bigots that populate most of the rest of that part of the world.

What amazes me is, if they hate the West so much, why the bloody hell are there so many of them over here?

Spain is absolutely teeming with Moroccans, which does not go down at all well with the majority of the indigenous population. In fact, so despised are the Moroccans here (particularly after the March 11th Madrid bombings) that the word 'Moro' (the Spaniards' derogatory term for Moroccans) has entered their language, meaning anything dodgy, dishonest or illegal.

Remember on 9/11 when all flights across the entire USA were grounded? Two planes were given special permission to leave the country, one supposedly containing members of the Saudi Royal Family, the other allegedly members of the Bin Laden family, urged to get out as quickly as possible to prevent George Dubya from having to answer any awkward questions.

[edit on 27-11-2004 by Englishman_in_Spain]

[edit on 27-11-2004 by Englishman_in_Spain]

[edit on 27-11-2004 by Englishman_in_Spain]

Well, bicker and moan to your President who seems quite cozy with the Saudies..

Deep

Well I'm sure this is going to be as popular as Ketchup flavored ice cream but look at the numbers. 8,000,000 foriegn workers, seems like a VERY small portion that are targeted. Maybe those that were arrested were for other reasons than just being Christians. I mean, it's not like Muslims are just detained here because their religion, right?

[edit on 27-11-2004 by intrepid]

Originally posted by Englishman_in_SpainRemember on 9/11 when all flights across the entire USA were grounded? Two planes were given special permission to leave the country, one supposedly containing members of the Saudi Royal Family, the other allegedly members of the Bin Laden family, urged to get out as quickly as possible to prevent George Dubya from having to answer any awkward questions.

And this has been proven false , as in the 911 report no planes were allowed to leave until flights resumed and the FBI had conducted interviews.

All the Bin Ladin's do not condone what this man has done, you need to get your facts straight.

Originally posted by intrepid
Well I'm sure this is going to be as popular as Ketchup flavored ice cream but look at the numbers. 8,000,000 foriegn workers, seems like a VERY small portion that are targeted. Maybe those that were arrested were for other reasons than just being Christians. I mean, it's not like Muslims are just detained here because their religion, right?

No they were not arrested for their religion, but if they were keeping company with known terrorists or groups that were linked to terror then they were detained and charged as applicable.

The reason for the intolerance (which, by the way, is also evident in other countries) is the active work of prosteletyzers -- who are pretty much turning the world into a place that is less accepting of Christianity. Few nations have problems with Jains, Buddhists, Hindis, or members of other religions because they come in and if you think you're interested, you can go talk to them or perhaps join them. They will tend to become part of the culture.

Hardcore prosteletyzing Christianity doesn't do this. It has one mission: convert the people and bring them to "our" standards (which includes changing (and destroying) the culture and old beliefs.)

People resent this.

Just imagine if the Moslems were avid prosteletyzers... if we saw missions by Moslems that went to the poor with religious tracts to convert and popularize. Imagine if we had Moslems coming door-to-door. Imagine if we were waylaid in our workplaces by people wanting to talk to us about Allah and wanting us to convert.

Imagine how you'd feel if soldiers in Iraq were denied water and comfort until they had professed their faith in Allah (can't find the link to this, but in the early days of the Iraq war, there were reports that one of the people in charge of supplies refused to give soldiers water until they had professed their faith in Jesus and (I believe) listened to a sermon.)

This behaviour would be outrageous; would spark riots if Moslems or Buddhists or Hindus or Shintoists or Jains or Zororastrians were doing it here. However, when the Christians do this, it's somehow seen as acceptable.

This is why they've become so unwelcome.

I'd like to say that I feel sorry for this guy, but the law is the law and he and others should obey the law of the land, as he would expect Saudis to obey ours. Maybe a more responsible way to get his point across would be to petition the royal family to take a more tolerant view of religion.

At any rate, I'm inclined to believe that this guy has a martyr complex and is just mixing up some pie in the sky.

Originally posted by Byrd

Just imagine if the Moslems were avid prosteletyzers... if we saw missions by Moslems that went to the poor with religious tracts to convert and popularize. Imagine if we had Moslems coming door-to-door. Imagine if we were waylaid in our workplaces by people wanting to talk to us about Allah and wanting us to convert.

Are you kidding? Muslims are as hardcore at proselytizing as any religion on the planet. They've been hard at work in America's prisons and in the communities of "oppressed" Americans for generations. Have you ever heard of the "Nation of Islam" and its laid-back, way cool, highly tolerant leader Louis Farrakhan?

You need to get out of the suburbs or off campus a little more often.

[edit on 04/11/27 by GradyPhilpott]

As usual in the name of religion people get away with the worst acts agains humanity and then the guilty parties try to justify what is done again using their religious believes.

Originally posted by GradyPhilpott
Are you kidding? Muslims are as hardcore at proselytizing as any religion on the planet. They've been hard at work in America's prisons and in the communities of "oppressed" Americans for generations. Have you ever heard of the "Nation of Islam" and its laid-back, way cool, highly tolerant leader Louis Farrakhan?You need to get out of the suburbs or off campus a little more often.

I couldn't agree more with this statement and I would like to add something, Muslims are taught that if they don't convert that they are dogs or even less. Islam is the most intolerant religion of them all.

And US soldiers withholding water unless they profess Christ? Would that include the US Muslim soldiers also?

Ok. Sure it sucks. But, it is a LAW. Do you all know what a LAW is? It is something you obey. Whether your at home or Cambodia, or freakin Saudi Arabia. Its the LAW. Get it? Break it, and you are subject to the punishments proscribed in the LAWS of that country. Sure, Saudi Arabia sucks, but thats not the point. If I go there, I will obey the friggin LAWS and keep my butt out of a pinch, head out of a noose, or back off a firing pole, or however they execute people who break the ******* LAW.

SHEESH! Whats the big deal, They are criminals. I don't like it, but thats the way it works over there. Deal with it.

Originally posted by intrepid
Well I'm sure this is going to be as popular as Ketchup flavored ice cream but look at the numbers. 8,000,000 foriegn workers, seems like a VERY small portion that are targeted. Maybe those that were arrested were for other reasons than just being Christians. I mean, it's not like Muslims are just detained here because their religion, right?

[edit on 27-11-2004 by intrepid]

Foreign workers DO EVERYTHING in Saudi Arabia. It is beneath the Saudis to drop their trash in a container three feet away. They will drop it in the street because Sri Lankans are paid to pick up their trash.

Muslims detained here are not tortured for their religious beliefs( Except the few who fall victim to random redneck violence, but it is not police procedure.)

I know that edsinger believes he knows what really happened, and that the supposed departure of two planes from the US containing members of the Saudi Royal Family and the Bin Ladens never really happened, but I am only going on what was broadcast in a TV documentary series broadcast in August of this year on Rupert Murdoch's own Sky One channel.

edsinger therefore, if you have an issue with anyone and insist on telling them to 'get their facts straight' I suggest you approach Mr Murdoch's organisation.

Peace be with you.