September 16, 2004
U.S. Cites Saudi Arabia for Lack of Religious Freedom
by Tyler Marshall
Los Angeles Times
The United States bowed to domestic pressure Wednesday and for the first time named Saudi Arabia, a key ally, as one of the world's worst violators of religious freedom.
The Middle Eastern kingdom was listed as "a country of particular concern" in the State Department's Annual Report on International Religious Freedom 2004. By law, that listing requires the Bush administration to consider possible action against Saudi Arabia, including sanctions, though there was no immediate indication that the U.S. was prepared to take such a step.
"Freedom of religion does not exist," the report states. "It 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."
Saudi Arabia joined Vietnam and Eritrea as newcomers to a list of those considered egregious offenders that already included Myanmar (formerly Burma), China, Cuba, Sudan, Iran and North Korea.
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