Freedom of religion in Saudi Arabia: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|none}}

The kingdom of [[Saudi Arabia]] is an [[Islam|Islamic]] monarchy without 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 [[Muslim]]s.

{{Status of religious freedom}}

{{Politics of Saudi Arabia}}

The [[Kingdom of Saudi Arabia]] is an [[Islamic state|Islamic]] [[absolute monarchy]] in which [[Sunni Islam]] is the official [[state religion]] based on firm [[Sharia law]]. Non-Muslims must practice their religion in private and are vulnerable to discrimination and arrest.<ref name=US2022>[https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/saudi-arabia/ US State Dept 2022 report]</ref> While no law requires all citizens to be Muslim,<ref name=US2022/> non-Muslim foreigners attempting to acquire Saudi Arabian nationality must convert to Islam.<ref>{{cite web |title=Saudi Arabian Citizenship System |url=https://www.moi.gov.sa/wps/wcm/connect/121c03004d4bb7c98e2cdfbed7ca8368/EN_saudi_nationality_system.pdf?MOD=AJPERES |website=[[Ministry of Interior (Saudi Arabia)|Ministry of Interior]] |publisher=[[Kingdom of Saudi Arabia]] |access-date=31 May 2022 |archive-date=22 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922022045/https://www.moi.gov.sa/wps/wcm/connect/121c03004d4bb7c98e2cdfbed7ca8368/EN_saudi_nationality_system.pdf?MOD=AJPERES |url-status=live }}</ref> Children born to Muslim fathers are by law deemed Muslim.<ref>{{cite web |title=Saudi Arabia - Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom |url=https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-report-on-international-religious-freedom/saudi-arabia/ |website=United States State Department |access-date=23 July 2024}}</ref>

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.

Religious freedom is not provided for under the law.<ref name=US2022 /> The government does not provide legal recognition or protection for freedom of religion, and it is severely restricted in practice. As a matter of policy, the government guarantees and protects the right to private worship for all, including non-Muslims who gather in homes for religious practice; however, this right is not respected in practice and is not defined in law.

An overwhelming majority of Saudi Arabian citizens support a fundamentalist [[Wahhabi]] Islamic state and oppose public non-Muslim worship. There is societal discrimination against adherents of the [[Shi'a Islam|Shia]] Muslim minority.

The Saudi [[Islamic religious police|Mutaween]] ({{langx|ar|مطوعين}}), also known as the [[Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (Saudi Arabia)|Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice]] (CPVPV) or "religious police" was enforcing the prohibition on the public practice of non-Muslim religions, though its powers were significantly curtailed in April 2016. [[Sharia Law|Sharia]] applies to all people inside Saudi Arabia, regardless of religion.

== Religious demography ==

==Religious demography==

The country’s total land area is 756,981 square miles (1,960,572&nbsp;km&sup2;) and its population is approximately 17 million, with an estimated foreign population of 7 million. The foreign population includes approximately 1.5 million Indians, 1 million Bangladeshis, nearly 900,000 Pakistanis, 800,000 Egyptians, 800,000 Filipinos, 250,000 Palestinians, 150,000 Lebanese, 130,000 Sri Lankans, 40,000 Eritreans, and 36,000 Americans. Comprehensive statistics for the denominations of foreigners are not available, but they include Muslims from the various branches and schools of Islam, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, and Jews. For example, the Embassy of the Philippines reports that over 90 percent of the Filipino community is Christian. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops estimates there are well over 500,000 Catholics in the country, and perhaps as many as 1 million. There is no information regarding the number of [[atheism|atheist]]s in the country.

{{see|Demographics of Saudi Arabia#Religion}}

The country's total land area is about 2,150,000 sq kilometers and in 2022 the population was about 34 million, of whom approximately 19 million were citizens. Comprehensive statistics for the religious denominations of foreigners are not available, but estimated figures show approximately 31.5 million Muslims from the various branches and schools of Islam, 2.1 million [[Christians]] (including [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]], [[Protestantism|Protestants]], and [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]]), 708,000 [[Hindu]]s, 114,000 [[Buddhism|Buddhists]], approximately 67,000 [[Sikhism|Sikhs]], and 242,000 atheists.<ref name=US2022 />

Accurate religious demographics of citizens are difficult to obtain. A majority of Saudi citizens identify as [[Sunni Muslim]]. A minority of citizens are [[Shia Muslims]]. In 2006, they formed around 15% of the native population.<ref>{{cite web

The majority of Saudi citizens are [[Sunni]] Muslims predominantly adhering to the strict interpretation of Islam taught by the Salafi or [[Wahhabi]] school that is the official state religion.

|url=http://www.cfr.org/publication/10903/shiite_muslims_in_the_middle_east.html

|title=Shia Muslims in the Mideast

|author=Lionel Beehner

|date=June 16, 2006

|publisher=Council on Foreign relations

|access-date=2007-05-08

|archive-date=2010-04-11

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100411123648/http://www.cfr.org/publication/10903/shiite_muslims_in_the_middle_east.html

|url-status=dead

}}</ref> They live mostly in the eastern districts on the Persian Gulf ([[Qatif]], [[Al-Ahsa Governorate|Al-Hasa]], [[Dammam]]), where they constitute approximately three-quarters of the native population, and in the western highlands of Arabia (districts of [[Jizan Region|Jazan]], [[Najran]], [[Asir]], [[Medina]], [[Ta'if]], and [[Hijaz]]).

==Status of religious freedom==

Approximately 1 million citizens are [[Shiite| Shi’a]] Muslims, who live mostly in the eastern province, where they constitute approximately one-third of the population. There is no information regarding foreign missionaries in the country. Proselytizing is not permitted.

Saudi Arabia is an Islamic [[theocracy]] and the government has declared the [[Qur'an]] and the [[Sunnah]] (tradition) of [[Muhammad]] to be the country's Constitution. Proselytizing for religions other than Islam is illegal. Islam is the official religion. 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. The government prohibits the public practice of other religions but generally allows private practice of non-Muslim religions.<ref name=US2022 />

The primary source of law in Saudi Arabia is based on [[Sharia]] (Islamic law), with Shari'a courts basing their judgments largely on a code derived from the Qur'an and the [[Sunnah]].<ref name= Campbell>{{cite book|title=Legal Aspects of Doing Business in the Middle East|last=Campbell|first=Christian|year=2007|isbn=978-1-4303-1914-6|page=265}}</ref> Additionally, traditional tribal law and custom remain significant.<ref name= Otto157>{{cite book |title=Sharia Incorporated: A Comparative Overview of the Legal Systems of Twelve Muslim Countries in Past and Present |url=https://archive.org/details/shariaincorporat00otto |url-access=limited |last=Otto |first=Jan Michiel |year=2010 |isbn=978-90-8728-057-4 |page=[https://archive.org/details/shariaincorporat00otto/page/n157 157]}}</ref>

The only national holidays observed in Saudi Arabia are the two Eids, [[Eid ul-Fitr|Eid Al-Fitr]] at the end of [[Ramadan]] and [[Eid ul-Adha|Eid Al-Adha]] at the conclusion of the [[Hajj]] and the Saudi national day.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.qppstudio.net/publicholidays2012/saudi_arabia.htm|title=Saudi Arabia Public Holidays 2012 (Middle East)|access-date=4 May 2016|archive-date=18 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230118185303/https://www.qppstudio.net/public-holidays/saudi_arabia.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Contrary practices, such as celebrating Maulid Al-Nabi (birthday of Muhammad) and visits to the tombs of renowned Muslims, are forbidden, although enforcement was more relaxed in some communities than in others, and Shi'a were permitted to observe [[Day of Ashura|Ashura]] publicly in some communities.<ref name=US2022 />

== Status of religious freedom ==

==Restrictions on religious freedom==

Freedom of religion does not exist. Islam is the official religion, and all citizens must be Muslims. The Government prohibits the public practice of other religions. In regard to religious tolerance there are contradicting interpretations of what Islam teaches and what was practised by the Prophet Muhammad. Mohammed had at had times allowed '[[People of the Book]]' to follow their own religion if they peacefully submitted to Islamic rule. He also then allowed them to have their own laws and courts. A common interpretation of the Quran states there shall be no compulsion in religion.

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. Outside Saudi Arabia, this branch of Islam is often referred to as "[[Wahhabi]]," a term the Saudis do not use.

Practices contrary to this interpretation, such as celebration of Muhammad's birthday and visits to the tombs of renowned Muslims, are discouraged. The spreading of Muslim teachings not in conformity with the officially accepted interpretation of Islam is prohibited. 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.

Saudi Arabia is an Islamic monarchy and the Government has declared the Holy [[Qur'an]] and the [[Sunna]] (tradition) of the Prophet [[Muhammad]] to be the country’s Constitution. The Government bases its legitimacy on governance according to the precepts of the rigorously conservative and strict interpretation of the Salafi or Wahhabi school of the Sunni branch of Islam and discriminates against other branches of Islam. Neither the Government nor society in general accepts the concepts of separation of religion and state, and such separation does not exist.

The Ministry of Islamic Affairs supervises and finances the construction and maintenance of almost all [[mosque]]s in the country, although over 30% of all mosques in Saudi Arabia are built and endowed by private persons. The Ministry pays the salaries of [[imam]]s (prayer leaders) and others who work in the mosques. A governmental committee defines the qualifications of imams. The CPVPV, "religious police", or ''Mutawwa'in'' is a government entity, and its chairman has ministerial status. The Committee sends out armed and unarmed people into the public to ensure that Saudi citizens and expatriates living in the kingdom follow the Islamic mores, at least in public.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/09/world/africa/09iht-saudi.1.5634424.html|title=Saudis struggle with conflict between fun and conformity|last=Slackman|first=Michael|date=May 9, 2007|work=The New York Times|access-date=30 August 2018|archive-date=18 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230118185302/https://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/09/world/africa/09iht-saudi.1.5634424.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

The legal system is based on [[Sharia]] (Islamic law), with Shari'a courts basing their judgments largely on a code derived from the [[Qur'an]] and the [[Sunna]]. The Government permits Shi'a Muslims to use their own legal tradition to adjudicate noncriminal cases within their community.

Saudi law prohibits alcoholic beverages and pork products in the country as they are considered to be against Islam. Those violating the law are handed harsh punishments. Drug trafficking is always punished by death.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.unodc.org/egypt/en/country_profile_saudiarabia.html |title=Saudi Arabia |publisher=[[United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime]] |access-date=19 July 2010 |archive-date=18 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230118185307/https://www.unodc.org/romena/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The only national holidays observed in Saudi Arabia are the two Eids, [[Eid ul-Fitr|Eid Al-Fitr]] at the end of [[Ramadan]] and [[Eid ul-Adha|Eid Al-Adha]] at the conclusion of the [[Hajj]]. Observance of the Shi'a holiday of [[Ashura]] is allowed in the eastern city of Qatif and in the southern province of Naran, though not officially stated.

Under Saudi law conversion by a Muslim to another religion is considered [[apostasy]], a [[Capital punishment in Saudi Arabia|crime punishable by death]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Freedom of religion, apostasy and Islam|last1=Saeed|first1=Abdullah|last2=Saeed|first2=Hassan|year=2004|publisher=Ashgate Publishing|isbn=0-7546-3083-8|pages=227|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HzFZKWc9SCgC&pg=PA1}}</ref>

== Restrictions on religious freedom ==

In March 2014, the [[Ministry of Interior (Saudi Arabia)|Saudi interior ministry]] issued a royal decree branding all atheists as terrorists, which defines [[terrorism]] as "calling for atheist thought in any form, or calling into question the fundamentals of the Islamic religion on which this country is based."<ref>{{cite web |author=Adam Withnall |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-declares-all-atheists-are-terrorists-in-new-law-to-crack-down-on-political-dissidents-9228389.html |title=Saudi Arabia declares all atheists are terrorists in new law to crack down on political dissidents - Middle East - World |work=The Independent |date=1 April 2014 |access-date=27 December 2014 |archive-date=15 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161215044723/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-declares-all-atheists-are-terrorists-in-new-law-to-crack-down-on-political-dissidents-9228389.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Non-Muslims are strictly prohibited by Saudi Arabia from entering the Holy City of Mecca. However, the ban on visiting Medina, Islam's second holiest city, was lifted in 2023, allowing non-Muslims to enter the city—though access to the Prophet's Mosque remains restricted. On highways, religious police officers may divert them or hand out a fine. In the cities themselves, road checks are randomly conducted.

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 reformer. (Outside Saudi Arabia, this branch of Islam is often referred to as "[[Wahhabi]]," a term the Saudis do not use. The teachings of the reformer 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.)

Saudi Arabia prohibits public non-Muslim religious activities. Non-Muslim worshipers risk arrest, imprisonment, lashing, [[deportation]], and sometimes torture for engaging in overt religious activity that attracts official attention.<ref name=US2022 /> In July 2012 the [[Bodu Bala Sena]], an extremist Buddhist organization based in Sri Lanka, reported that Premanath Pereralage Thungasiri, a Sri Lankan Buddhist employed in Saudi Arabia, had been arrested for worshiping the Buddha in his employer's home, and that plans were being made to behead him.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ceylontoday.lk/16-9052-news-detail-arrested-for-idol-worship.html |title=Ceylon Today &#124; Arrested for idol worship |access-date=2012-08-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120710083600/http://www.ceylontoday.lk/16-9052-news-detail-arrested-for-idol-worship.html |archive-date=2012-07-10 }}</ref> The Sri Lankan Embassy has rejected these reports.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arabnews.com/lankan-mission-slams-false-report-jailed-maid|title=Lankan mission slams false report on jailed maid|work=Arab News|date=8 July 2012|access-date=4 May 2016|archive-date=25 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225043920/http://www.arabnews.com/lankan-mission-slams-false-report-jailed-maid|url-status=live}}</ref> In the past, Sri Lankan officials have also rejected reports regarding labor conditions issued by New York-based [[Human Rights Watch]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.arabnews.com/node/305660|title=Saudi, Lankan Officials Dismiss HRW Report on Maid Abuse|work=Arab News|date=15 November 2007|access-date=4 May 2016|archive-date=18 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230118185305/https://www.arabnews.com/node/305660|url-status=live}}</ref>

Practices contrary to this interpretation, such as celebration of the Prophet Muhammad's birthday and visits to the tombs of renowned Muslims, are discouraged. The spreading of Muslim teachings not in conformance with the officially accepted interpretation of Islam is prohibited. 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, reportedly have been imprisoned and faced other reprisals.

The government has stated publicly, including before the U.N. Committee on Human Rights in Geneva, that its policy is to protect the right of non-Muslims to worship privately. However, non-Muslim organizations have claimed that there are no explicit guidelines for distinguishing between public and private worship, such as the number of persons permitted to attend and the types of locations that are acceptable. 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. Those detained for non-Muslim worship almost always are deported by authorities after sometimes lengthy periods of arrest during investigation. In some cases, they also are sentenced to receive lashes prior to deportation.<ref name=irf2013/>

The Ministry of Islamic Affairs supervises and finances the construction and maintenance of almost all [[mosque]]s in the country, although over 30 percent of all mosques in Saudi Arabia are built and endowed by private persons. The Ministry pays the salaries of [[imam]]s (prayer leaders) and others who work in the mosques. A governmental committee defines the qualifications of imams. The Committee to Promote Virtue and Prevent Vice (commonly called "religious police" or Mutawwa'in) is a government entity, and its chairman has ministerial status.

In 2022, there were no religious-worker visas, but non-Muslim clergy were able to enter the country to work in their communities. They were also able to bring in religious items, including books.<ref name=US2022/>

Foreign imams are barred from leading worship during the most heavily attended prayer times and prohibited from delivering sermons during Friday congregational prayers. The Government states that its actions are part of its "Saudiization" plan to replace foreign workers with citizens.

Proselytizing by non-Muslims, including the distribution of non-Muslim religious materials such as [[Bible]]s, is illegal. Muslims or non-Muslims wearing religious symbols of any kind in public risk confrontation with the Mutawwa'in. In 2001, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs ran approximately 50 "Call and Guidance" centers employing approximately 500 persons work 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 press as well as government officials publicized the conversion of the Italian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, [[Torquato Cardilli]], in late 2001.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/04/world/riyadh-journal-an-ambassador-s-journey-from-rome-to-mecca.html|title=Riyadh Journal; An Ambassador's Journey From Rome to Mecca|date=4 December 2001|work=The New York Times|access-date=4 May 2016}}</ref>

Under Shari’a conversion by a Muslim to another religion is considered [[apostasy]], a [[death penalty|crime punishable by death]] if the accused does not recant. [[Sadeq Mallallah]] was a Saudi executed for merely owning a Bible.

The government requires noncitizen residents to carry a Saudi residence permit (Iqama) for identification in place of their passports.<ref>{{cite web

Saudi Arabia prohibits public non-Muslim religious activities. Non-Muslim worshippers risk arrest, imprisonment, lashing, [[deportation]], and sometimes torture for engaging in overt religious activity that attracts official attention.

|url = https://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1012.html

|title = Consular Information Sheet&nbsp;– Saudi Arabia

|publisher = U.S. Department of State

|access-date = 2011-11-02

|url-status = dead

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111107025636/http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1012.html

|archive-date = 2011-11-07

}}</ref>

Among other information, these contain a religious designation for "Muslim" or "non-Muslim."

Members of the Shi’a minority are the subjects of officially sanctioned political and [[economic discrimination]]. The authorities permit the celebration of the Shi’a holiday of Ashura in the eastern province city of Qatif. No other Ashura celebrations are permitted in the country, and many Shi’a travel to [[Qatif]] or to [[Bahrain]] to participate in Ashura celebrations.<ref name=US2022/>

The Government has stated publicly, including before the U.N. Committee on Human Rights in Geneva, that its policy is to protect the right of non-Muslims to worship privately; however, it 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. Such lack of clarity, as well as instances of arbitrary enforcement by the authorities, force most non-Muslims to worship in such a manner as to avoid discovery by the Government or others. Those detained for non-Muslim worship almost always are deported by authorities after sometimes lengthy periods of arrest during investigation. In some cases, they also are sentenced to receive lashes prior to deportation.

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. The government seldom permits private construction of Shi’a mosques. During 2013, virtually all existing mosques in [[al-Ahsa Governorate|al-Ahsa]] were unable to obtain licenses and faced the threat of closure at any time and in other parts of the country were not allowed to build Shia-specific mosques.<ref name=irf2013>{{cite web |ref={{harvid|IRF2013}} |title=2013 Report on International Religious Freedom:Saudi Arabia |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2013/nea/222311.htm |website=state.gov |publisher=[[United States Department of State]] |access-date=12 February 2020 |___location=[[Washington, D.C.]] |date=28 July 2014 |archive-date=18 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230118185300/https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2013/nea/222311.htm |url-status=live}}</ref>

The Government does not permit non-Muslim clergy to enter the country for the purpose of conducting religious services, although some come under other auspices and perform religious functions in secret. 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.

In 2022, the government executed 81 men, including 41 Saudi Shia, in the largest known mass execution carried out in the kingdom's history.<ref name=US2022/>

Proselytizing by non-Muslims, including the distribution of non-Muslim religious materials such as [[Bible]]s, is illegal. Muslims or non-Muslims wearing religious symbols of any kind in public risk confrontation with the Mutawwa'in. Under the auspices of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, approximately 50 so-called "Call and Guidance" centers employing approximately 500 persons work to convert foreigners to Islam. Some non-Muslim foreigners convert to Islam during their stay in the country. According to official reports, 942 foreign workers converted to Islam in the past year. The press often carries articles about such conversions, including testimonials. The press as well as government officials publicized the conversion of the Italian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia in late 2001.

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 government restricts employment of Shi’a in the oil and petrochemical industries. The government also discriminates against Shi’a in higher education through unofficial restrictions on the number of Shi’a admitted to universities. This discrimination has been noted for many years.<ref name=US2022/><ref name=irf2013/>

The Government requires noncitizens to carry Iqamas, or legal resident identity cards, which contain a religious designation for "Muslim" or "non-Muslim."

Under the provisions of Shari’a law as practiced in the country, judges may discount the testimony of people who are not practicing Muslims or 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. Sentencing under the legal system is not uniform. Laws and regulations state that defendants should be treated equally; however, under Shari’a as interpreted and applied in the country, crimes against Muslims may result in harsher penalties than those against non-Muslims. 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.<ref name=irf2013/>

Members of the Shi’a minority are the subjects of officially sanctioned political and economic discrimination. The authorities permit the celebration of the Shi’a holiday of [[Ashura]] in the eastern province city of Qatif, provided that the celebrants do not undertake large, public marches or engage in self-[[flagellation]] (a traditional Shi’a practice). The celebrations are monitored by the police. In 2002 observance of Ashura took place without incident in Qatif. 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 Government continued to enforce other restrictions on the Shi’a community, such as banning Shi’a books.

In the past Customs officials have regularly opened postal material and cargo to search for non-Muslim materials, such as Bibles and religious videotapes; such materials have been subject to confiscation.<ref name=Cordesman>{{cite book |title=Saudi Arabia enters the 21st century |last=Cordesman |first=Anthony H. |year=2003 |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |isbn=0-275-98091-X |page=297 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-8JV06RxCw8C&pg=PA297 |access-date=2020-10-31 |archive-date=2023-01-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230118185304/https://books.google.com/books?id=-8JV06RxCw8C&pg=PA297 |url-status=live }}</ref>

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. The Government seldom permits private construction of Shi’a mosques. In March 2001, religious police reportedly closed a Shi’a mosque in Hofuf because it had been built without government permission.

Sunni Islamic religious education is mandatory in public schools at all levels. Private schools must also teach the same curriculum, except for private international schools which must teach Islamic studies. In 2022 the government reduced the number of hours required for religious education, in favor of more study time for Arabic and [[STEM]].<ref name=US2022/>

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 Government restricts employment of Shi’a in the oil and petrochemical industries. The Government also discriminates against Shi’a in higher education through unofficial restrictions on the number of Shi’a admitted to universities.

In 2007, Saudi religious police detained Shiite pilgrims participating in the [[Hajj]] and [[Umrah]] pilgrimage, allegedly calling them "[[kafir|infidels]] in Mecca and Medina".<ref name=beating/>

Under the provisions of Shari’a law as practiced in the country, judges may discount the testimony of people who are not practicing Muslims or 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. For example, in May 2001, a judge in the eastern province ruled that the testimony of two Shi'a witnesses to an automobile accident was inadmissible. Sentencing under the legal system is not uniform. Laws and regulations state that defendants should be treated equally; however, under Shari’a as interpreted and applied in the country, crimes against Muslims may result in harsher penalties than those against non-Muslims. Observers believe that the new Criminal Procedure Law, passed in late 2001 and became effective on May 1, 2002, should give fairer treatment to all defendants.

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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.uscirf.gov/news-room/press-releases-statements/uscirf-releases-2019-annual-report-and-recommendations-world-s|title=USCIRF Releases 2019 Annual Report and Recommendations for World's Most Egregious Violators of Religious Freedom|publisher=USCIRF|access-date=29 April 2019|archive-date=18 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230118185305/https://www.uscirf.gov/news-room/releases-statements/uscirf-releases-2019-annual-report-and-recommendations-worlds-most|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2019USCIRFAnnualReport.pdf|title=ANNUAL REPORTOF THE U.S. COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM|access-date=29 April 2019|work=USCIRF|archive-date=29 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190429163929/https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2019USCIRFAnnualReport.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

Customs officials routinely open mail and shipments to search for contraband, including non-Muslim materials, such as Bibles and religious videotapes. Such materials are subject to confiscation, although rules appear to be applied arbitrarily.

Until 2016, the kingdom only used the lunar [[Islamic calendar]], not the international [[Gregorian calendar]],<ref>the start of each lunar month determined not ahead of time by astronomical calculation, but only after the crescent moon is sighted by the proper religious authorities. (source: [[Saudi Arabia#HT2009|Tripp, ''Culture Shock'', 2009]]: pp. 154–155)</ref> but in 2016 the kingdom announced its switch to the Gregorian calendar for civil purposes.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Rasooldeen, Mohammed |author2=Hassan, Rashid |date=3 October 2016 |title=KSA switches to Gregorian calendar |url=https://www.arabnews.com/node/993061/saudi-arabia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=15 December 2016 |title=Saudi Arabia adopts the Gregorian calendar |newspaper=The Economist |url=https://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21711938-hauling-saudi-arabia-21st-century-saudi-arabia-adopts-gregorian}}</ref> Daily life is influenced by Islamic observance. Some businesses decide to close three or four times per day<ref>the time varying according to sunrise and sunset times</ref> for 30 to 45 minutes during business hours while employees and customers are sent off to pray.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-07-17 |title=Saudi businesses to remain open during prayer times |url=https://arab.news/wzq7e |access-date=2021-11-03 |website=Arab News |language=en}}</ref><ref name="HT2009: 214">[[Saudi Arabia#HT2009|Tripp, ''Culture Shock'', 2009]]: p. 214</ref> The weekend is Friday-Saturday, not Saturday-Sunday because Friday is the holiest day for Muslims.<ref name="Britannica">{{cite encyclopedia |title=Encyclopædia Britannica Online: Saudi Arabia |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/525348/Saudi-Arabia |date=28 May 2023}}</ref><ref>Sulaiman, Tosin. [https://web.archive.org/web/20110503224030/http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/article697051.ece Bahrain changes the weekend in efficiency drive], ''The Times'', 2 August 2006. Retrieved 25 June 2008. Turkey has a weekend on Saturday and Sunday. Prior to 29 June 2013, the weekend was Thursday-Friday, but was shifted to better serve the Saudi economy and its international commitments. See {{cite web |date=24 June 2013 |title=Weekend shift: A welcome change |url=https://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method%3Dhome.regcon%26contentid%3D20130624171030 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141029175552/http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130624171030 |archive-date=29 October 2014 |access-date=28 October 2014 |website=SaudiGazette.com.sa}}</ref> For many years only two religious holidays were publicly recognized – ''[[ʿĪd al-Fiṭr]]'' and ''[[ʿĪd al-Aḍḥā]]''. (''ʿĪd al-Fiṭr'' is "the biggest" holiday, a three-day period of "feasting, gift-giving and general letting go").<ref name="HT2009:35">[[Saudi Arabia#HT2009|Tripp, ''Culture Shock'', 2009]]: p. 35</ref>

Islamic religious education is mandatory in public schools at all levels. All public school children receive religious instruction that conforms with the official version of Islam. Non-Muslim students in private schools are not required to study Islam. No private religious schools are permitted for non-Muslims.

In 2004, approximately half of the broadcast airtime of Saudi [[Television in Saudi Arabia#State-managed stations|state television]] was devoted to religious issues.<ref name="nyrob-relig-educ">{{cite journal |last=Rodenbeck |first=Max |date=21 October 2004 |title=Unloved in Arabia (Book Review) |url=https://www.nybooks.com/articles/17477 |journal=The New York Review of Books |volume=51 |quote=Almost half of Saudi state television's airtime is devoted to religious issues, as is about half the material taught in state schools" (source: By the estimate of an elementary schoolteacher in Riyadh, Islamic studies make up 30 percent of the actual curriculum. But another 20 percent creeps into textbooks on history, science, Arabic, and so forth. In contrast, by one unofficial count the entire syllabus for 12 years of Saudi schooling contains a total of just 38 pages covering the history, literature, and cultures of the non-Muslim world.) |number=16}}</ref> Ninety per cent of books published in the kingdom were on religious subjects, and most of the doctorates awarded by its universities were in Islamic studies.<ref name="nyrob-relig-books">{{cite journal |last=Rodenbeck |first=Max |date=21 October 2004 |title=Unloved in Arabia (Book Review) |url=https://www.nybooks.com/articles/17477 |journal=The New York Review of Books |volume=51 |quote=Nine out of ten titles published in the kingdom are on religious subjects, and most of the doctorates its universities awards are in Islamic studies. |number=16}}</ref> In the state school system, about half of the material taught is religious. In contrast, assigned readings over 12 years of primary and secondary schooling devoted to covering the history, literature, and cultures of the non-Muslim world come to a total of about 40 pages.<ref name="nyrob-relig-educ" />

== Abuses against freedom of religion ==

[[File:Not_for_us_(3975139168).jpg|thumb|Non-Muslims are prohibited from entering the Islamic holy city of Mecca]]

"Fierce religious resistance" had to be overcome to permit such innovations as paper money (in 1951), female education (1964), and television (1965) and the [[slavery in Saudi Arabia|abolition of slavery]] (1962).<ref>[https://www.nybooks.com/articles/17477 Review. "Unloved in Arabia"] By Max Rodenbeck. ''The New York Review of Books'', Volume 51, Number 16 · 21 October 2004.</ref> Public support for the traditional political/religious structure of the kingdom is so strong that one researcher interviewing Saudis found virtually no support for reforms to secularize the state.<ref>from p. 195 of a [https://www.jstor.org/stable/4284264?seq=4 review] by Joshua Teitelbum, ''Middle East Studies'', Vol. 38, No. 4, Oct. 2002, of ''Changed Identities: The Challenge of the New Generation in Saudi Arabia'' by anthropologist Mai Yamani, quoting p. 116 |quote=Saudis of all stripes interviewed expressed a desire for the kingdom to remain a Muslim society ruled by an overtly Muslim state. Secularists are simply not to be found. [Both traditional and somewhat westernized Saudis she talked to mediate their concerns] though the certainties of religion.</ref>

Celebration of other (non-Wahhabi) Islamic holidays, such as the [[Mawlid|Muhammad's birthday]] and the [[Day of Ashura]], (an important holiday for the 10–25% of the population<ref name="PF2009">{{cite web |date=7 October 2009 |title=Mapping the Global Muslim Population. Countries with More Than 100,000 Shia Muslims |url=http://www.pewforum.org/2009/10/07/mapping-the-global-muslim-population/ |access-date=12 March 2015 |website=Pew Forum |quote=Saudi Arabia ... Approximate Percentage of Muslim Population that is Shia .... 10–15}}</ref><ref name="bbc-shia">{{cite news |last1=al-Qudaihi |first1=Anees |date=24 March 2009 |title=Saudi Arabia's Shia press for rights |publisher=bbc |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7959531.stm |quote=Although they only represent 15% of the overall Saudi population of more than 25 million ...}}</ref><ref name="cfr-shiite">{{cite web |last1=Beehner |first1=Lionel |date=16 June 2006 |title=Shia Muslims in the Mideast |url=http://www.cfr.org/publication/10903/shiite_muslims_in_the_middle_east.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100411123648/http://www.cfr.org/publication/10903/shiite_muslims_in_the_middle_east.html |archive-date=11 April 2010 |access-date=12 March 2015 |publisher=Council on Foreign Relations |quote=Small but potentially powerful Shiite are found throughout the Gulf States ... Saudi Arabia (15 percent)}}</ref> that is Shīʿa Muslim), are tolerated only when celebrated locally and on a small scale.<ref name="statsKSA">{{cite web |title=Saudi Arabia – Culture |url=http://country-stats.com/en/countries/asia/saudi-arabia/10599-saudi-arabia-culture.html |access-date=23 February 2015 |website=Country Stats.}}</ref> Shias also face systematic discrimination in employment, education, the justice system according to Human Rights Watch.<ref>{{cite book |last=Human Rights Watch |title=Denied dignity: systematic discrimination and hostility toward Saudi Shia citizens |title-link=Shia |publisher=Human Rights Watch |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-56432-535-8 |pages=1–2, 8–10}}</ref><ref>Islamic Political Culture, Democracy, and Human Rights: A Comparative Study, p. 93 Daniel E. Price – 1999</ref> Non-Muslim festivals like Christmas, Easter, Halloween, and New Year were not tolerated until recently.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Christmas Is No Longer Celebrated Behind Closed Doors in Saudi Arabia |url=https://www.albawaba.com/node/christmas-no-longer-celebrated-behind-closed-doors-saudi-arabia-1400482 |access-date=2021-11-03 |website=Al Bawaba |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=30 October 2021 |title=Saudi Arabia gears up for Halloween with queues for pumpkins and costumes |url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/gulf-news/saudi-arabia/2021/10/30/foreigners-impressed-by-saudi-arabias-halloween-preparations/ |access-date=2021-11-03 |website=The National}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-12-31 |title=Saudi Arabia welcomes 2020 with first New Year's Eve fireworks |url=https://arab.news/rwaq9 |access-date=2021-11-03 |website=Arab News |language=en}}</ref> No churches, temples or other non-Muslim houses of worship are permitted in the country. Proselytizing by non-Muslims and [[Apostasy in Islam|conversion by Muslims to another religion]] is illegal.<ref name="irf2010">{{cite web |date=17 November 2010 |title=Saudi Arabia: International Religious Freedom Report 2010 |url=https://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2010/148843.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101123103422/http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2010/148843.htm |archive-date=23 November 2010 |access-date=27 July 2011 |publisher=U.S. State Department}}</ref> In legal compensation court cases (''[[Diyya]]'') non-Muslim are awarded less than Muslims.<ref name="Times">{{cite news |last=Owen |first=Richard |date=17 March 2008 |title=Saudi Arabia extends hand of friendship to Pope |newspaper=The Times |place=London |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article3571835.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080510155619/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article3571835.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 10, 2008 |access-date=27 July 2011}}</ref> Atheists are legally designated as terrorists.<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-declares-all-atheists-are-terrorists-in-new-law-to-crack-down-on-political-dissidents-9228389.html Saudi Arabia declares all atheists are terrorists in new law to crack down on political dissidents], ''The Independent'', 4 March 2014</ref> At least one religious minority, the [[Ahmadiyya]] Muslims, had its adherents deported,<ref>{{cite web |date=15 May 2014 |title=Saudi Arabia: 2 Years Behind Bars on Apostasy Accusation |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/05/15/saudi-arabia-2-years-behind-bars-apostasy-accusation |access-date=4 June 2014 |publisher=Human Rights Watch}}</ref> as they are legally banned from entering the country.<ref>{{cite book |author=Maria Grazia Martino |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tuVhBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA80 |title=The State as an Actor in Religion Policy: Policy Cycle and Governance |publisher=Springer |year=2014 |isbn=978-3-658-06945-2 |access-date=19 March 2015}}</ref>

Reports of abuses against religious freedom in Saudi Arabia are often difficult or impossible to corroborate for a variety of reasons. First, the fear and consequent secrecy surrounding any non-Muslim religious activity contribute to reluctance to disclose any information that might lead to more harm of persons under investigation by the Government. Moreover, information regarding government practices is incomplete because judicial proceedings have been closed to the public, although the new Criminal Procedural Law that became effective in May 2002 allows some court proceedings to be open to the public.

In a recent move to promote a modern image, Saudi Arabia banned the religious group known as 'Tablighi Jamaat'. The announcement was made on social media by the country's [[Ministry of Islamic Affairs|Minister of Islamic Affairs]] who warned people against association during the Friday sermon.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Saudi Arabia bans Tablighi Jamaat, calls it 'one of the gates of terrorism' |work=The Economic Times |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/saudi-arabia/saudi-arabia-bans-tablighi-jamaat-calls-it-one-of-the-gates-of-terrorism/articleshow/88236621.cms |access-date=2021-12-15}}</ref>

Saudi Arabia restricts [[freedom of speech]] and association, and the media exercises [[Censorship|self-censorship]] regarding sensitive issues such as religious freedom. There are no independent nongovernmental organizations that monitor religious freedom.

===Ahmadiyya===

In April 2000, in the city of Najran in the southwestern province bordering [[Yemen]], rioting by members of the Makarama Ismaili Shi’a eventually led to an attack by an armed group of Shi'a on a hotel that contained an office of the regional governor. Security forces responded, leading to extended gun battles between the two sides. Some press reports indicated that the rioting followed the arrest of a Makarama Ismaili Shi’a imam and some of his followers on charges of "[[sorcery]]." Various other reports attributed the unrest to the closure of two Ismaili Shi’a mosques and the provincial governor's refusal to permit Ismailis to hold public observances of the Shi’a holiday of Ashura. Still other reports attributed the unrest to a local crackdown on smuggling and resultant tribal discontent. Officials at the highest level of the Government stated that the unrest in Najran was not the result of Shi’a-Sunni tension or religious discrimination. After the unrest ended the Government stated that 5 members of the security forces were killed, and Ismaili leaders claimed that as many as 40 [[Ismailite]] tribesmen were killed. There was no independent confirmation of these claims. In November 2001 and again in January 2002, the authorities in Najran arrested at least six more Ismailis. They were charged with practicing sorcery and continued to be detained at the end of the period covered by this report. The November and January arrests were in addition to the 93 Ismailis, including several Ismaili leaders, who have been detained since the April 2000 incident.

{{Main|Ahmadiyya in Saudi Arabia|Persecution of Ahmadis}}

Ahmadis are persecuted in [[Saudi Arabia]] on an ongoing basis. Although there have been many foreign workers and Saudi citizens belonging to the Ahmadiyya sect in Saudi Arabia,<ref name="hrw2014">{{cite news | url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/05/15/saudi-arabia-2-years-behind-bars-apostasy-accusation | title=Saudi Arabia: 2 Years Behind Bars on Apostasy Accusation | date=May 15, 2014 | publisher=Human Rights Watch | access-date=March 1, 2015 | archive-date=June 4, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210604063944/http://www.hrw.org/news/2014/05/15/saudi-arabia-2-years-behind-bars-apostasy-accusation | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2007/90220.htm | title=Saudi Arabia: International Religious Freedom Report 2007 | publisher=U.S. Department of State | access-date=March 7, 2015 | archive-date=December 4, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191204131832/https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2007/90220.htm | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/resources/AR_2007/saudi_arabia.pdf | title=Saudi Arabia | publisher=United States Commission on International Religious Freedom | access-date=March 7, 2015 | archive-date=July 20, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140720220618/http://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/resources/AR_2007/saudi_arabia.pdf | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Persecution of Ahmadis in Saudi Arabia|url=http://www.thepersecution.org/press/08/sp080324.html|publisher=Persecution.org|access-date=11 March 2012|archive-date=27 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170727104435/http://www.thepersecution.org/press/08/sp080324.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Ahmadis are officially banned from entering the country and from performing the [[Hajj]] and [[Umrah]] pilgrimage to [[Mecca]] and [[Medina]].<ref name="Figueira">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=heIft-h0aRcC&pg=PA47 | title=Jihad in Trinidad and Tobago, July 27, 1990 | author=Daurius Figueira | year=2002 | page=47 | isbn=9780595228348 | access-date=March 17, 2016 | archive-date=January 18, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230118185305/https://books.google.com/books?id=heIft-h0aRcC&pg=PA47 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Böwering">{{cite encyclopaedia | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q1I0pcrFFSUC&pg=PA25 | title=The Princeton Encyclopedia of Islamic Political Thought | author=Gerhard Böwering, Patricia Crone | year=2013 | page=25-26 | isbn=978-0691134840 | access-date=2016-03-17 | archive-date=2023-01-18 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230118185809/https://books.google.com/books?id=q1I0pcrFFSUC&pg=PA25 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tuVhBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA80 | title=The State as an Actor in Religion Policy: Policy Cycle and Governance | author=Maria Grazia Martino | date=28 August 2014 | isbn=9783658069452 | access-date=March 1, 2015 | archive-date=18 January 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230118181814/https://books.google.com/books?id=tuVhBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA80 | url-status=live }}</ref>

By 2022, authorities indicated that they considered Ahmadiyya Muslims to be Muslims; however the group's legal status is unclear.<ref name=US2022/>

In October 2000, [[Amnesty International]] reported that two Ismaili Shi’a teachers, who were arrested in April 2000 following the unrest, were convicted on charges of sorcery and sentenced to 1,500 lashes; however, this report could not be confirmed. In May 2001, independent sources in Najran reported that the Government had during the year since the riot removed dozens of natives of Najran from government jobs in the region to work elsewhere in the country.

===Blasphemy and apostasy===

The Government continued to detain non-Muslims engaged in worship services. Between June and August 2001 in [[Jeddah]], 14 [[Christian]]s were arrested and imprisoned for months, reportedly on charges of conducting public worship services and attempting to proselytize. Early in 2002, 11 of the detainees were deported and, in March 2002, the remaining 3 Christians, 2 Ethiopians and 1 Filipino, were deported. Prior to their release, they claimed in a publicly and internationally circulated e-mail letter that some of them had been [[torture]]d by the authorities while in prison.

{{Main|Apostasy in Islam|Takfir}}{{see|Apostasy in Islam by country#Saudi Arabia}}

Saudi Arabia has criminal statutes making it illegal for a Muslim to change religion or to renounce Islam, which is defined as [[Apostasy in Islam|apostasy]] and punishable by death.<ref name=GuardianEteraz>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2007/sep/17/supportingislamsapostates|title=Supporting Islam's apostates|author=Ali Eteraz|date=17 September 2007|newspaper=the Guardian |___location=London |access-date=2015-03-17}}</ref><ref name=Mortimer>Mortimer, Jasper (27 March 2006). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/27/AR2006032701071_pf.html "Conversion Prosecutions Rare to Muslims"]. ''Washington Post (AP)''.</ref> For this reason, Saudi Arabia is known as 'the hell for apostates', with many ex-Muslims seeking to leave or flee the country before their non-belief is discovered, and living pseudonymous second lives on the Internet.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.trouw.nl/home/saudi-arabie-de-hel-voor-afvalligen~a6e35662/ |title=Saudi-Arabië: de hel voor afvalligen |author=Marije van Beek |work=[[Trouw]] |date=8 August 2015 |access-date=22 January 2019 |language=nl}}</ref>

On 3 September 1992, [[Sadeq Mallallah|Sadiq 'Abdul-Karim Malallah]] was publicly [[Decapitation|beheaded]] in Al-[[Qatif]] in Saudi Arabia's [[Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia|Eastern Province]] after being convicted of apostasy and blasphemy. Malallah, a Shi'a Muslim from Saudi Arabia, was arrested in April 1988 and charged with throwing stones at a police patrol. 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 judge reportedly asked him to convert from Shi'a Islam to Sunni Wahhabi Islam, promising a more lenient sentence if he complied. After he refused, Malallah was taken to al-Mabahith al-'Amma (General Intelligence) Prison in Dammam where he was held until April 1990. He was then transferred to al-Mabahith al-'Amma Prison in Riyadh, where he remained until the date of his execution. Malallah is believed to have been involved in efforts to secure improved rights for Saudi Arabia's Shi'a Muslim minority.<ref>{{cite web

In early 2002 in the eastern city of Abqaiq, 2 Filipino Christian residents were arrested and imprisoned in Dammam for conducting a Roman Catholic prayer group in their home. In April 2002, the 2 Filipinos were sentenced to 150 lashes and deportation following a 30-day jail sentence, allegedly for their religious beliefs. They were deported in late May 2002.

|url = https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde23/004/1993/en/

|title = Saudi Arabia&nbsp;– An upsurge in public executions

|publisher = Amnesty International

|quote = 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.

|access-date = 2011-11-02

|archive-date = 2018-11-22

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181122054039/https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde23/004/1993/en/

|url-status = live

}}</ref>

In 1994, Hadi Al-Mutif, a teenager who was a Shi’a Ismaili Muslim from [[Najran]] in southwestern Saudi Arabia, made a remark that a court deemed blasphemous and was sentenced to death for apostasy. {{as of|2010}}, he was still in prison, complained of physical abuse and mistreatment during his incarceration, and had reportedly made numerous suicide attempts.<ref>[http://www.uscirf.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3027&Itemid=1 3/25/2010: Saudi Arabia: Release Hadi Al-Mutif] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019143419/http://www.uscirf.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3027&Itemid=1 |date=2013-10-19 }}, March 25, 2010, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.</ref><ref>[http://freedomofapostasy.wordpress.com/crimes-against-humanity/ Freedom of Apostasy : The Victims] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111110140021/http://freedomofapostasy.wordpress.com/crimes-against-humanity/ |date=2011-11-10 }}.</ref>

In April 2002, Saudi police and Mutawwa'in detained a total of 26 Christians in successive raids on 2 private houses where worship services were being held in a residential area of downtown [[Riyadh]]. One of those originally arrested later reported that after 2 days, 23 of the Christians were released, but that 3, 1 Sudanese and 2 [[Sri Lanka]]ns, were kept in [[detention]] and moved to another Riyadh prison. Their Saudi sponsors believe that the three men probably will be deported following a trial. Following these raids, the authorities returned to one of the private houses and confiscated chairs, Bibles, musical instruments, a microphone, and curtains that they ripped from the walls.

In 2012, [[Saudi Arabia|Saudi]] poet<ref name="cpj_kashgari"/> and journalist [[Hamza Kashgari]]<ref name="gulfnews_kashgari"/><ref name="emirates247_arrested_kashgari"/> became the subject of a major controversy after being accused of insulting the Islamic prophet [[Mohammad]] in three short messages (tweets) published on [[Twitter]].<ref name="thedailybeast_kashgari"/> King [[Abdullah of Saudi Arabia|Abdullah]] ordered that Kashgari be arrested "for crossing red lines and denigrating religious beliefs in God and His Prophet."<ref name="gulfnews_kashgari"/>

In May 2002, Saudi police and Mutawwa'in detained a total of 11 Christians, including foreign nationals from both [[Ethiopia]] and [[Eritrea]], then living in the Jeddah area at the end of the period covered by this report. They allegedly had been engaged in activities that violated restrictions against public worship. Of the 11, 3 had been deported and 8 remained in prison.

[[Ahmad Al Shamri]] from the town of [[Hafar al-Batin]] was arrested on charges of atheism and blasphemy after allegedly using social media to state that he renounced Islam and Mohammad. He was sentenced to death in February 2015.<ref>{{cite news|last1=McKernan|first1=Bethan|title=Man 'sentenced to death for atheism' in Saudi Arabia|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-man-sentenced-death-atheism-ahmad-al-shamri-hafar-al-batin-appeal-denied-a7703161.html|access-date=30 April 2017|work=[[The Independent]]|date=27 April 2017|___location=[[Beirut]]|archive-date=24 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180624075547/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-man-sentenced-death-atheism-ahmad-al-shamri-hafar-al-batin-appeal-denied-a7703161.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

There were reports during the period covered by this report that authorities interrogated members of the tiny [[Bahá'í Faith|Bahá'í]] community regarding the size and status of their community, although there were no reports of any additional actions taken against them.

{{tweet|name=Rahaf Mohammed رهف محمد|username=rahaf84427714|date=6 January 2019|text=based on the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol, I'm rahaf mohmed, formally seeking a refugee status to any country that would protect me from getting harmed or killed due to leaving my religion and torture from my family.|ID=1082005121016320001}}

[[Magic (paranormal)|Magic]] is widely believed in and sometimes practiced, often in the form of fortune-telling and swindles; 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 [[death penalty|punishable by death]]. There are an unknown number of detainees held in prison on the charge of "[[sorcery]]," including the practice of "black magic" or "witchcraft." In a few cases, self-proclaimed "miracle workers" have been executed for sorcery involving physical harm or [[apostasy]].

In January 2019, 18-year-old [[Rahaf Mohammed]] fled Saudi Arabia after having renounced Islam and being abused by her family. On her way to Australia, she was held by Thai authorities in Bangkok while her father tried to take her back, but Rahaf managed to use social media to attract significant attention to her case.<ref name="Davidson">{{cite news |first1=Jamie |last1=Fullerton |first2=Helen |last2=Davidson |access-date=7 January 2019 |title='He wants to kill her': friend confirms fears of Saudi woman held in Bangkok |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/06/saudi-woman-held-bangkok-fears-will-be-killed-repatriated |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190109031136/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/06/saudi-woman-held-bangkok-fears-will-be-killed-repatriated |archive-date=2019-01-09 |date=21 January 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> After diplomatic intervention, she was eventually granted asylum in [[Canada]], where she arrived and settled soon after.<ref name="BBC-46844431">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-46844431 |title=Rahaf al-Qunun: Saudi teen granted asylum in Canada |work=BBC News |date=11 January 2019 |access-date=21 January 2019 |archive-date=16 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190616054144/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-46844431 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Witchcraft and sorcery===

Mutawwa’in practices and incidents of abuse varied widely in different regions of the country. While reports of incidents were most numerous in the central Nejd region, which includes the capital Riyadh, reports of incidents in the eastern province increased during the period covered by this report. 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 do not always comply with the requirements. The Government has not criticized abuses by the Mutawwa’in directly, but criticism of the group has appeared in the largely government-controlled English-language press. The Government has sought to curtail these abuses; however, the abuses continue.

{{Main|Witchcraft#Saudi Arabia|Religious discrimination against Neopagans}}

In the past, the country has used the [[death penalty]] for crimes of [[Magic (paranormal)#In Islam|sorcery]] and [[Witchcraft#Saudi Arabia|witchcraft]] and claims that it is doing so in "public interest".<ref name= Miethe>{{cite book |title=Punishment: a comparative historical perspective |url=https://archive.org/details/punishmentcompar00miet |url-access=limited |last=Miethe |first=Terance D. |author2=Lu, Hong |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-521-60516-8 |page=[https://archive.org/details/punishmentcompar00miet/page/n75 63]}}</ref><ref name=Pleas>BBC News, "Pleas for condemned Saudi 'witch'", 14 February 2008 [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7244579.stm BBC NEWS] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080314204516/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7244579.stm |date=2008-03-14 }}, Pleas for condemned Saudi 'witch', by Heba Saleh, 14 February 2008.</ref><ref name=Usher>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/8598134.stm | title=Death 'looms for Saudi sorcerer' | date=2010-04-01 | work=BBC News | first=Sebastian | last=Usher | access-date=2015-09-20 | archive-date=2020-04-20 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420021429/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/8598134.stm | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=AntiWitchcraftUnit>{{Cite web|title = Saudi Arabia's 'Anti-Witchcraft Unit' breaks another spell|url = https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Saudi-Arabias-Anti-Witchcraft-Unit-breaks-another-spell|website = The Jerusalem Post {{!}} JPost.com|access-date = 2015-09-14|archive-date = 2015-09-07|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150907150731/http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Saudi-Arabias-Anti-Witchcraft-Unit-breaks-another-spell|url-status = live}}</ref> In 2022, sorcery is still an arrestable offence.<ref name=US2022/>

===Forced religious conversion===

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. Mutawwa’in frequently reproached citizen and foreign women for failure to observe strict dress codes, and detained men and women found together who were not married or closely related.

{{Main|Forced conversion}}

Forced conversion, as per the principles of Islam is not allowed<ref name="W53">Waines (2003) "An Introduction to Islam" ''Cambridge University Press''. p. 53</ref><ref> Quran Surah baqarah:256</ref>

In July 2012, two men who had [[Evangelism|evangelized]] a young woman who subsequently converted to Christianity were arrested in the Saudi Gulf city [[Khobar|Al-Khabar]], on charges of "forcible conversion". The girl's father had laid charges against the two men after he failed to convince the young woman to return home from Lebanon and abandon her new faith.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Two-men-arrested-for-forced-conversion-of-a-young-woman:-they-gave-her-religious-books-25400.htmlarchiveurl=|title=Two men arrested for "forced conversion" of a young woman: they gave her religious books|date=July 27, 2012|newspaper=NewsXS}}{{dead link|date=October 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

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.

==Saudi practices as "religious apartheid"==

== Forced religious conversion ==

Testifying before the [[Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission|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:

<blockquote>Saudi Arabia is a glaring example of religious apartheid. The religious institutions from government clerics to judges, to religious curricula, and all religious instructions in media are restricted to the [[Wahhabism|Wahhabi]] understanding of [[Islam]], adhered to by less than 40% of the population. The Saudi government communized Islam, through its monopoly of both religious thoughts and practice. Wahhabi Islam is imposed and enforced on all Saudis regardless of their religious orientations. The Wahhabi sect does not tolerate other religious or ideological beliefs, Muslim or not. Religious symbols by Muslims, [[Christianity|Christians]], [[Judaism|Jews]] and other believers are all banned. The Saudi embassy in Washington is a living example of religious apartheid. In its 50 years, there has not been a single non-Sunni Muslim diplomat in the embassy. The branch of [[Imam Mohamed Bin Saud University]] in Fairfax, Virginia instructs its students that [[Shia Islam]] is a Jewish conspiracy.<ref>Congressional Human Rights Caucus (2002).</ref></blockquote>

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. This form of religious apartheid is as intolerable as was apartheid based on race."<ref>Taheri (2003).</ref>

Under the law, children of Saudi fathers are considered Muslim, regardless of the county or the religious tradition in which they may have been raised. In some cases, children raised in other countries and in other religious traditions who came to Saudi Arabia or who were taken by their Saudi fathers to Saudi Arabia reportedly were coerced to conform to Islamic norms and practices, although forcible conversion is prohibited. 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, or of the Government’s refusal to allow such citizens to be returned to the United States. However, there was a report that prior to the period covered by this report, at least one U.S. citizen child in the country was subjected to pressure--and at times force--by her Saudi relatives to renounce Christianity and conform to Islamic norms and practices. The child has since returned to the United States.

In 2007, Saudi religious police detained Shiite pilgrims participating in the [[Hajj]] and [[Umrah]] pilgrimage, allegedly calling them "[[kafir|infidels]] in [[Mecca]] and [[Medina]]".<ref name=beating>{{cite news

== Anti-semitism ==

|url = http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=21680

|title = Saudi religious police accused of beating pilgrims

|date = August 7, 2007

|publisher = Middle east Online

|access-date = 2007-08-21

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070928023448/http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=21680

|archive-date = 2007-09-28

|url-status = dead

}}</ref>

Until March 1, 2004, the official government [[website]] stated that [[Jew]]s were forbidden from entering the country.<ref>[[United States Department of State]]. [https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2004/41731.htm Saudi Arabia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211107004858/https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2004/41731.htm |date=2021-11-07 }}, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices&nbsp;– 2004, February 28, 2005.</ref> Prejudice against Jews is fairly high in the kingdom. While the webpage has been modified, no one who admits to be Jewish, on the visa paperwork or has an Israeli government stamp on their passport is allowed in the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia publishes and distributes many books and articles promoting [[anti-Semitism]] and [[anti-Zionism]]. Saudi Arabian government officials and state religious leaders often promote the idea that "the Jews" are conspiring to take over the entire world; as proof of their claims they publish and frequenlty cite the anti-Semitic forgery, ''[[The Protocols of the Elders of Zion]]'' as factual.

[[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."<ref>Alan M. Dershowitz, [http://www.jewishworldreview.com/1102/alien_visit.asp Treatment of Israel strikes an alien note] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190527003456/http://www.jewishworldreview.com/1102/alien_visit.asp |date=2019-05-27 }}, Jewish World Review, 8 November 2002.</ref>

Saudi Arabian government-sponsored newspapers have published articles claiming that Al Qaeda's 9/11/01 attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon was actually carried out by "the Jews", also "the Zionists".

On 14 December 2005, [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[United States House of Representatives|Representative]] [[Ileana Ros-Lehtinen]] and [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] Representative [[Shelley Berkley]] introduced a bill in Congress urging American divestiture from Saudi Arabia, and giving as its rationale (among other things) "Saudi Arabia is a country that practices religious apartheid and continuously subjugates its citizenry, both Muslim and non-Muslim, to a specific interpretation of Islam."<ref>[http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:H.R.4543.IH: To express the policy of the United States to ensure the divestiture...] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150318011841/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:H.R.4543.IH: |date=2015-03-18 }} 109th CONGRESS, 1st Session, H. R. 4543.</ref> [[Freedom House]] showed on its website, on a page titled "Religious apartheid in Saudi Arabia", a picture of a sign showing Muslim-only and non-Muslim roads.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060221180044/http://www.freedomhouse.org/religion/country/Saudi%20Arabia/religious%20apartheid%20in%20sa.htm Religious Apartheid in Saudi Arabia], [[Freedom House]] website. Retrieved July 11, 2006.</ref>

Many Saudi government newspapers promote the idea that a Jewish conspiracy pressed American President George W. Bush to go to war against [[Iraq]].

In 2007, news outlets reported that Saudi policy prohibited tourists from bringing non-Muslim religious symbols and books into the kingdom, and that doing so could result in confiscation. The U.S. State Department disputed this, claiming the restrictions were no longer in place.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Saudis-might-take-Bibles-from-tourists|title=Saudis might take Bibles from tourists|author=Michael Freund|date=August 9, 2007|access-date=2010-09-14|publisher=The Jerusalem Post}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite news

Many Saudi Arabians promote anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, such as the idea that Jews use Barbie dolls to corrupt the morals of Muslim youths, and that the children's card game [[Pokémon]] was part of a "Zionist conspiracy" to promote gambling:

|url = https://www.foxnews.com/story/saudi-arabian-government-confiscates-non-islamic-religious-items-that-enter-country

|title = Saudi Arabian Government Confiscates Non-Islamic Religious Items That Enter Country

|date = August 9, 2007

|publisher = Fox News

|access-date = 2010-09-14

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101201032550/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,292796,00.html

|archive-date = 2010-12-01

|url-status = live

}}</ref> The 2007 U.S State Department International Religious Freedom (IRF) Report detailed several cases in which bibles were confiscated in Saudi Arabia, but said that there were fewer reports in 2007 of government officials confiscating religious materials than in previous years and no reports that customs officials had confiscated religious materials from travelers.<ref>{{cite web

|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2007/90220.htm

|title=International Religious Freedom Report 2007: Saudi Arabia

|publisher=U.S. State Department

|year=2007

|access-date=2012-08-03}}</ref> In the past the [[Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice]] (CPVPV) and security forces of the Ministry of Interior (MOI) conducted raids on private non-Muslim religious gatherings and sometimes confiscated the personal religious materials of non-Muslims. The 2022 IRF report noted that there were no reports of visitors having their personal, non-Islamic religious materials confiscated; however the media did report the confiscation of sorcery-related items.<ref name=US2022 />

==2023 freedom reports==

*[http://www.adl.org/Anti_semitism/arab/barbie.asp "Jewish" Barbie Dolls Denounced in Saudi Arabia]

In 2023, the country was scored zero out of 4 for religious freedom.<ref>[https://freedomhouse.org/country/saudi-arabia/freedom-world/2022 Freedom House website, retrieved 2023-08-08]</ref> That same year, it was ranked as the 13th worst place in the world to be a Christian.<ref>[https://www.opendoorsuk.org/persecution/world-watch-list/saudi-arabia/ Open Doors website, retrieved 2023-08-08]</ref>

*[http://www.adl.org/presrele/IslME_62/3791_62.asp Saudi religious leader denounces Pokémon as Jewish conspiracy to corrupt Muslim youth]

==See also==

Saudi Arabian government newspapers state that hatred of all Jews is justifiable. "Why are they (the Jews) hated by all the people which hosted them, such as Iraq and Egypt thousands years ago, and Germany, Spain, France and the UK, up to the days they gained of power over the capital and the press, in order to rewrite the history?" (Al-Riyadh, Saudi government daily, April 15, 2002, Turki 'Abdallah as-Sudayri, ''All of History is against Them'')

* [[Human rights in Saudi Arabia]]

* [[Religion in Saudi Arabia]]

==References==

According to reports from the U.S. Department of State, non-Muslims are discriminated against in many nations. This is discussed in the following articles:

{{Reflist|refs=

<ref name="cpj_kashgari">

{{cite news

|title = Saudi Arabian columnist under threat for Twitter posts

|date = 2012-02-09

|publisher = [[Committee to protect journalists]]

|url = http://www.cpj.org/2012/02/saudi-arabian-columnist-under-threat-for-twitter-p.php

|access-date = 2012-02-10

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120212204415/http://www.cpj.org/2012/02/saudi-arabian-columnist-under-threat-for-twitter-p.php

|archive-date = 2012-02-12

|url-status = dead

}}

</ref>

<ref name="thedailybeast_kashgari">

{{cite news

|url = http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/02/08/twitter-aflame-with-fatwa-against-saudi-writer-hamza-kashgari.html

|title = Saudi Writer Hamza Kashgari Detained in Malaysia Over Muhammad Tweets

|publisher = [[The Daily Beast]]

|date = 2012-02-10

|access-date = 2012-02-10

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120210032614/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/02/08/twitter-aflame-with-fatwa-against-saudi-writer-hamza-kashgari.html

|archive-date = 2012-02-10

|url-status = dead

}}

</ref>

<ref name="gulfnews_kashgari">

{{cite news

|first = Habib

|last = Moumi

|title = Mystery about controversial Saudi columnist's ___location deepens

|date = 2012-02-09

|work = [[Gulf News]]

|url = http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/saudi-arabia/mystery-about-controversial-saudi-columnist-s-___location-deepens-1.978517

|access-date = 2012-02-10

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120210200730/http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/saudi-arabia/mystery-about-controversial-saudi-columnist-s-___location-deepens-1.978517

|archive-date = 2012-02-10

|url-status = dead

}}

</ref>

<ref name="emirates247_arrested_kashgari">

{{cite news

|title = Sacrilegious Saudi writer arrested in Malaysia

|date = 2012-02-09

|work = [[Emirates 24/7]]

|url = http://www.emirates247.com/news/region/sacrilegious-saudi-writer-arrested-in-malaysia-2012-02-09-1.442198

|access-date = 2012-02-10

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120211041706/http://www.emirates247.com/news/region/sacrilegious-saudi-writer-arrested-in-malaysia-2012-02-09-1.442198

|archive-date = 2012-02-11

|url-status = dead

}}

</ref>

}}

== External links ==

* [httphttps://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC05.php?CID=2402 Religious Freedom and the Middle East] at The [[Washington Institute for Near East Policy]] PolicyWatch

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070207145859/http://www.salafimanhaj.com/pdf/SalafiManhaj_Saudi.pdf Does Saudi Arabia Preach Intolerance in the West?]

* [https://www.cdhr.info Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia]

{{Saudi Arabia topics}}

{{SOreligiousfreedomATW}}

{{Asia topic|Freedom of religion in}}

{{Middle East topic|Freedom of religion in}}

{{Segregation by type}}

[[Category:Religion in Saudi Arabia]]

[[Category:Law of Saudi Arabia]]

[[Category:Human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia]]

[[Category:Freedom of religion by country|Saudi Arabia]]