U.S. Seeks to Improve Saudi Religious Tolerance

AP ^ | March 10, 2003

[Shermy]

WASHINGTON - The United States came very close last week to placing Saudi Arabia on a list of countries officially censured because of official religious intolerance, the State Department said Monday.

Instead, the department decided to try to work with Saudi officials to seek out any opportunities there may be to improve the state of religious freedom in that Middle East country, spokesman Richard Boucher said.

Boucher spoke after Saudi Defense Minister Prince Sultan said that, as the birthplace of Islam, Saudi Arabia will not allow churches to be built on its land regardless of the outcry from "fanatics."

Boucher would not comment directly on Sultan's remark.

The department's annual list of "countries of concern," released last Wednesday, consisted of Burma, China, Iran, Iraq, North Korea and Sudan. All are repeaters from last year.

Boucher noted that Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah has, on a number of occasions, called for moderation and tolerance among the Saudi people.

He said the United States welcomes those statements. "We'll be working to eliminate language of intolerance, for example, in school textbooks and places like that with them," he said.

[newgeezer]

"Islam is a religion of peace."

BTTT.

[Illbay]

Forget it. Just put 'em on the list. They're not going to "respond" in any sort of rational fashion.

Nuts and fruitcakes run that "country." If they didn't have oil, their only viable export would be ignorance.

[observer5]

Good luck!

[EternalVigilance]

Normally, I would say, "Cowards!"...

...but considering the fact that we are on the eve of war, part of which must be launched from Saudi territory, I would say that such a statement can wait awhile.

[BSunday]

MOAB

[swarthyguy]

HahahLOL!

I'm sure the report is taken with great credibility around the world.

The sound of Saudi money.

[Shermy]

State dept. getting very series these days.

[merak]

One thing they MIGHT try: tell them it will again be legal to practice islam in America when it becomes legal to practice Judaeism and Christianity in Saudi Arabia...

[swarthyguy]

You wouldn't believe the things i want to say to the saudi moustache and beard.

I twirl your mustache, hard, in both directions.

[anniegetyourgun]

Gonna be pretty tough to get around that Bill of Rights thing.....

[ml/nj]

Gonna be pretty tough to get around that Bill of Rights thing.....

No it isn't.

We don't seem to have had any problem telling the Mormons what they could do, and what they couldn't.

And the Mormons seem to be quite peaceful to me.

But Islam isn't even a religion. It's a military organization. It's little different from Nazism, except the Hitler didn't have the insight to tell everyone that an angel dictated Mein Kampf to him.

ML/NJ

[merak]

You can only have so many one-way streets in a town and it gets to be impossible to drive...

[FreedomCalls]

Boucher spoke after Saudi Defense Minister Prince Sultan said that, as the birthplace of Islam, Saudi Arabia will not allow churches to be built on its land regardless of the outcry from "fanatics."

And what if Israel as the birthplace of Jesus -- a Jew -- forbade anything other than synagogues to be built in its land?

[Orbiting_Rosie's_Head]

U.S. Seeks to Improve Saudi Religious Tolerance

Wouldn't it have to exist before one could improve it?

[swarthyguy]

Any ideas interpretations on this cartoon?

It's the official rag of the sauds. A warning?

[swarthyguy]

Won't post here's the link.....March11

http://www.arabnews.com/Cartoon.asp

[Alouette]

A little Jew-man is pointing to the spire on a mosque in the U.S., telling "Uncle Sam" that it hides a nuke.

IOW, the Saudi's know that the Mossad is on to them.

[Shermy]

The cartoon means that the ugly Jew misleads the dim and gullible American into bombing Muslim religious sites.

Message: it's always the Jews.