U.S. Condemns Saudi Arabia on Religious Freedom, Saudi Clerics Defend Gov't

September 17, 2004

Source: Yahoo! News

Wire Service: Reuters

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=574&ncid=574&e=10&u=/nm/20040917/wl_nm/religion_saudi_dc_1

On September 17, 2004 Reuters reported, "Muslim leaders in Saudi Arabia rejected Friday U.S. criticism of religious constraints in the kingdom, saying the cradle of Islam had a duty to uphold its own faith. Rejecting a State Department report which accused Saudi Arabia of severe violations of religious freedom, prominent Sunnis and Shi'ites also said the United States' own record proved it was in no position to judge others. 'How do the Americans have the right to speak about violation of religious freedoms and human rights in this country or another?' said leading Shi'ite Sheikh Hassan al-Saffar. He said U.S. support for Israel, the occupation of neighboring Iraq and the reported mistreatment of Arabs and Muslims in the United States since 2001 had robbed Washington of moral high ground... Wednesday's report said 'freedom of religion does not exist' in Saudi Arabia and included it for the first time on a list of eight countries of particular concern... Religious freedoms were denied to all Saudis except those who adhere to the 'state-sanctioned (Wahhabi) version of Sunni Islam' it said. Minority Shi'ites faced 'officially sanctioned political and economic discrimination'... Saleh al-Fawzan, senior Sunni preacher and member of Saudi Arabia's appointed top religious body -- the Supreme Association of Ulema -- condemned the United States as an 'infidel' country. He also defended restrictions against non-Muslim religions in Saudi Arabia. 'The prophet Mohammad said there should not be two religions in the Arabian peninsula,' Fawzan said."