In Saudi Arabia, Baby Steps Toward Religious Freedom

By Michele Hong

Every year, the U.S. State Department’s International Religious Freedom Report for Saudi Arabia begins more or less with the same words: “Freedom of religion is neither recognized nor protected under Saudi law and is severely restricted in practice.”

This sentiment permeates our idea of Saudi Arabia, and for good reason: It is backed up by solid evidence. Because Saudi Arabia is officially a Sunni Muslim country, public practice of any other religion or sect of Islam is not permitted. The mutawwa’in, or Saudi religious police, harass non-Muslims and those who do not adhere to the state’s strict and conservative interpretation of Islam. These people are subjected to raids on their homes, confiscation of their personal possessions, and physical abuse.

The value of religious freedom in preventing instability is enormous. What short-term skirmishes may have been avoidable had more tolerant policies been in place are myriad. How long-term conflicts may have been alleviated had religious oppression not smothered outlets of expression is not quantifiable. A lack of religious freedom hinders the growth of true democratic institutions and fosters an environment ripe for the growth of terrorism.

And yet, in the midst of religious discrimination, it seems that even King Abdullah is beginning — but only beginning — to grasp the truth to the previous statement. Since the attacks of September 11, 2001 and the realization that 15 of the 19 hijackers that day hailed from Saudi Arabia, the monarchy began to rethink its policies. The issue of terrorism truly hit home in May 2003 when Saudi suicide bombers simultaneously attacked three housing complexes in Riyadh.

Led to confront the violence of religious extremism, the government began a number of educational and economic initiatives to occupy the poor who are more susceptible to radical rhetoric. In 2005, the king announced a project to build six economic cities, including the King Abdullah Economic City and Jazan Economic City, which is located in the southwest province where a stockpile of weapons was seized after 9/11. In addition, the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, a 9,000-acre co-ed campus that sits on the coast of the Red Sea in the King Abdullah Economic City, opened this past September.

It is true that these cities, if successful, will bring billions of dollars to Saudi Arabia’s GDP. The reason for building them was not entirely of an anti-terrorist nature. However, after the attacks of 2003, the Saudi government declared its own fatwa against al-Qaeda and also began to approach the issue of religious freedom with a bit more openness in other areas. It is not enough to give jobs to those men and women who might join extremist groups if the root of the problem — a lack of religious freedom that leads some to voice their beliefs through violent means — is ever-present.

While they are indeed just initial baby steps, In June 2003, King Abdullah held a forum in which reformists were able to voice concerns with the government and make cases for moderate change. Moreover, he allowed municipal elections in Shi'a cities in 2005 and 2006. In the past decade, newspapers have also begun to publish articles and opinion pieces that question Islamic fundamentals as promoted by the monarchy without punishment.

In the sentiment of Saudi Arabia’s many IRF reports, Saudi Arabia still has a long way to go to fully attain a level of religious freedom that is acceptable by international standards. The efforts we have discussed have been experimental by the government and contained within small sectors of the country.  But at the same time, in a country that has always “severely restricted” freedom of religion, they are nonetheless promising and welcome signs of change.

One of the greatest hindrances to open democracies in the Middle East is a fear of what such open democracies will have to say. Eventually, with the support of the people and with the acknowledgement of these steps by the international community, Saudi Arabia may be coaxed even further out of hiding behind a single religious interpretation and into the light of an accepted religious plurality.

Flickr photo by uniquebuildings used under a Creative Commons license.