Saudi Arabia is a proud country that protects the shrines of Islam.
Most people are aware of the rules of covering Muslim women, but when the educated Saudi women are ambivalent about the safety granted to them by the clothing and religious values of modestry, few in the west wish to make it an issue.
But there is a quiet group of people lacking freedom in the Saudi kingdom that no one wishes to discuss: The large number of overseas foreign workers in that kingdom.
The Middle East is the home of two million Philippinos, who work as nurses, doctors, technicians, drivers, maids and other blue collar or unskilled jobs.
As this NYTimes article points out, most are driven to such jobs by poverty and, for the middle class (e.g. doctors and nurses) the lack of opportunity in the Philippines.
So today’s Manila Bulletin has a headline: 500 nurses needed in Saudi Arabia.
But in the middle of the NYTimes article you see a single paragraph that suggests a problem:
We were breezing through the family photo album when she pointed at a picture from Saudi Arabia that showed her husband at an evangelical church. Church? That is a ticket to deportation or worse. Alarmed that her slip might place him in greater dangers, she started to sob. “I can’t stop him — that’s where he found his happiness,” she said. When I reached him, he encouraged me to mention his preaching, saying it was his way of thanking God for the chance to work abroad. “I promised the Lord I’ll share the Gospel under any circumstance,” he said.
But it goes furthur than that. In most of the Middle East, a preacher might get into trouble, but if you enter Saudi you might have your rosary and bible confiscated.
There are a 900 000 Philippinos in Saudi, 90 percent Christian, and an estimated 600 000 Keralan Christians from India, not to mention Hindus, not to mention Christians from Africa, Lebanon, or Palestine. Yet there is no Christian church in Saudi Arabia.
More prosperous Catholics can fly to the small Gulf states for Christmas and other feast days. Yet there is something misearable for a Catholic Christian not to be able to receive the sacraments, and the idea that small groups of Christians meeting for rosary or bible study face arrest.
And this freedom goes furthur than religion: In the USA, churches are a way to meet people and ethnic churches allow immigrants to find fellowship that may be missing in their new country. Yet our migrants are forbidden this benign way to find fellowship.
Yet the failure of Saudi Arabia to allow freedom of religion for their workers is one of the biggest secrets in the US press.
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Nancy Reyes is a retired physician living in the Philippines. Her webpage is Finest Kind Clinic and fishmarket
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31 users commented in " Christians in Saudi Arabia: no churches allowed "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a Trackbackif you cant accept one country’s wish of maintaining its own in its own boundary, then why come?
Why don’t we have any Islamic mosques or Hindu temples in the Vatican, why isn’t there any article about that in your blog.
Is there another country/kingdom left that bans other religions or imprisons those who follow other than the official religion? I’m sure that if a well meaning Muslim were to visit the Vatican and feel the call to give thanks to his maker and take a prayer or read from his holy book that would not endanger his freedom or life like it would for a non-Muslim in KSA.
I feel for the poor people who have no where to go but to countries where they are not wanted to find work. The Philippinos I have know inside and outside of KSA have been some of the brightest and hardest working people I have know. They would be a benefit to any country.
Don’t forget that KSA has an awful human rights record and only banned slavery in the early 1960’s. If you are looking for freedom don’t go there.
If people of other religions cannot respect rules of KSA then why go there??? Saudi Arabia does not beg people to come to the kingdom. In USA, there are holidays for Muslim festivals but there is always official celebrations in Easter, Christmas etc. yet she (usa) always beat the drums of its DEMOCRACY, SECULARISM, PLURALISM ………. Come on guys, lets not be hypocrites. Frankly, all western governments are the most hypocrite institutions on the face of the earth. And surprisingly, the same SECULAR wester governments also staunchly supports the Saudi Royal Dictators ……….. hahaha what a hypocrisy.
I meant to say there are NO HOLIDAYS for Muslim Festivals. Missed to write NO …
Muslim brothers who defend the policy of Saudi arabia must know the policy of OIC. OIC then demands minority status in India /philipines/thailand and ask for Muslims right to their worship as peer sharia. Is Hindu fundementalists in India are correct in asking muslims to go to Saudi arabia or pakistan for practising their religion? Is pakistan lalmasjid cleric correct in asking Muslims who want to see CDs or listen to music or dance must go to india?
Hikmatullah is correct about western governments hypocracy in supporting dictators/Kings in Muslim countries while shedding crocodile tears for democracy.
as a muslim i find this article offending… we muslims have a call for prayer called the AZAN which we arent allowed 2 recite in these western countries… we follow the norms of the countries so i mean u have to follow our norms..let me tell u this much we arent allowed 2 built a mosque in the vatican and even if we are we cant recite the azan so i mean the christians are at fault 2 … y dont u look at that aspect.. Syria has chruches,lebanon does egypt does… y dont u look at those countries… c u christians want 2 get into our holy land and corrupt our ppl with ur missionaires but we muslims are 2 smart for it..
Why do you want a mosque in the Vatican so much? There is no need for a mosque in the Vatican. How would you like to have a church built in mecca? Italy allows plenty of mosques to be built, just like France, the UK, and the US. So, there is no justification for the Saudis’ ban on other religions. It’s plain racist and hypocritical, If Saudi Arabia supports spreading islam to other countries, which have no interest in islam at all, then it should allow other religions in as well. Tolerance goes both ways. If muslims are not required to tolerate other religions, others are not required to tolerate islam. As for now, muslims can keep their mosques away from the Vatican. Just keep them were they don’t bother non-muslims.
Vatican City, officially State of the Vatican City (Latin: Status Civitatis Vaticanae; Italian: Stato della Città del Vaticano), is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome.
Ok so for all the people who say why arent u” building a mosque in vatican”..its really really dumb of you guys to even think that way..who is stopping you to build a mosque in rome and who is stopping you to pray..have some brains before you say something
Christians arenttalking about building a church in Mecca they are just asking for a small get together where we can pray..nothign much..
I hope you guys can open your eyes and see that
just a small church in saudi doesnt mean we are asking to build a church in mecca
massud said it well…i only read what you wrote after i submitted it..
Adil you have said that ” you follow the norms of a country you stay in” ? So what ever is normal in that country you abide by ..makes me want to wonder what all things can be considered normal in some countries
from the experiences in moslem countries,
church is always used for evangelical purpose.
in Islam, there is a responsible to guard your family from hell, in Islam faith to be christian/catholic meant go to hell.
(there is a ayyah that said, someone who said Isa/Ioeso/jesus (the prophet as God) will be punished to hell.
that’s why moslem affraid the church will be used to baptized/spreading christianity among muslim.
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except christian can guarantee the church just only used for christian worships purpose, no evangelical activity
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you have to understand the nelieve to protect their family from hell (according to moslem believing)
paijo,
please give hard evidences of what you just claimed. please state anywhere in the koran that says christians will all go to hell and all you misinformation which are aboviously third party hand me downs.
till you can provie us all hard evidences and total facts, please refrain from making rediculous claims. a three year old can tell your agenda.
All religions say: Kiss us for our religion
Islam say: Kill others for our religion.
Islam is taught my uneducated people. that is why terrorism reigns in Islam.
be careful wat u say about other peaples religion be careful of your tongue.i wld give u an advice why dont u take the Quran and read it then u get to no about tins u dont know.am sure ur religion doesnt teach u to make mockry of other pples religion or am i wrong?
My Names are the way you see written Above I am the found of the church called Oasis of miracles Based in Nairobi Kenya.
I am so interested in
Affiliating my ministry with you and work together.
I am also extending this invitation that you may visit Kenya and see what God is Doing I am Ready to arrange ameeting for and again I am also willing to come to your place please consider my humble Request
Your’s Faithfully
Apostle Tom Chacha
Nairobi Kenya
+254722501110
The belief that Christians and Jews are automatically condemned to hell for their beliefs according to Islam is incorrect. Islam’s prophet Mohammad referred to Christians and Jews as people of a book. The Koran states that the Bible is a Holy book. Muslims who want to read the Bible out of curiousity should be able to. There were churches and Synagogues in Arabia at the time of Mohammad that were not destroyed.
As a Christian, I do not believe Christians need a church to practice their religion; However, Christians should be allowed to privately pray, read and study the Bible, and talk about their faith if questioned. Muslims are allowed to privately pray, read and study the Koran, and talk about their beliefs if questioned at the Vatican.
All hail the prophet mohammad. The great warmonger, pirate and pedophile that “allah” gave to mankind. LOL
Hehehe, Little knowledge is dangerous
People fighting, trying to defend each other is not funny for those who are in and those who are trying to understand the situation or looking it from far seems funny.
Before applying for a job, see what you can get out of eat just like look before you leap.
although i am not happy with the saudi government but still
My question goes here, how can you think of building churches or plan of having a meeting where you are not allowed to enter ?
respect to humankind, may god show us the truth.
[…] Originally Posted by Wodin A quick Google turned up a Weslean church, a christian church on the corner of Wells Str and Wabash Street, and a Baptist Church. Having said that, it is quite true that other religions are persecuted in Mecca and Medina, but again, that’s a function of the religious paranoia of the wahabis. For the same reason stated in my previous answer, I simply do not believe there are Christian churches in Mecca that would literally be illegal, as in unlawful. As you can see, it is based on the words of the Quran, not some odd Wahabbi ideas. Christians in Saudi Arabia: no churches allowed - Blogger News Network […]
It is indeed a problem, but things won’t change. The Saudi Governement will not allow Christianity and christians in KSA won’t stop meeting and praising the Lord.
So either, they will kill all christians, or convert them, or they all turn christian and undo these laws…
I don’t think the Pope, who is the souvereign of Vatican city would sentence anybody to death who built a mosque there. I mean, okay, there is no chanc, because you first need some lan to establish a building and the land is owned by the roman church and they won’t sell, but still: They won’t be sentence to death.
About the going to hell thing: In how far does it make things better when christians in KSA are killed? Don’t they go to hell then? So if it was all about preventing people from going t hel, they’ have to leave them aive and give them a chance to turn back to Islam. Bt as long as they are killing them, I cannot see how this is to help people not to go to hell…
Nancy or whoever wrote this cannot spell. It’s Filipino not Philippino.
Why kill? Everyone should just chill and realise that the G-d of Judaism, Christianity and Islam are one. Even the early patriarchs of each are one–Abraham. Why convert? Don’t we (Abrahamic religions) already worship the same G-d just in different ways?
In SA’s defense–it’s their land. It’s their kingdom. Don’t mess with their property. Hell, if someone built a Satanic shrine in my backyard, I’d be mad too.
May.God forgive all of uJESUS IS LORD!
Wisdom: this is the problem with u ppl, in wat sense u say jesus is lord, is he a god or a son of god, plz decide it first….If he is a god then remember that he did bleed, just like anyother human being..& If he is a son of god, then who is the wife of god..thats it..
As for Ling, u know wat does ling mean in my language it means pennis, so stop behaving like one & get life..SOB
Believe Muslims are afraid let others worship a different religious because they themselves are not sure of their god. As christian i do not have to hate or kill to show that i love my god. God we as christians created men and women so he He has power over humans and no human should kill for God. In my experience Muslims are jelous people and hate to see others happy for this reason they enjoy see others surffer. In Christianity to take your life or the life another human is a sin, in Islam is allow that is the difference between other religions and Islam. I believe that my God is power enough to take care of those who offend him so even though the Muslim world try so hard to prevent others from having freedom they will never win becasue a true God protects his people.
Hello there, what do you understand about religion? I grew up amoung different cultures and religions and i was a Muslim and now converted to Christianity. I can only say thanks to Jesus for saving my life. Now a few Muslim frieds of my have also converted because we found peace in christianity. As a Muslim our women are treated badly, no freedom of speech and in some cases brothers murder their own sisters or even mothers in the name of Islam. What a pity, Jesus said any one who take another life or his/her life, will not see the kindom of God. Muslims like to play victims to terrorised the world but they we will never win because God created everybody and gave everyone a protected clothing so no evil can touch them. No matter much some Muslims enjoy taking the lives the innoccent they will never find peace in their own lives. Many young Muslims in my Country are suffering as a result of bad teaching and their childhood lost forever through hatred created by selfish so called religious men. I pray to those who fall victim to such teachings and to my fellow christians through our the Middle east and around the world. Do not forget that Jesus will always be with you. God bless.
I think the solution here to all of the non Muslims is to just read the Qu’ran and the authentic hadiths to be able to fairly say, what Islam is and is not. Unfortunately the Muslims in general have not provided the correct image of our beautiful and complete way of life, the disease that Muslims suffer from today is the culturalizing of Islam. Rather than taking it in the perfect form that it is, and as has been revealed to us. We have combined the faith to our own cultural habits/beliefs that is deeply enrooted in us. For example, honour killing (unislamic) yet it is seen as a Muslim practice. Female circumcision ( which the Christians of my country, Ethiopia still practice, also the Hindus in India ) Our beloved Prophet (p.b.u.h ), excelled the female in ways that was unheard of to the Arabs and the rest of the world, such as stating that the family that can raise their daughters with a bit more love, attention and privileges given to them, than there would be a great blessing from the creator to them…virtually unheard of, they used to burry their female infants, (female infanticide still happening in India and china amongst the non Muslims today). Many of the rights that western women have recently received after fighting for them for so long, 14 centuries ago, our beloved prophet gave to the women. The right to her own name at marriage, owning her own property and so on. When a man marries a woman, she has the option to work if she likes and every single penny earned is hers to do as she likes. It is the man’s duty to provide economically for his family. There is so much more that I can go on about, not enough time, this is the beautiful religion my prophet brought. I don’t think that anyone should be stopped from believing what they choose and practicing what they want to (this is our god given free will, that is why there will be judgement). Islam teaches no compulsion in religion, furthermore that no one can make another person believe because one’s guidance to the religion is in the hands of the creator and not man. To Slynn- the greatest sin in Islam is joining partners with GOD; we therefore believe that righteous Jews will enter heaven along with Muslims because they are strict monotheist like us. It is also the same belief amongst the Jews, that the Muslims are the only ones that have the chance of attaining paradise due to the worship of one GOD. Christianity left this monotheism behind 2-3 centuries after Jesus by adopting the Trinity, that neither Jesus taught or any of the other prophets or divinely guided peoples of the Old Testament. Though we have many issues with each other today (Jews and Muslims) we are almost identical from the way we worship, to the way we live. It is permissible for a Muslim to enter a synagogue and pray if there are no mosques around and vice versa for a Jew, but it is forbidden according to both faiths to enter a church to pray because of this very reason of polytheism that Christianity adopted over the years, it is no longer the GOD of Abraham that is being worshiped according to both. SO next time anyone wants to say Judaeo-Christian, there is no such connection since to the Jew Christians are doomed to hell if they do not adopt monotheism and to the Christians Jews are doomed to hell if they do not accept Jesus Christ as their lord and saviour.
Willing to have a dialogue for those interested.
TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE AS IT HAS FOR ME!!!!
Islam Is the religion of peace. Islam gave more Respect to women More then any other religion. How many women get rape in usa each munite 5 women in a minute . who many people are in jail in usa 2.3 million . the safest place in usa is los vegas and each year nearly 60 people get killed. and the other states are well known for criminals activities. hahah
saudi arabia has no killing and no rape even 1% like usa has . God bless islam and keep us safe from Fitna ( Praphagada of jews and christains) Ameen
There is no rape in saudi arabia because if you want to accuse a man of raping, you must present 4 witness. Who will rape a woman in front of 4 other persons?
There were several women punished to death by throwing rocks on them because they reported that they were raped, but the judge decided that the women were committed adultery or libel (in islam term: fitnah). Strangely, the men could walk out free. Is it a kind of respect to women? Yes, it is. It is respect to women in islam version.
A woman in saudi arabia cannot testify for a case in a court unless there are 3 other women supporting her. On the other hand, a man can testify without the support of anyone else. That explains why a man can walk out free from the rape case and the woman is stoned to death.
A man can be caught of raping if he tries to rape 4 women at the same time because the 4 women can testify together against him.
It needs powerful America to tell Islamic Countries what to do.
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