17 November 2010

Saudi Arabia Has Zero Religious Freedom

Saudi Arabia has no religious freedom in theory or practice, according to a report released today by the U.S. State Department. The report also slammed other countries, including Iran and China, for their lack of tolerance of diverse faiths.

"The public practice of non-Muslim religions is prohibited" and Saudi government officials "continued to raid private non-Muslim religious gatherings," the report said.

A body called the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Saudi Arabia "sometimes confiscated the personal religious materials of non-Muslims," according to the report, which also highlighted the "obstacles in speaking out against the religious establishment." [AOL News] Read more