Saudi Arabian government declaring all out war against Christianity within its borders
Within the last 2 years, the US government has been receiving very favorable statements from the Saudi government in regards to religious toleration within its borders, especially to the over 200,000 person Christian community. The Saudi regime has verbally committed to the State Department, notable Senators and Congressmen the provision for allowing Christian worship in private homes. The Saudi government had previously stated such provisions for religious freedom exist in the Arab News as well as at the 1998 dedication of the Saudi-funded Mosque in Los Angeles (stating that "Islam is a Religion of love and tolerance").
The US government, by the request of many organizations (both inside and outside of SA) concerned for the welfare of the Christians residing in Saudi Arabia, have been requesting formal confirmation of these stated freedoms. The Saudis have continued to reject the requests, only offering verbal commitments. International Christian Concern, a Washington, DC based human rights organization, was surprised to learn from many US government leaders that the Saudi ambassador himself incessantly refuses to return all phone calls or meet with our government representatives. In the past 12 months, the Saudi’s have already gone back on their word of tolerance on 3 separate occasions - detaining, torturing, and deporting Christians who were worshipping privately in their own residences.
On January 7th, 2000, the 3rd such incident occurred in Riyadh - where this time a residence was broken into, people arrested and taken into custody, including women and children. Those known detained are identified as Art and Sabalista Abreu, their three children: Kristel (12), Aaron (10), and Keilah (2), Dick Mira Velez, Disdado Cadoy, Jun and Evelyn Vinegas and their two children, Paul (6), and John (4), Rubino Sulit, George and Elen Rivera, and Eminesio Rabea. No official reason has been given for detention of the five children. In response to a Philippine embassy inquiry, the Saudi Ministry of Interior (MOI) officials assured the embassy that the children were all being well cared for in their detention facilities of the notorious Malaz prison. Filipino Christian sources in Riyadh admitted concern that MOI interrogators were using the young children as hostages, to force their parents to reveal details about the network of expatriate Christian fellowships meeting for worship in Saudi Arabia. It may be noted that in the summer of 1998 one Filipino was tortured by the breaking of his ribs until he divulged sufficient information, and was subsequently forced to convert to Islam, then deported. As well, in 1998, one of the detained women was pregnant, and was interrogated while in the hospital soon after giving birth.
It should be considered an international outrage that as the Muslim worldwide celebrates the conclusion of their month of fasting (Ramadan), a time to dedicate themselves back to God, this time the Saudi’s have clearly stated their intentions of driving all Christians out of the country by jailing even children. There has been no word of their condition for over 10 days. And there is much reason for concern, for during the past 2 raids in Saudi (June/Oct 1999), the Saudi’s purposefully and willfully violated international UN treaty which provides for the embassy staff to visit the detained in the assessing of their overall condition. In 1998, the detainees’ embassies were denied access for 31 days.
As the Saudi’s continue to fund the propagation of Islam in our religiously free country, through the billions of dollars received from oil money - yet today, it is still a crime deserving of capital punishment in Saudi Arabia for a person to convert to Christianity or Judaism. This act is legally punishable in SA by public beheading. These beheadings can be seen every Friday afternoon at 12 noon throughout the year in the major cites of Riyadh, Jeddah, Dhahran, Mecca, etc. ICC representatives have personally seen these beheadings with their own eyes - and they continue to this very day! And the world continues to turn a blind eye to the despotism of the rich. As we continue to fuel our cars, planes, minivans, etc, the helpless in this world are detained, tortured, interrogated, even killed. And the ultimate tragedy is that this goes on with the US governments’ full knowledge, making sure the media doesn’t catch wind of it (its termed: ‘quiet diplomacy’).
There are more that 40,000 Americans working in SA, many of whom serve directly to continue the flow of oil to the world markets. As Americans have given their lives for Saudi Arabia in the Gulf war (and continue to serve their even now), and developed the bulk of the oil infrastructure that has provided the Saudi’s with almost unfathomable riches, they in turn have denied government discourse, and the basic freedoms common to any civilized culture. It has recently been reported to ICC that as a US citizen is being interviewed for a position with Saudi Aramco (Arabian-American Company - the Saudi US-built oil enterprise), the Aramco official repeatedly states that the candidate is entering the "Islamic Kingdom of Saudi Arabia", and that as such, their effective rights to religion are to be left on US soil. In almost shocking contract to this, young Saudi’s that come to the US for higher education are given full freedom to their religious practice, both to build Mosques and schools, while today Christians pray in their dark Riyadh prisons - with the sound of US jet fighters flying overhead patrolling the no-fly zone.
By contrast, all the other Arab states on the Arabian peninsula -- Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, even Yemen -- have allowed expatriate Christian congregations to build churches and meet for public worship (at least on designated compounds). Recently, in an exclusive Gulf Times report, it is reported that, "The establishment of a Catholic church in Qatar has been approved in principle," Italian Ambassador Ignazio Di Pace told the newspaper's weekend edition, released December 30 in the capital city of Doha. Calling the decision "yet another sign of Qatar opening up to new vistas of freedom and religious tolerance". Let us hope and pray that the Saudis would also learn from such clear marks of freedom and tolerance and immediately implement similar policies.
As ICC and concerned people around the world continue to bring this crisis to the forefront of the US governments attention, please pray that:
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Our Government would look beyond its economic ties with nations, and not purposely overlook the glaring religious rights violations committed by them. That they would use their clout to influence world leaders to right actions and normal responsible behavior. |
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Pray also that our US leaders would not be lead into bribery by the Saudi’s which has been used on many occasion to silence the issues. |
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Please pray that as we enter this new millennium, governments would not give into the religious extremism of outdated ideas, repression, intolerance and physical brutality, in the guise of religion. Pray specifically that the Saudi government would not kneel to the Islamic extremism that would see the world Islamicized by hook or by crook, by propaganda or the killing of innocent people. |
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Remember each Friday at noon those innocent ones that lose their lives in economically rich, but morally bankrupt countries. |
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Pray for the continued measures of openness and religious respect occurring in other parts of the Middle East. That the leaders would be bold in the face of fanaticism. |
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As the Saudi’s consider themselves to be the ‘custodians of the two holy Mosques’ in Mecca and Medina, let us pray that they will also see their even greater responsibility to the upholding of true human dignity of persons. The Muslim ‘holy book’ always makes positive references to Christians, which the Saudis appear to live in continual denial of by their actions. |
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Pray that the Philippine government would have the boldness to stand up to the atrocities done to its people, and look less to the economic impact to their country. The Philippine government has always taken a low-profile approach to these problems because they fear the loss of Saudi favor could result in a shift to hire workers elsewhere. Now that prosperity is returning to the Philippines, let them shed this fear and live boldly for what they know is right. |
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Pray for the health and salvation of the Saudi King Fahd, and for all the Royal family. |
Lastly, it has long been know that the Saudi’s take such a hard-line approach in dealing with Christianity because of the continued pressure that comes from the other Islamic nations, and well as their own religious power circles. Countries such as Iran and Iraq disapprove of how the Saudi’s are handling the Islamic holy cities. As Saudi is clearly the most economically prosperous and most powerful country in that regions, having the full support of the US government – Pray that the Saudi leaders would not bend to the powerless idol speech of challenging nations. Pray that they would have the stamina to face them with the ensuring knowledge that God requires them to act justly and righteously - even in the face of antagonism and threat.
