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Saudi Arabia SAUDI ARABIA TIER 1 | USCIRF-RECOMMENDED COUNTRIES OF PARTICULAR CONCERN (CPC) KEY FINDINGS In 2017, the Saudi government continued implementing eco- to textbooks that propagate intolerance and violence; in fact, nomic and social reforms from the Vision 2030 plan, including some of the most egregious content remained in textbooks many that may improve human rights and religious freedom in use during the current school year. Despite some promis- conditions. Despite the easing of some social restrictions, ing steps to restrict it, the guardianship system remained in religious freedom conditions did not improve in 2017. The force, adversely affecting the religious freedom of women. government maintained its ban on non-Muslim public reli- On a positive note, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman gious observance and continued to prosecute individuals and other senior officials made strong statements against for dissent, blasphemy, and apostasy. Saudi Arabia’s new violent extremism. Based on particularly severe violations counterterrorism law did not address its vague definition of of religious freedom, USCIRF again finds in 2018 that Saudi terrorism, and nonviolent offenders convicted on charges Arabia merits designation as a “country of particular con- of “advocating atheism” continued to serve lengthy prison cern,” or CPC, under the International Religious Freedom Act terms. While the government responded strongly to past (IRFA). Although the U.S. State Department has designated attacks on Shi’a sites, the Shi’a community experienced ongo- Saudi Arabia as a CPC since 2004, most recently in December ing discrimination and was especially targeted by a May 2017 2017, an indefinite waiver has been in place since 2006. The security operation in Awamiya. After over 15 years of slow waiver releases the administration from taking an otherwise progress, the Saudi government has not completed reforms legislatively mandated action as a result of the designation. RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE U.S. GOVERNMENT • Redesignate Saudi Arabia as a CPC • Press the Saudi government to • Work with the Saudi government to under IRFA and lift the waiver; denounce publicly the continued use codify the right of non-Muslims to • Fully engage the Saudi government to around the world of older versions of private religious practice and to permit take concrete action toward complet- Saudi textbooks and other materials foreign clergy to enter the country ing reforms confirmed in July 2006 that promote hatred and intolerance, openly with religious materials to carry in U.S.-Saudi bilateral discussions, and to make every attempt to retrieve out worship services; and including removing inflammatory and previously distributed materials that • Use targeted tools against specific offi- intolerant content in government-is- contain intolerance; cials and agencies identified as having sued textbooks; • Press the Saudi government to pursue participated in or being responsible • Consider inaugurating a new U.S.- integration of Shi’a Muslim citizens for human rights abuses, including Saudi bilateral strategic dialogue, into government, the judiciary, public particularly severe violations of reli- which would include human rights and service, and the security sector, and gious freedom; these tools include the religious freedom among the areas of prioritize inclusive governance in “specially designated nationals” list discussion; ongoing initiatives supported by maintained by the U.S. Department of the State Department’s Bureau of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets • Encourage the Saudi government to Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Control, visa denials under section take further action toward ending the in Saudi Arabia; 604(a) of IRFA and the Global Mag- guardianship system, make public nitsky Human Rights Accountability the steps taken since a royal decree • Press the Saudi government to pass Act, and asset freezes under the Global on women’s access to services, and and fully implement an antidiscrimi- Magnitsky Act. penalize actors that continue to require nation law protecting the equal rights a guardian’s permission for services of all Saudi citizens and expatriate covered under the decree; residents; The U.S. Congress should: • At the highest levels, press for the • Press the Saudi government to • Pass H.R.4549, the Saudi Educational release of Raif Badawi, his counsel exclude advocating atheism and Transparency and Reform Act, which Waleed Abu al-Khair, and other blasphemy from the new counterter- would require the secretary of state to prisoners of conscience, and press the rorism law, and to end the detention submit annual reports on religious intol- Saudi government to end prosecution under this law of nonviolent actors erance in Saudi educational materials. of individuals charged with apostasy, exercising their human rights and blasphemy, and sorcery; religious freedom; USCIRF | ANNUAL REPORT 2018 TIER 1 TIER SAUDI ARABIA SAUDI COUNTRY FACTS FULL NAME RELIGIOUS DEMOGRAPHY* Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Muslim (official; citizens are 85–90% Sunni and 10–15% Shi’a) Other (more than eight million expatriate workers include at GOVERNMENT least two million non-Muslims, including Eastern Orthodox, Absolute Monarchy Protestant, Roman Catholic, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, POPULATION folk religions, and religiously unaffiliated) 28,571,770 GOVERNMENT-RECOGNIZED RELIGIONS/FAITHS *CIA World Factbook and U.S. Department of State Islam BACKGROUND identify as atheists or Christians but avoid public Saudi Arabia is officially an Islamic state governed by a recognition given harsh social and legal consequences Basic Law of Governance issued by royal decree in 1992. for leaving Islam. Therefore, policies restricting public According to this law, the constitution is the Qur’an and religious expression violate the rights of not only the the sunna (traditions of the Prophet). The judicial system sizable Shi’a Muslim population but also adherents of is largely governed by Shari’ah as interpreted by judges unrecognized religious communities. trained as religious scholars in the Hanbali Sunni school Since April 2016, the Saudi government has been of jurisprudence. The king appoints the members of implementing Vision 2030 and the National Trans- the Shura Council, a legislative advisory body, and may formation Program 2020, ambitious economic reform dissolve and reconstitute the council at will. The current plans that seek to reduce the country’s dependence monarch, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, took the on oil revenues. The Ministry of Islamic Affairs is throne in 2015, and in 2017 appointed his son Moham- responsible to ensure that Vision 2030 is compliant med bin Salman Al-Saud as crown prince. with Shari’ah law. In line with these broader plans, the The government restricts most forms of public reli- government has announced specific reform measures gious expression inconsistent with its interpretation of related to taxation, women’s rights, public entertain- Sunni Islam. Saudi officials base these restrictions on ment, and social norms. Most notably, King Salman their interpretation of hadith (sayings of the Prophet), announced in September that the government would stating that such a stance is what is expected of them begin issuing driver’s licenses to Saudi women in June as the country that hosts the two holiest mosques in 2018, while the government announced in December Islam, in Mecca and Medina. However, the United that it would begin licensing movie theaters within Nations (UN) estimates that expatriate residents make 90 days. If fully implemented, these plans, though up as much as 37 percent of the Saudi population; primarily social and economic, could lead to greater although exact numbers are not available, at least two civic space and respect for human rights and religious million of these expatriates are non-Muslim, including freedom in the Kingdom. As of the end of the reporting Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, practitioners of folk period, however, many human rights activists who religions, and the religiously unaffiliated. In addition, previously advocated for similar reforms remained an unknown but growing number of Saudi citizens imprisoned for their activities. USCIRF | ANNUAL REPORT 2018 TIER 1 TIER SAUDI ARABIA SAUDI RELIGIOUS FREEDOM CONDITIONS 2017 response spread throughout Awamiya in the following Restrictions and Attacks on Shi’a Muslims months, reportedly including the use of heavy artillery, displacing as many as 20,000 residents, and resulting For many years, Shi’a Muslims have experienced dis- in dozens of deaths, both police and civilians. Human crimination in education, employment, the judiciary, and rights organizations access to positions in gov- reported that security ernment and the military. forces sealed the town in Outside of majority-Shi’a Outside of majority-Shi’a areas July, preventing residents areas in the Eastern Prov- in the Eastern Province, from leaving or accessing ince, the Saudi government the Saudi government restricts humanitarian aid, and restricts the building of the building of Shi’a mosques, broadcasts engaged in excessive and Shi’a mosques, broadcasts of Shi’a-specific calls to prayer, and indiscriminate use of of Shi’a-specific calls to establishment of Shi’a cemeteries. force against civilians, prayer, and establishment including children. By of Shi’a cemeteries. Shi’a August, the Ministry of Interior stated that 95 percent of Muslims have been detained and imprisoned for holding the old town was under state control. By
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