Christianity in Saudi Arabia

The public practice of Christianity is banned in Saudi Arabia. However, living in Saudi Arabia, some Christians, it involves foreign workers.

Legal situation

The import, print and possession not Islamic - Sunni religious materials such as Bibles are prohibited. It is a punishable offense to celebrate a Christian worship, the sacraments, and Christian symbols and devotional objects (eg, a cross, a rosary, a Bible or similar) to carry with you. Churches, synagogues or other non-Muslim houses of worship does not exist and their construction is prohibited. According to the interpretation of the state religion, must not not Islamic place of worship located on the land on which are the two holy places. On apostasy ( conversion from Islam to another religion ) is punishable by death, which is also enforced. However, there are, for example, two German schools in Saudi Arabia, where not subject to these laws; within the school grounds apply German law.

In the punishment of Christians for violations of these laws, the penalty may vary according to nationality. Nationals of western ally (eg USA, France, Germany or Austria ) are usually referred to "discrete" in the country, while missionaries from another and, from the perspective of Saudi Arabia, " less important " countries imprisoned (such as the Philippines, Kenya) be and sometimes executed. In the World Watch List for Christians Saudi Arabia was listed in recent years among the 10 countries where Christians are persecuted the most because of their faith.

In March 2012, the Grand Mufti of the country called in a religious opinion, the destruction of all churches in the Arabian Peninsula.

Dissemination

According to conservative estimates of the Christian population in Saudi Arabia is four percent. This means that around 1.5 million people live the Christian faith in this country, including about 800,000 Catholics.

A particularly large group represent the working in the Saudi Kingdom Christian Filipinos. Many Christians in Riyadh and the Gulf are Asian or Copts. On the Red Sea live Christian Ethiopians or Eritreans.

Churches

The Catholic church in Saudi Arabia is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church. Saudi Arabia is part of the territory of the Roman Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia. Pope Benedict XVI. has spoken to the king of the Christians in Saudi Arabia in 2007.

In addition there are in Saudi Arabia Protestant Christians of different denominations.

External links and sources

  • Http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=2134
  • Http://www.iirf.eu/index.php?id=112
  • Http://www.livenet.ch/www/index.php/D/article/199/9838/
  • Http://www.meconcern.org/index.php/en/?option=com_content&view=category&id=25:saudi-arabia&Itemid=9&layout=default
  • Http://morningstarnews.org/region/near-east/saudi-arabia/
  • Http://www.opendoors.de
  • Http://www.persecution.org/category/countries/middle-east/saudi-arabia/
  • Http://www.opendoors.ch/Verfolgung/weltverfolgungsindex/landerprofile/saudi-arabien/
  • Http://www.releaseinternational.org/saudi-arabia/
  • Http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/religiousfreedom/index.htm?year=2012&dlid=208410
  • Http://www.worldwatchmonitor.org/search/?q=Saudi % 20arabia & k = 1
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