Saudi Arabia lacks religious freedom, U.S. says

By Religion News Service and The Associated Press

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The U.S. State Department yesterday for the first time included Saudi Arabia on a list of eight "countries of particular concern," which could make it subject to U.S. sanctions because of religious intolerance. But any such action appears unlikely.

The Saudi Embassy declined to comment on the U.S. move.

Pressure had been mounting on Secretary of State Colin Powell to add the Saudis to the list, despite their key role in the war on terrorism and importance as an oil supplier. Critics accuse the kingdom of exporting a militant form of extremist Islam known as Wahhabism and suppressing all non-Muslim religions.

"Freedom of religion does not exist," the State Department said, summing up the situation in Saudi Arabia in a report that covered religious freedom in 191 countries.

The department's sixth annual report on international religious freedom also added Eritrea and Vietnam to the roster of those countries guilty or tolerant of "systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom."

Countries that remained on the list were Burma, China, Iran, North Korea and Sudan. Iraq was removed.

The report cited instances in which government-paid mosque preachers in Saudi Arabia "used violent anti-Jewish and anti-Christian language in their sermons."

The administration took the action against the Saudis despite indications that they are relaxing their policies toward nonofficial religious groups.

Ambassador John Hanford, who is the State Department's top official for the office of religious freedom, praised statements by Saudi ruler Crown Prince Abdullah in support of tolerance and moderation.

Hanford also said the Saudis have begun a dialogue with the Shiite minority, which historically has suffered from discrimination.
 
Rep. Tom Lantos, D-Calif., co-chairman of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, told The Washington Post that yesterday's action reflects "a sea change" in the U.S. view of Saudi Arabia since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

"For too many years, Saudi Arabia was above criticism. You could criticize everybody in this town, but you could not criticize the Saudis," Lantos said. "Coming face to face with the reality not only that 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudis but that, directly or indirectly, Saudi Arabia or its citizens were a principal financier of terrorism — that has now liberated even the State Department to call a spade a spade."

Alex Arriaga of Amnesty International USA said, "Sustained pressure will be required to bring about any improvement in Saudi Arabia's egregious record of religious repression."