Saudi Arabia. Freedom of religion does not exist. Islam is the official religion, and all citizens must be Muslims. Religious freedom is not recognized or protected under the country’s laws, and basic religious freedoms are denied to all but those who adhere to the state-sanctioned version of Sunni Islam. The Government’s official policy is to permit non-Muslims to practice their religions freely at home and in private; however, the Government does not always respect this right in practice. Citizens are denied the freedom to choose or change their religion. Members of the Shi’a minority are subject to officially sanctioned political and economic discrimination, including limited employment opportunities, little representation in official institutions, and restrictions on the practice of their faith and the building of mosques and community centers. The Government enforces a strictly conservative version of Sunni Islam and discriminates against other branches of Islam. The Government prohibits the public practice of other religions; non-Muslim worshippers risk arrest, imprisonment, lashing, deportation, and torture for engaging in religious activity that attracts official attention, especially of the Mutawwa’in (religious police). All public school children receive mandatory religious instruction that conforms to the Salafi tradition. While there was an improvement in press freedom, open discussion of religious issues was limited.

This paragraph, from the Executive Summary of State Department’s 2005 Report on International Religious Freedom, is blunt and to-the-point. Religious freedom remains–and will remain, I fear–a serious difference between the US and Saudi Arabia. The Saudi government is in a difficult situation. But so is the American government’s position. Official American response to the program is summarized:

Saudi Arabia. The U.S. Government continued its policy to press the Government to honor its public commitment to permit private religious worship by non-Muslims, eliminate discrimination against minorities, and promote tolerance toward non-Muslims. In 2004, the Secretary of State designated Saudi Arabia as a “Country of Particular Concern” for particularly severe violations of religious freedom. The Ambassador discussed U.S. concerns over the lack of religious freedom with a wide range of senior government and religious leaders.

Response is necessarily limited because there’s very little leverage that the US government can apply. It’s not about to declare a boycott on oil imports, for instance. And because Saudi Arabia receives no aid from the US, there’s no handle there, either. To start “reciprocal” messing around with religious freedom within the US, in relatiation for actions in Saudi Arabia, is simply impossible on American constitutional grounds.

Secretary of State Rice is traveling to Saudi Arabia in the near future and has promised to raise the issue in her meetings with King Abdullah. The best she–and the king–can achieve in the short run will not satisfy Western norms for religious freedom and tolerance. Read the section of the report dealing specifically with Saudi Arabia to understand the scope of the problem.

Nearly 1,400 years ago, non-Muslims were banned from public practice of religion in Arabia. Non-Muslims were, essentially, banned from living in the region. Necessity has now permitted something like 5 million non-Saudis to live in the country and not surprisingly they have brought their religions with them. But most Saudis believe that to be proper, in the birthplace of Islam, to restrict public religious services to Islam. A government that intends stability cannot overthrow the weight of that tradition–especially since that tradition is based on a hadith, purportedly quoting the Prophet Mohammed–any time soon.

What can be done is to moderate governmental and quasi-governmental actions against followers of other religions. To a limited degree, that is happening. Saudi Shi’a and Sufi leaders are making public appearances and making the case for their religious integrity. I’ve noted a press report saying that a Shi’a cleric might be broadcast over Saudi Arabia’s government TV.

But much more can be done to prevent harrassment of non-Muslims seeking the private practice of their faiths. The Mutawa’in and vigilantes can be stopped from persecuting those they deem “infidels”. This needs to be done.