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Religious Liberty Expert Condemns Abuses in Saudi Arabia
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APD_Info_Schweiz@compuserve.com
Date
08 Apr 2000 02:11:09
April 8, 2000
Adventist Press Service (APD)
Christian B. Schaeffler, Editor-in-chief
Fax +41-61-261 61 18
APD@stanet.ch
http://www.stanet.ch/APD
CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland
07/2000
Religious Liberty Expert Condemns Abuses in Saudi
Arabia Before The United Nations
Geneva, Switzerland. Seventh-day Adventist
religious liberty activist Gianfranco Rossi
addressed the United Nations Commission on Human
Rights on March 28, telling delegates that "Saudi
Arabia is the only country in the world that
formally prohibits on its territory the public
practice of all other religions except Islam."
Citing an incident in January of this year in
which Saudi authorities arrested 16 Christians,
including five children, for meeting for a private
religious service, Rossi called for greater
awareness of the plight of people of all minority
faiths in Saudi Arabia.
"Among the 6 million immigrant workers, there are
many who are not Muslims and who would like to
freely profess their religion," said Rossi.
"However, if they try to do this, they are
arrested, imprisoned and expelled from the
country. Saudi authorities prohibit Jews,
Christians, and all other non-Muslims from having
their places of worship and even from meeting in
private."
Rossi later met with representatives of the United
States Commission on International Religious
Freedom, telling them that "religious extremism is
a scourge, which must be fought to avoid serious
tragedies for humanity."
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