Saudis rebuff U.S. plea to release Christians
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Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Wednesday, December 5, 2001
ABU DHABI Ñ Saudi Arabia has refused a U.S. appeal to release more
than a dozen Christians accused of practicing their faith.
The Christians were arrested in a series of raids that began in July in
the Saudi city of Jedda. U.S. diplomats had raised the issue with the kingdom
and were told that the Christians would be released.
Western diplomatic sources said the Christians were from African and
Asian countries. They included Eritrea, Ethiopia, Nigeria and the
Philippines.
The sources said the last round of arrests took place in November. Seven
Ethiopian nationals were rounded up as they left a prayer meeting in a
Jedda.
The practice of any other religion but Islam is banned by Saudi law.
Over the last decade, Saudi authorities had allowed private prayer but have
cracked down on non-Islamic practice during the current Muslim fast month of
Ramadan.
The sources said some of the Christians have been told they would be
deported. They said that Saudi authorities have not formally charged the
Christians or told them of why they had been jailed.
Pope John Paul II is said to have expressed concern over the fate of
Christians in the Middle East. The pontiff plans to convene a summit with
Catholic Patriarchs and heads of the Catholic communities in the Middle East
on Dec.13 in the Vatican.
In a separate development, a leading Saudi religious official condemned
Muslim attacks on innocent people as contrary to Islamic law. Mohammed Ibn
Abdullah Al Subail, a member of the Council of Senior Islamic Scholars and a
preacher at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, was quoted by the official Saudi
Press Agency as saying that Muslims must protect the lives and property of
non-Muslims "who are under their protection and with whom they have
concluded peace agreements."
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