query: the dominant form of islam in saudi arabia is

pos: Islam in Saudi Arabia dominated only since 1913-1925. Most of the 15 to 20 million Saudi citizens are Sunni Muslims, while the eastern regions are populated mostly by Twelver Shia, and there are Zaydi Shia in the southern regions. According to a number of sources, only a minority of Saudis consider themselves Wahhabis, although according to other sources, the Wahhabi affiliation is up to 40%, making it a very dominant minority, at the very least using a native population of 17 million based on "2008-9 estimates". In addition, the next largest affiliation is with Salafism, which encompasses all of the central principles of Wahhabism,

pos: Culture of Saudi Arabia non-wedders. Observers have described Saudi Arabian society as deeply religious and deeply conservative. Saudi Arabia is the "only modern Muslim state to have been created by jihad, the only one to claim the Quran as its constitution", and the only Arab-Muslim country "to have escaped European imperialism." Islam is the state religion of Saudi Arabia The official and dominant form of Islam in the kingdom, and "the predominant feature of Saudi culture" is the austerely puritanical form of Sunni Islam known as Wahhabism. Wahhabism arose in the central region of Najd, the eighteenth century. Proponents call the movement "Salafism", and

pos: Saudi Arabia which are Tagalog (700,000), Rohingya (400,000), Urdu (380,000), and Egyptian Arabic (300,000). Virtually all Saudi citizens are Muslim (officially, all are), and almost all Saudi residents are Muslim. Estimates of the Sunni population of Saudi Arabia range between 75% and 90%, with the remaining 10–25% being Shia Muslim. The official and dominant form of Sunni Islam in Saudi Arabia is commonly known as Wahhabism (proponents prefer the name Salafism, considering "Wahhabi" derogatory) and is often described as 'puritanical', 'intolerant', or 'ultra-conservative' by observers, and as "true" Islam by its adherents. It was founded in the Arabian Peninsula by Muhammad ibn

pos: Islam in Saudi Arabia carried out by beheading with a sword, stoning or firing squad, followed by crucifixion. Many of the strict and unique practices in Saudi Arabia mentioned above come from Wahhabism, the official and dominant form of Sunni Islam in Saudi Arabia, named after the preacher and scholar Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. Proponents consider the name derogatory, preferring the term Salafiyya, after the early Muslims known as the Salaf. This interpretation is often described as 'puritanical', 'intolerant' or 'ultra-conservative', however proponents believe its teachings seek to purify the practise of Islam of any innovations or practices that deviate from the seventh-century teachings

pos: Legal system of Saudi Arabia of law among the bedouin of Nejd in central Arabia until the early 20th century. By the 11th century, the Muslim world had developed four major Sunni schools of Islamic jurisprudence (or "fiqh"), each with its own interpretations of Sharia: Hanbali, Maliki, Shafi and Hanafi. In Arabia, a preference for the Hanbali school was advocated by the Wahhabi movement, founded in the 18th century. Wahhabism, a strict form of Sunni Islam, was supported by the Saudi royal family (the Al Saud) and is now dominant in Saudi Arabia. From the 18th century, the Hanbali school therefore predominated in Nejd and

pos: Iran–Saudi Arabia football rivalry been "always tight, tense and furiously competitive". Another fissure between the two is religion. While Iran is the spiritual homeland of Shia Islam (since the Safavid dynasty), Saudi Arabia is a country with a Sunni Islam majority. These two religious sects form a minority in the other country (see Sunni Islam in Iran and Shia Islam in Saudi Arabia). The countries also have had chronic political tensions in the last decades. (see Iran–Saudi Arabia relations) The rivalry has been expanded into club matches as well. For example, after the Saudi Arabian national team's away win in March 2009, Saudi players

pos: Saudi Arabia control over girls' education to the Ministry of Education. The ulema have historically been led by the Al ash-Sheikh, the country's leading religious family. The Al ash-Sheikh are the descendants of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, the 18th-century founder of the Wahhabi form of Sunni Islam which is today dominant in Saudi Arabia. The family is second in prestige only to the Al Saud (the royal family) with whom they formed a "mutual support pact" and power-sharing arrangement nearly 300 years ago. The pact, which persists to this day, is based on the Al Saud maintaining the Al ash-Sheikh's authority in

pos: Politics of Saudi Arabia throne in 2005, King Abdullah took steps to rein back the powers of the ulama, for instance transferring their control over girls' education to the Ministry of Education. The ulama have historically been led by the Al ash-Sheikh, the country's leading religious family. The Al ash-Sheikh are the descendants of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, the 18th century founder of the Wahhabi form of Sunni Islam which is today dominant in Saudi Arabia. The family is second in prestige only to the Al Saud (the royal family) with whom they formed a "mutual support pact" and power-sharing arrangement nearly 300 years

pos: Shia Islam Imamate, and this system continued until the middle of the 20th century, when the revolution of 1962 CE deposed the Zaydi Imam. The founding Zaidism of Yemen was of the Jarudiyya group; however, with increasing interaction with Hanafi and Shafi'i rites of Sunni Islam, there was a shift from the Jarudiyya group to the Sulaimaniyya, Tabiriyya, Butriyya or Salihiyya groups. Zaidis form the second dominant religious group in Yemen. Currently, they constitute about 40–45% of the population in Yemen. Ja'faris and Isma'ilis are 2–5%. In Saudi Arabia, it is estimated that there are over 1 million Zaydis (primarily in the

pos: Oman–Saudi Arabia relations of Qatar by Saudi Arabia and its allies. Oman–Saudi Arabia relations Oman–Saudi Arabia relations refers to the current and historical relations between Sultanate of Oman and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Oman has an embassy in Riyadh and a consulate in Jeddah, whilst Saudi Arabia has an embassy in Muscat. Two nations have a long historical relationship between two states. Both are members of the Gulf Cooperation Council and mainly adhere to Islam, Oman follows Ibadi Islam while Saudi Arabia follows sunni Islam. Both being gulf states, make them strong allies, however, Oman has a more lenient approach when it comes

pos: Islam in Saudi Arabia Saud, founder of the Al Saud dynasty, joined forces with the religious leader Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab was the founder of the Wahhabi movement, a strict puritanical form of Sunni Islam. This alliance formed in the 18th century provided the ideological impetus to Saudi expansion and remains the basis of Saudi Arabian dynastic rule today. The first "Saudi state" established in 1744 in the area around Riyadh, rapidly expanded and briefly controlled most of the present-day territory of Saudi Arabia, but was destroyed by 1818 by the Ottoman viceroy of Egypt, Mohammed Ali Pasha. In 1824,

pos: Shia Islam in Saudi Arabia Shia Islam in Saudi Arabia The government does not conduct census on religion and ethnicity but some sources estimated the percentage of Shiites in Saudi Arabia from 15% to 20% of approximately 20 million natives of Saudi Arabia. The modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was formed in 1932 by the House of Saud, who are followers of a retroperspective movement within Sunni Islam known as Wahhabism or "the Wahhabite mission". Followers of the Wahhabite mission—who dominate religious institutions, courts and education of the kingdom—believe that "Muslims should return to the interpretation of Islam found in the classical texts, the Quran

pos: Oman–Saudi Arabia relations Oman–Saudi Arabia relations Oman–Saudi Arabia relations refers to the current and historical relations between Sultanate of Oman and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Oman has an embassy in Riyadh and a consulate in Jeddah, whilst Saudi Arabia has an embassy in Muscat. Two nations have a long historical relationship between two states. Both are members of the Gulf Cooperation Council and mainly adhere to Islam, Oman follows Ibadi Islam while Saudi Arabia follows sunni Islam. Both being gulf states, make them strong allies, however, Oman has a more lenient approach when it comes to Iran. The two countries share a long

pos: Freedom of religion in Saudi Arabia Freedom of religion in Saudi Arabia The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an Islamic theocratic absolute monarchy in which Sunni Islam is the official state religion based on firm Sharia law and non-Muslims are not allowed to hold Saudi citizenship. No law requires all citizens to be Muslim, but non-Muslims and many foreign and Saudi Muslims whose beliefs are deemed not to conform with the government’s interpretation of Islam must practice their religion in private and are vulnerable to discrimination, harassment, detention, and, for noncitizens, deportation. Children born to Muslim fathers are by law deemed Muslim, and conversion from Islam

pos: Saudis Arabia has been criticized for its implementation of Islamic law and its poor human rights record. The official form of Islam is Sunni of the Hanbali school, in its Salafi version. According to official statistics, 85-90% of Saudi citizens are Sunni Muslims, 10-15% are Shia. (More than 30% of the population is made up of foreign workers who are predominantly but not entirely Muslim.) It is unknown how many Ahmadi there are in the country. The two holiest cities of Islam, Mecca and Medina, are in Saudi Arabia. For many reasons, non-Muslims are not permitted to enter the holy cities

pos: Petro-Islam Petro-Islam Petro-Islam usually refers to the extremist and fundamentalist interpretation of Sunni Islam—sometimes called "Wahhabism"—favored by the conservative oil-exporting Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Its name derives from source of the funding—petroleum exports—that spread it through the Muslim world following the Yom Kippur War. The term is sometimes called "pejorative" or a "nickname". According to Sandra Mackey the term was coined by Fouad Ajami. It has been used by French political scientist Gilles Kepel, Bangladeshi religious scholar Imtiyaz Ahmed, and Egyptian philosopher Fouad Zakariyya, among others. The use of the term to refer to "Wahhabism" (the dominant interpretation of Islam in

pos: State-sponsored terrorism Vice-Chancellor of Germany, accused Saudi Arabia of supporting intolerance and extremism, saying: "Wahhabi mosques are financed all over the world by Saudi Arabia. In Germany, many dangerous Islamists come from these communities." In May 2016, The New York Times editorialised that the kingdom allied to the U.S. had "spent untold millions promoting Wahhabism, the radical form of Sunni Islam that inspired the 9/11 hijackers and that now inflames the Islamic State". Iranian Hamidreza Taraghi, a hard-line analyst with ties to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said, “ISIS ideologically, financially and logistically is fully supported and sponsored by Saudi Arabia...They

pos: Arabs also converted (at least partly). With the expansion of Islam, polytheistic Arabs were rapidly Islamized, and polytheistic traditions gradually disappeared. Today, Sunni Islam dominates in most areas, overwhelmingly so in North Africa and the Horn of Africa. Shia Islam is dominant among the Arab population in Bahrain and southern Iraq while northern Iraq is mostly Sunni. Substantial Shia populations exist in Lebanon, Yemen, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, northern Syria and Al-Batinah Region in Oman. There are small numbers of Ibadi and non-denominational Muslims too. The Druze community is concentrated in Lebanon, Syria, Israel and Jordan. Many Druze claim independence from other

pos: Saudi Arabia weakness of the Empire's central authority. The emergence of what was to become the Saudi royal family, known as the Al Saud, began in Nejd in central Arabia in 1744, when Muhammad bin Saud, founder of the dynasty, joined forces with the religious leader Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, founder of the Wahhabi movement, a strict puritanical form of Sunni Islam. This alliance formed in the 18th century provided the ideological impetus to Saudi expansion and remains the basis of Saudi Arabian dynastic rule today. The first "Saudi state" established in 1744 in the area around Riyadh, rapidly expanded and briefly

pos: Islam in Saudi Arabia the non-Wahhabi population of Saudi Arabia—over 60%. Although Wahabism is a strand of Sunni Islam, the promotion of non-Salafi-Sunnism is restricted. An estimated 15% of citizens in Saudi Arabia are Shia Muslims, most of whom are adherents to Twelver Shia Islam. Twelvers are predominantly represented by the Baharna community living in the Eastern Province, with the largest concentrations in Qatif, Al-Hasa, and Dammam. In addition there is a small Twelver Shia minority in Medina (called the Nakhawila). Sizable Zaydi and Isma'ili communities also live in Najran along the border with Yemen. Shia, human rights groups and other observers have complained

pos: Morocco–Saudi Arabia relations Morocco–Saudi Arabia relations Moroccan–Saudi Arabian relations refers to the current and historical relations between Morocco and Saudi Arabia. Morocco has an embassy in Riyadh and Saudi Arabia has an embassy in Rabat. Both two nations have long and traditional friendly relations based on many historical commons. Both Morocco and Saudi Arabia are two monarch states ruled by the respective families of the Alaouites and the Al-Sauds, adhere to Sunni Islam, fear of growing Iranian and Shiite influence and their relationship is mostly described as excellent. Morocco and Saudi Arabia have together taken steps to curb Iranian influence in the Arab

pos: Islam in Saudi Arabia dominated only since 1913-1925. Most of the 15 to 20 million Saudi citizens are Sunni Muslims, while the eastern regions are populated mostly by Twelver Shia, and there are Zaydi Shia in the southern regions. According to a number of sources, only a minority of Saudis consider themselves Wahhabis, although according to other sources, the Wahhabi affiliation is up to 40%, making it a very dominant minority, at the very least using a native population of 17 million based on "2008-9 estimates". In addition, the next largest affiliation is with Salafism, which encompasses all of the central principles of Wahhabism,

pos: Saudi Arabia–Senegal relations Saudi Arabia–Senegal relations Saudi Arabia–Senegal relations are the current and historical relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Senegal. Saudi Arabia has an embassy in Dakar while Senegal has an embassy in Riyadh and a consulate in Jeddah. Both being dominated by Sunni Islam, Saudi Arabia and Senegal have developed a strong relationship. Two nations have recently supported each other in diplomatic issues. Since the beginning of Yemeni Civil War, Senegal has participated as part of Saudi-led coalition against the Houthis, a Shia rebel group native to Yemen. Senegal has deployed over 2,100 troops to Saudi

pos: Tawfik Hamid He says that Muslim fundamentalists believe that Saudi Arabia's petroleum-based wealth is a divine gift and that Saudi influence is sanctioned by Allah. Thus, the Salafist extreme brand of Sunni Islam that spread from the Saudi Arabia to the rest of the Islamic world is regarded not merely as one interpretation of the religion but as the only genuine interpretation. The expansion of violent and regressive Islam, he continues, began in the late 1970s and can be traced precisely to the growing financial clout of Saudi Arabia. In a 2006 radio show (the Orla Barry Show, part of Newstalk), he

pos: Wahhabism teachings are the official, state-sponsored form of Sunni Islam in Saudi Arabia. With the help of funding from Saudi petroleum exports (and other factors), the movement underwent "explosive growth" beginning in the 1970s and now has worldwide influence. The US State Department has estimated that over the past four decades concerns in Riyadh (a global city) have directed at least $10bn (£6bn) to select charitable foundations toward the subversion of mainstream Sunni Islam by the harsh intolerance of Wahhabism. (as of 2017 changes to Saudi religious policy by Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman have led some to suggest that "Islamists

pos: Religion in Saudi Arabia of non-Muslim religious materials such as Bibles, is illegal. In late 2014 a law was promulgated calling for the death penalty for anyone bringing into the country "publications that have a prejudice to any other religious beliefs other than Islam" (thought to include non-Muslim religious books). The official form of Islam is Sunni of the Hanbali school, in its Salafi version. According to official statistics, 75–85% of Saudi Arabian citizens are Sunni Muslims, 10–15% are Shia. (More than 30% of the population is made up of foreign workers who are predominantly but not entirely Muslim.) It is unknown how many

pos: International propagation of Salafism and Wahhabism by region International propagation of Salafism and Wahhabism by region Following the embargo by Arab oil exporters during the Israeli-Arab October 1973 War, and the vast increase in petroleum export revenue that followed, conservative/strict/puritanical interpretations of Sunni Islam favored by the conservative oil-exporting Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, (and to a lesser extent by other Gulf monarchies) achieved a "preeminent position of strength in the global expression of Islam." The interpretations included not only "Wahhabi" Islam of Saudi Arabia (sometimes called Petro-Islam), but Islamist/revivalist Islam, and a "hybrid" of the two interpretations. From 1982 to 2005 (the reign of King Fahd of Saudi

pos: Iran–Saudi Arabia relations Iran–Saudi Arabia relations The Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have no diplomatic relations following an attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran in January 2016. Bilateral relations between the countries have been strained over several geo-political issues such as the interpretations of Islam, aspirations for leadership of the Islamic world, oil export policy and relations with the United States and other Western countries. Saudi Arabia is a conservative Sunni absolute monarchy established in 1932, with a tradition of close ties to the United States and the United Kingdom. Modern Iran is a Twelver Shia Islamic

pos: Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia formerly consisted of mainly four distinct regions: Hejaz, Najd and parts of Eastern Arabia (Al-Ahsa) and Southern Arabia ('Asir). The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932 by Ibn Saud. He united the four regions into a single state through a series of conquests beginning in 1902 with the capture of Riyadh, the ancestral home of his family, the House of Saud. Saudi Arabia has since been an absolute monarchy, effectively a hereditary dictatorship governed along Islamist lines. The ultraconservative Wahhabi religious movement within Sunni Islam has been called "the predominant feature of Saudi culture", with its

pos: Islam in Saudi Arabia with Sunni Saudi religious authorities who disapprove of Shia commemorations marking the martyrdom of Hussein ibn Ali by the Sunni Caliph Yazid I. There also Shias living in Southern Saudi Arabia, who are mostly from the Zaydi branch. Ahmadiyya is a small persecuted Islamic cult in Saudi Arabia. There are "no accurate figures" for the number of Ahmadi in Saudi Arabia. Ahmadis are officially banned from entering the country and are barred from performing the pilgrimage to Mecca. This has led to criticisms from multiple human rights organizations. They are primarily foreign workers from India and Pakistan and some from

pos: Shia–Sunni relations up roughly 15% of Saudi Arabia's population, they form a large portion of the residents of the eastern province of Hasa—by some estimates a majority—where much of the petroleum industry is based. Between 500,000 and a million Shia live there, concentrated especially around the oases of Qatif and Al-Hasa. The Majority of Saudi Shia belong to the sect of the Twelvers. The Saudi conflict of Shia and Sunni extends beyond the borders of the kingdom because of international Saudi "Petro-Islam" influence. Saudi Arabia backed Iraq in the 1980–1988 war with Iran and sponsored militants in Pakistan and Afghanistan who—though primarily

neg: Islam in Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia in 1932. The Saudi government has spent tens of billions of dollars of its petroleum export revenue throughout the Islamic world and elsewhere on building mosques, publishing books, giving scholarships and fellowships, hosting international Islamic organisations, and promoting its form of Islam, sometimes referred to as "petro-Islam". Whether Salafis/Wahhabis are a majority in Saudi Arabia is disputed, with one estimate putting their number at only 22.9% of the native population (concentrated in Najd). The Wahhabi mission has been dominant in Najd for two hundred years, but in most other parts of the country—Hejaz, the Eastern Province, Najran—it has

neg: Kosovo–Saudi Arabia relations legality of Kosovo's independence in 2009. Like Saudi Arabia, Kosovo has a mainly Muslim population. The traditional Islam in Kosovo is the Hanafi school, described as 'liberal' and 'moderate'. Since the Kosovo War, there has been an increasing radicalization of Islam in Kosovo. Wahhabism, which is dominant in Saudi Arabia, has gained a foothold in Kosovo through Saudi diplomacy. Saudi money has paid for new mosques, while Saudi-educated imams have arrived since the end of the war in 1999. Wahhabi schools have been founded. Hundreds of Kosovo Albanians have joined jihad in the Middle East. Kosovo–Saudi Arabia relations Kosovo–Saudi Arabia

neg: Saudi Arabia of Saudi Arabia and its law requires that all citizens be Muslims. Neither Saudi citizens nor guest workers have the right of freedom of religion. The official and dominant form of Islam in the kingdom – Wahhabism—arose in the central region of Najd, in the eighteenth century. Proponents call the movement "Salafism", and believe that its teachings purify the practice of Islam of innovations or practices that deviate from the seventh-century teachings of Muhammad and his companions. The Saudi government has often been viewed as an active oppressor of Shia Muslims because of the funding of the Wahabbi ideology which

neg: Petro-Islam This put Muslim oil exporting states in a "clear position of dominance within the Muslim world". The most dominant was Saudi Arabia, the largest exporter by far (see bar chart). Saudi Arabians viewed their oil wealth not as an accident of geology or history, but connected to religion—a blessing by God of them, to "be solemnly acknowledged and lived up to" with pious behavior. With its new wealth the rulers of Saudi Arabia sought to replace nationalist movements in the Muslim world with Islam, to bring Islam "to the forefront of the international scene", and to unify Islam worldwide under

neg: Youth in Saudi Arabia Youth in Saudi Arabia Youth in Saudi Arabia are the citizens of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia who are between the ages of 15 and 24. In 2015, the estimated population was around twenty-seven million, and 19.11% of the population was between the ages of 15 and 24. Religion impacts the lives of Saudi youth. The government enforces a strict form of Islam called Wahhabism as the national religion that affects the areas of family formation, education and political activism. Islam teaches youth that family should be central to their lives and to respect their parents. Education in Saudi Arabia

neg: Islam in Saudi Arabia ]] [[Category:Religion in Saudi Arabia]] [[Category:Islam by country|Saudi Arabia]] Islam in Saudi Arabia Islam is the state religion of Saudi Arabia. The connection between Islam and Saudi Arabia (or at least the western Hejaz region of the country) is uniquely strong. The kingdom, which sometimes is called the "home of Islam", is the location of the cities of Mecca and Medina, where Muhammad, the messenger of the Islamic faith, lived and died, and attracts millions of Muslim Hajj pilgrims annually, and thousands of clerics and students who come from across the Muslim world to study. The official title of the

neg: Saudi Arabia workers — mostly from Somalia, Ethiopia, and Yemen — have been detained and deported since 2013. Saudi Arabia has centuries-old attitudes and traditions, often derived from Arab civilization. This culture has been heavily influenced by the austerely puritanical Wahhabi form of Islam, which arose in the eighteenth century and now predominates in the country. Wahhabi Islam has been called "the predominant feature of Saudi culture." The Hejazi region, where the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina are located, is the destination of the Ḥajj pilgrimage, and often deemed to be the cradle of Islam. Islam is the state religion

neg: Youth in Saudi Arabia cardiovascular disease was "strongly related to different dietary and lifestyle habits". Youth in Saudi Arabia Youth in Saudi Arabia are the citizens of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia who are between the ages of 15 and 24. In 2015, the estimated population was around twenty-seven million, and 19.11% of the population was between the ages of 15 and 24. Religion impacts the lives of Saudi youth. The government enforces a strict form of Islam called Wahhabism as the national religion that affects the areas of family formation, education and political activism. Islam teaches youth that family should be central to

neg: Islam in Saudi Arabia Islam in Saudi Arabia Islam is the state religion of Saudi Arabia. The connection between Islam and Saudi Arabia (or at least the western Hejaz region of the country) is uniquely strong. The kingdom, which sometimes is called the "home of Islam", is the location of the cities of Mecca and Medina, where Muhammad, the messenger of the Islamic faith, lived and died, and attracts millions of Muslim Hajj pilgrims annually, and thousands of clerics and students who come from across the Muslim world to study. The official title of the King of Saudi Arabia is "Custodian of the Two

neg: Al ash-Sheikh Al ash-Sheikh The Al ash-Sheikh (, '), also transliterated in a number of other ways, including Al ash-Shaykh, Al ash-Shaikh, Al al-Shaykh, or Al-Shaykh"', is Saudi Arabia's leading religious family. They are the descendants of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, the 18th-century founder of the Wahhabi sect of Islam which is today dominant in Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia, the family is second in prestige only to the Saudi royal family, the Al Saud, with whom they formed a power-sharing arrangement nearly 300 years ago. The arrangement, which persists to this day, is based on the Al Saud maintaining the Al

neg: Religion in Saudi Arabia Religion in Saudi Arabia Islam is the state religion of Saudi Arabia and its law requires all citizens to be Muslims. Public worship by adherents of religions other than Islam is forbidden. Any non-Muslim attempting to acquire Saudi Arabian nationality must convert to Islam. Saudi Arabia has been criticized for its implementation of Islamic law and its human rights record. Saudi Arabia is an Islamic theocracy. Religious minorities do not have the right to practice their religion. Non-Muslim propagation is banned, and conversion from Islam to another religion is punishable by death as apostasy. Proselytizing by non-Muslims, including the distribution

neg: Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Saudi Arabia) Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Saudi Arabia) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs ( "Wizārat al-Khārijīyah") is the ministry responsible for handling the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's external relations. The ministry oversees "political, cultural and financial international relations" and monitors the Kingdom's diplomatic relations. It was created in 1930 by a royal decree issued by King Abdulaziz Al Saud, being the first ministerial body created by the King. At the ministry, the Salafi interpretation of Islam is also dominant as in other governmental bodies and it is used as an alternative foreign policy tool that projects Saudi power across the Muslim world.

neg: Islam in Saudi Arabia white checkered headdress. Sharia, or Islamic law, is the basis of the legal system in Saudi Arabia. It is unique not only compared to Western systems, but also compared to other Muslim countries, as (according to its supporters) the Saudi model is closest to the form of law originally developed when Islam became established in the Arabian peninsula in the 7th century. The Saudi courts impose a number of severe physical punishments. The death penalty can be imposed for a wide range of offences including murder, rape, armed robbery, repeated drug use, apostasy, adultery, witchcraft and sorcery and can be

neg: Indonesia–Saudi Arabia relations Indonesia–Saudi Arabia relations Indonesia–Saudi Arabia relations (, ) are particularly notable because Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam, and Indonesia is home to the world's largest Muslim population; both are Muslim majority countries. Economy and trade relations are also particularly important, especially on oil (energy) and human resources (migrant worker) sectors. Saudi Arabia has an embassy in Jakarta, while Indonesia has an embassy in Riyadh and a consulate in Jeddah. Both countries are members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and G-20 major economies. The historical link between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia was Islam. Numerous Muslim traders and ulamas

neg: Saudi Arabia Abd al-Wahhab in the eighteenth century. Other denominations, such as the minority Shia Islam, are systematically suppressed. According to estimates there are about 1,500,000 Christians in Saudi Arabia, almost all foreign workers. Saudi Arabia allows Christians to enter the country as foreign workers for temporary work, but does not allow them to practice their faith openly. The percentage of Saudi Arabian citizens who are Christians is officially zero, as Saudi Arabia forbids religious conversion from Islam (apostasy) and punishes it by death. According to Pew Research Center there are 390,000 Hindus in Saudi Arabia, almost all foreign workers. There may

neg: Niqāb veil pre-dates Islam, and had been used by certain Arabian pre-Islamic cultures. Culturally, it is "a custom imported from Najd, a region in Saudi Arabia and the power base of its Salafi fundamentalist form of Islam. Within Muslim countries it is very contested and considered fringe." Today, the niqab is most often worn in its region of origin: the Arab countries of the Arabian Peninsula — Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. However, even in these countries, the niqab is neither a universal cultural custom nor is it culturally compulsory. In other parts of the Muslim world

neg: International propagation of Salafism and Wahhabism by region province of Saudi Arabia, has had close relations with the kingdom since the Arab Oil Embargo. However, the dominant interpretation of Islam in Sudan was very different from that of Saudis or Muslim Brotherhood. Traditional popular Islam of the Sufi or mystical brotherhoods (the Ansar and the Khatmiya) who were each attached to a political party, had great influence among the masses of Muslims. Saudi funding, investment, and labor migration from Sudan has all worked over time to change that. Saudi provided funding for the Muslim Brotherhood whose local leader, Hassan al-Turabi, enjoyed "close relations" with "some of the more

neg: Wahhabism the term as "a doctrine that doesn't exist here (Saudi Arabia)" and challenged users of the term to locate any "deviance of the form of Islam practiced in Saudi Arabia from the teachings of the Quran and Prophetic Hadiths". Ingrid Mattson argues that Wahhbism' is not a sect. It is a social movement that began 200 years ago to rid Islam of rigid cultural practices that had (been) acquired over the centuries." On the other hand, according to authors at Global Security and Library of Congress the term is now commonplace and used even by Wahhabi scholars in the Najd,

neg: Freedom of religion in Saudi Arabia Rights in Saudi Arabia: The Role of Women", Ali Al-Ahmed, Director of the Saudi Institute, stated: Saudi Arabia is a glaring example of religious apartheid. The religious institutions from government clerics to judges, to religious curricula, and all religious instructions in media are restricted to the Wahhabi understanding of Islam, adhered to by less than 40% of the population. The Saudi government communized Islam, through its monopoly of both religious thoughts and practice. Wahhabi Islam is imposed and enforced on all Saudis regardless of their religious orientations. The Wahhabi sect does not tolerate other religious or ideological beliefs, Muslim or

neg: Saudi foreign assistance Kosovo used $5 million to finance projects in rehabilitation, foodstuffs, relief materials, educational and religious programs, sponsorship of orphans, health care programs and development. Freights from Jeddah took 400,000 liters of milk as well as 900 cartons of clothing, 1,000 blankets, 25 water cisterns, medical supplies and surgical appliances such as wheelchairs to Pristina. Saudi citizens donated $20 million to Kosovo in cash as well as food and medical supplies, and the Saudi Red Crescent sent medical volunteers. Since the Kosovo War, there has been an increasing radicalization of Islam in Kosovo. Wahhabism, which is dominant in Saudi Arabia, has

neg: Canada–Saudi Arabia relations of all discussions and meetings. Several private Islamic schools in Canada have been directly financed by Saudi Arabia to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. This has proved controversial, with detractors claiming that these schools can be used to propagate Saudi Arabia's strict form of Islam known as Wahhabism. During the Gulf War, both Canadian and Saudi forces cooperated with the coalition forces to quell the invasion of Kuwait and the advancement of the Iraqi military. In February 1991, Canada opened up a field hospital in Saudi Arabia in the north-eastern village of Qaisumah to treat both coalition

neg: Religion of Islam include Nation of Islam, Ibadi, Sufism, Quranism, Mahdavia, and non-denominational Muslims. Wahhabism is the dominant Muslim schools of thought in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Bahá'í Faith is an Abrahamic religion founded in 19th-century Iran and since then has spread worldwide. It teaches unity of all religious philosophies and accepts all of the prophets of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam as well as additional prophets including its founder Bahá'u'lláh. One of its divisions is the Orthodox Bahá'í Faith. Smaller regional Abrahamic groups also exist, including Samaritanism (primarily in Israel and the West Bank), the Rastafari movement (primarily in

neg: Women's education in Saudi Arabia Women's education in Saudi Arabia Women's education in Saudi Arabia is, as with several other aspects of daily life, organized according to the principles of Islam, which is the official religion of the country, which puts emphasis on the importance of knowledge, study, and understanding. The religion believes that obtaining knowledge is the only way to gain true understanding of life, and as such encourage both males and females to study. The way of practicing Wahhabi Islam has therefore led to segregation in education in Saudi Arabia, and in turn has created segregation in political, economical, and labor force environments.

neg: Islam in Saudi Arabia continue to hold the highest posts in the religious bureaucracy. Wahhabi influence in Saudi Arabia, however, remained tangible in the physical conformity in dress, in public deportment, and in public prayer. Most significantly, the Wahhabi legacy was manifest in the social ethos that presumed government responsibility for the collective moral ordering of society, from the behavior of individuals, to institutions, to businesses, to the government itself. The Wahhabi mission has been dominant in most of the central region of Najd—its "heartland"—for two hundred years, but in most other parts of the country it has dominated only since 1913-1925. The eastern

neg: Women's rights in Saudi Arabia Gallup poll in 2006 in eight predominantly Muslim countries found that only in Saudi Arabia did the majority of women not agree that women should be allowed to hold political office. Saudi women supportive of traditional gender roles (many of them well educated, "sometimes downright aggressive" and including "award-winning scientists, writers and college professors") insist that loosening the ban on women driving and working with men is part of an onslaught of Westernized ideas to weaken Islam and that Saudi Arabia is uniquely in need of conservative values because it is the center of Islam. Some Saudi female advocates of

neg: Apostasy in Islam two years. Casual discussion or "sharing one's faith" with any Muslim resident in Qatar has been deemed a violation of Qatari law, leading to deportation or prison time. There is no law against proselytizing non-Muslims to join Islam. Saudi Arabia has no penal code, and defaults its law entirely to Sharia and its implementation to religious courts. The case law in Saudi Arabia, and consensus of its jurists is that Islamic law imposes the death penalty on apostates. Apostasy law is actively enforced in Saudi Arabia. For example, Saudi authorities charged Hamza Kashgari, a Saudi writer, in 2012 with apostasy

neg: Freedom of religion in Saudi Arabia version of Islam. Non-Muslim students in private schools are not required to study Islam. Private religious schools are permitted for non-Muslims or for Muslims adhering to unofficial interpretations of Islam. In 2007, Saudi religious police detained Shiite pilgrims participating in the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage, allegedly calling them "infidels in Mecca and Medina" Ahmadis are persecuted in Saudi Arabia on an ongoing basis. Although there are many foreign workers and Saudi citizens belonging to the Ahmadiyya sect in Saudi Arabia, Ahmadis are officially banned from entering the country and from performing the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina.

neg: Planning of the September 11 attacks the continued presence of U.S. soldiers in Saudi Arabia. He interpreted the Prophet Muhammad as banning the "permanent presence of infidels in Arabia". This drove bin Laden to attack U.S. military targets in Saudi Arabia. Also, the date chosen for the 1998 Kenyan embassy bombings (August 7), was eight years to the day that American troops were sent to Saudi Arabia. Bin Laden also stated that he viewed the House of Saud (the Saudi royal family) as apostates. In Islam, the charge of apostasy is made against Muslims who have become non-believers and reject Islam. Bin Laden also objected to

neg: Islam in Saudi Arabia ulema, the religious establishment, is all-pervasive. Article one of the 1992 Saudi "Basic Law of Governance" states, "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a sovereign Arab Islamic State. Its religion is Islam. Its constitution is Almighty God's Book, The Holy Qur'an, and the Sunna (Traditions) of the Prophet (PBUH). Arabic is the language of the Kingdom." Unlike most Muslim countries, Saudi Arabia gives the ulema direct involvement in government, and fields a specifically "religious" police force, called the "Haia". (Iran gives the ulema much more influence and also has a religious police.) According to Robert Baer, this power is only

neg: Saudis by both the Saudis and the declaration's signatories, for a non-Muslim even to set foot on the sacred soil is a major offense. In the rest of the kingdom, non-Muslims, while admitted as temporary visitors, were not permitted to establish residence or practice their religion. While Saudi Arabia does allow non-Muslims to live in Saudi Arabia to work, they may not practice religion publicly. According to the government of the United Kingdom: The public practice of any form of religion other than Islam is illegal; as is an intention to convert others. However, the Saudi authorities accept the private practice

neg: Shia Islam in Saudi Arabia Local Ismaelis, who are often armed, retaliated, firing on security forces and burning some of their vehicles and killing dozens of them. Approximately 40 policemen and members of various security forces (all non-Ismaili) were killed and many more injured. Saudi Army reinforcements swept the area and made many arrests. Dozens of Ismaeli government employees were transferred away from Najran." Shia Islam in Saudi Arabia The government does not conduct census on religion and ethnicity but some sources estimated the percentage of Shiites in Saudi Arabia from 15% to 20% of approximately 20 million natives of Saudi Arabia. The modern Kingdom

neg: Women's rights in Saudi Arabia should hold political office. Many embraced the veil and the male-guardianship system. Many Saudis viewed their country as "the closest thing to an ideal and pure Islamic nation," and therefore most in need of resistance to Western values. Conservative cleric Mohsen al-Awajy says the country must resist secularization: "Saudi society is a special, tribal society, and neither King Abdullah or anyone else can impose his own interpretation of Islam. They can do nothing without Islam. There is no Saudi Arabia without Islam." Princess Loulwa Al-Faisal describes herself as a conservative, advocating change that is gradual and consistent with Islam. A

neg: Islam in Saudi Arabia compound bombings and other attacks, which prompted the government to take much more stringent action against terrorism. The king (Abdullah) has also taken steps to rein back the powers of the ulema, for instance transferring their control over girls' education to the Ministry of Education. Some have complained that the king's dominance over the ulema has weakened the traditional Islamic legitimacy of Saudi throne. Islam plays a central role in Saudi society. It has been said that Islam is more than a religion, it is a way of life in Saudi Arabia, and, as a result, the influence of the

neg: Capital punishment in Saudi Arabia paralleled similar developments in the U.S. and China in late 20th century. Saudi Arabia has a criminal justice system based on a hardline and literal form of Shari'ah law reflecting a particular state-sanctioned interpretation of Islam. It is usually carried out publicly by beheading with a sword. A recent report by the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights (ESOHR) shows that the number of beheadings in the kingdom during the first quarter of 2018 rose by over 70 percent compared to the same period last year. Occasionally they can be performed by shooting. A public beheading will typically take place

neg: Shia Islam in Saudi Arabia of the Institute for Gulf Affairs, stated Saudi Arabia is a glaring example of religious apartheid. The religious institutions from government clerics to judges, to religious curriculums, and all religious instructions in media are restricted to the Wahhabi understanding of Islam, adhered to by less than 40% of the population. The Saudi government communized Islam, through its monopoly of both religious thoughts and practice. Wahhabi Islam is imposed and enforced on all Saudis regardless of their religious orientations. The Wahhabi sect does not tolerate other religious or ideological beliefs, Muslim or not. Religious symbols by Muslims, Christians, Jewish and other

neg: History of Saudi Arabia are migrations from the peninsula into neighbouring areas. There is also evidence from Timna (Israel) and (Jordan) that the local Qurayya/Midianite pottery originated within the Hejaz region of NW Saudi Arabia, which suggests that the biblical Midianites originally came from the Hejaz region of NW Saudi Arabia before expanding into Jordan and Southern Israel. Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, was born in Mecca in about 570 and first began preaching in the city in 610, but migrated to Medina in 622. From there, He and His companions united the tribes of Arabia under the banner of Islam and created a

neg: Foreign relations of Saudi Arabia Foreign relations of Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabian stated policy is focused on co-operation with the oil-exporting Gulf States, the unity of the Arab world, Islamic strength and solidarity, and support for the United Nations (UN). In practice, the main concerns in recent years have been relations with the US, the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Iraq, the perceived threat from the Islamic Republic of Iran, the effect of oil pricing, and using its oil wealth to increase the influence of Islam and especially the conservative school of Islam supported by the country's rulers (known as Wahhabism). Saudi Arabia contributes large amounts of development

neg: LGBT rights in Saudi Arabia LGBT rights in Saudi Arabia Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Saudi Arabia face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents, and Saudi Arabia is considered to have one of the worst LGBT rights records in the world. Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal. LGBT rights are not recognized by the government of Saudi Arabia. The Saudi social mores and laws are heavily influenced by Arab tribal customs and ultra-conservative Wahhabi Islam. Homosexuality and being transgender are widely seen as immoral and indecent activities, and the law punishes acts of homosexuality or cross-dressing with punishments

neg: Discrimination against atheists executed in at least fourteen nations: Afghanistan, Iran, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. According to popular interpretations of Islam, Muslims are not free to change religion or become an atheist: denying Islam and thus becoming an apostate is traditionally punished by death for men and by life imprisonment for women. The death penalty for apostasy is apparent in a range of Islamic states including: Iran, Egypt, Pakistan, Somalia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Although there have been no recently reported executions in Saudi Arabia, a

neg: Indonesia–Saudi Arabia relations punishment greater than a fine. Some of these cases have attracted worldwide attention. Another problem is the number of Indonesian workers facing death row in Saudi Arabia. These Indonesian maids have been arrested on alleged charges of murder, witchcraft and sexual offenses. In June 2012, around 32 Indonesian housemaids were arrested and held under death sentences. A few maids were sentenced to death earlier. Indonesia–Saudi Arabia relations Indonesia–Saudi Arabia relations (, ) are particularly notable because Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam, and Indonesia is home to the world's largest Muslim population; both are Muslim majority countries. Economy and

neg: Christianity in Saudi Arabia rooms and private meetings. According to the Society of Architectural Heritage Protection Jeddah and the Municipality of Jeddah, a long-abandoned house in Al-Baghdadiyya district has never been an Anglican church, contrary to the "'myth' that had spread on the Internet". There was however still in 1930 a non-Muslim cemetery in Jeddah. The percentage of Saudi Arabian citizens who are Christians is officially zero, as Saudi Arabia forbids religious conversion from Islam and punishes it by death (Capital punishment in Saudi Arabia). Christianity in Saudi Arabia Accurate religious demographics are difficult to obtain in Saudi Arabia but while all citizens are

neg: Tourism in Saudi Arabia perform Umrah. During the rest of the year, Mecca receives around four million for Umrah. The Hajj, or pilgrimage to the city, is one of the five pillars of Islam. However, non-Muslims are not allowed to enter. Most visitors arriving in Saudi Arabia on a short term basis were from the following countries: Tourism in Saudi Arabia Although most tourism in Saudi Arabia still largely involves religious pilgrimages, there is growth in the leisure tourism sector. According to the World Bank, approximately 14.3 million people visited Saudi Arabia in 2012, making it the world’s 19th-most-visited country. Potential tourist areas include

neg: Disability in Saudi Arabia Disability in Saudi Arabia Disability in Saudi Arabia is seen through the lens of Islamic Sharia, through cultural norms and also through legislation. As an Islamic society that follows the Qur'an and the Sunnah, disability is often seen through the lens of religion. Islam teaches that people with disabilities are to be treated with respect and equality. However, Saudi Arabia tends to view disability through the medical model, rather than the social model. In addition, there are few studies relating to people with disabilities in Saudi Arabia compared to other countries. For many years, it was thought that the rate

neg: The Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia Islam that openly sponsors terrorism and the persecution of other religions. While modest efforts have been made by the Saudi government to modernize their strict adherence to Wahhabism and to try to separate themselves from the negative aspects of this brand of Islam(2008 Interfaith Conference. Madrid, Spain), CDHR believes that “unless the international community takes concrete measures to discourage the Saudi institutions from promoting religious hatred in Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Arab world, the consequences could be catastrophic.” Women in Saudi Arabia are less represented in political, social, economic and scientific fields than women in any other

neg: Australians in Saudi Arabia visit the two holiest cities of Islam, Mecca and Medina. Many expatriates in Saudi Arabia are attracted to what they refer to as "the good life", including large salaries and tax-free jobs, consistent weather and a comfortable social life within their housing compounds. Australians in Saudi Arabia Australians in Saudi Arabia are a sizeable community consisting mainly of expatriates. Their population is estimated to be anywhere up to 5,000 with the majority based in major commercial centres such as Riyadh and Jeddah. Most Australian citizens in Saudi Arabia tend to be occupational-oriented and are employed mainly in the health, education,

neg: Samira Islam education for Saudi women. She became vice dean of the Faculty of Medicine in 1974. Islam investigated drug metabolism as it pertained to the Saudi population. She founded and heads the Drug Monitoring Unit of King Fahd Medical Research Center at King Abdulaziz University. She was the first person from Saudi Arabia to become a full professor in pharmacology in 1983. Islam is on the board of the Arab Science and Technology Foundation. Islam received a Makkah Award of Excellence for her research on the effects and impact of medication on Saudis. Samira Islam Samira Ibrahim Islam is a Saudi

neg: Tourism in the Arab world Emirates and Oman form the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), also known as the Arab states of the Persian Gulf. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia covers the greater part of the peninsula. The majority of the population of the peninsula live in Saudi Arabia and in Yemen. The history of the Arabian Peninsula goes back to the beginnings of human habitation in Arabia up to 20,000 years ago. The region has twice in world history had a global impact. The first was in the 7th century when it became the cradle of Islam. The second was from the mid-20th century when

neg: Siege of Dammaj to the neighboring Al Hudaydah and Sana'a, handing over victory to the Houthis. The roots of the sectarian conflict in Yemen can be arguably connected to Saudi Arabia’s systematic proselytization of Salafism, a puritanical form of Islam, inside Yemen. Such effect of this proselytizing has somewhat caused resistance from Zaydi Shia demographics who perceives Wahhabism as a threat to their existence. Since the late 1970s, Saudi Arabia tries to export its Salafi hegemony in order to maintain some leverage over the Yemeni government. Sheikh Muqbil bin Hadi al-Wadi’i, a Yemeni student of the Islamic University of Medina in Saudi Arabia,

neg: Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict Islamic Conference in Mecca, at which a resolution was passed to create the Muslim World League. The organization is dedicated to spreading Islam and fostering Islamic solidarity under the Saudi purview, and has been successful in promoting Islam, particularly the conservative Wahhabi doctrine advocated by the Saudi government. Saudi Arabia also spearheaded the creation of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in 1969. Saudi Arabia's image as the leader of the Muslim world was undermined in 1979 with the rise of Iran's new theocratic government under Ayatollah Khomeini, who challenged the legitimacy of the Al Saud dynasty and its authority as

neg: Flag of Saudi Arabia Flag of Saudi Arabia The flag of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia () is the flag used by the government of Saudi Arabia since March 15, 1973. It is a green flag featuring in white an Arabic inscription and a sword. The inscription is the Islamic creed, or "shahada": "There is no god but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God". The Arabic inscription on the flag, written in the calligraphic Thuluth script, is the "shahada" or Islamic declaration of faith: The green of the flag represents Islam and the sword stands for the strictness in applying justice. The flag

neg: Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah bin Baz () (November 21, 1910 – May 13, 1999), was a Saudi Arabian Islamic scholar and a leading proponent of the Wahhabi form of Islam. He was the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia from 1993 until his death in 1999. According to French political scientist Gilles Kepel, Baz was a "figurehead for institutional" whose "immense religious erudition and his reputation for intransigence" gave him prestige among the population of Saudi Arabia and he "could reinforce the Saud family's policies through his influence with the masses of believers", and his death left

neg: Disability in Saudi Arabia hidden at home so that people are not afraid to marry into their family. The first paralympic team sent by Saudi Arabia was in 1996, and they competed in Atlanta. Para-athletes have also been involved in the INAS World Football Championship. Disability in Saudi Arabia Disability in Saudi Arabia is seen through the lens of Islamic Sharia, through cultural norms and also through legislation. As an Islamic society that follows the Qur'an and the Sunnah, disability is often seen through the lens of religion. Islam teaches that people with disabilities are to be treated with respect and equality. However, Saudi

neg: The Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia in the affairs of the Saudi state. By making these changes, The Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia believes that the people in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will embrace democracy,a free market economy, tolerance, and in turn share in extreme productivity economically and socially. Religious freedom is an important issue for the center. It is forbidden to practice any other religion in The Kingdom other than Wahhabism, which is the state-sanctioned interpretation of Islam. Representative of an estimated one percent of Muslims in Saudi Arabia, Wahhabism is considered by most to be and extremist sect of

neg: Christianity in Saudi Arabia the Saudi Kingdom. Saudi Arabia allows Christians to enter the country as foreign workers for temporary work, but does not allow them to practice their faith openly. Because of that Christians generally only worship within private homes. Items and articles belonging to religions other than Islam are prohibited. These include Bibles, crucifixes, statues, carvings, items with religious symbols, and others. The Saudi Arabian Mutaween (), or Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (i.e., the religious police) prohibits the practice of any religion other than Islam. Conversion of a Muslim to another religion is considered apostasy,

neg: Freedom of religion by country the Islamic religion on which [Saudi Arabia] is based" as a form of terrorism. The Saudi Mutaween (Arabic: مطوعين), or Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (i.e., the religious police) enforces an interpretation of Muslim religious law in public, employing both armed and unarmed officers. Islamic religious education is mandatory in public schools at all levels. All public school children receive religious instruction that conforms with the official version of Islam. Non-Muslim students in private schools are not required to study Islam. Private religious schools are permitted for non-Muslims or for Muslims adhering to unofficial

neg: Sociological classifications of religious movements This is especially true of Catholicism in the United States. The change from a "church" to a "denomination" is still under way in many Latin American countries where the majority of citizens remain Catholics. Islam is a church in countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran, where there is no separation of church and state. The Basic Law of Saudi Arabia states: "[The Constitution of Saudi Arabia is] God's Book [the Qur'an] and the Sunnah of His Prophet [Muhammad]". These nations are ruled under an official interpretation of religious law ("Salafi" in the case of Saudi Arabia), and the religious law

neg: Ahmadiyya in Saudi Arabia Ahmadiyya in Saudi Arabia Ahmadiyya is a persecuted branch of Islam in Saudi Arabia. Although there are many foreign workers and Saudi citizens belonging to the Ahmadiyya movement in Saudi Arabia, Ahmadis are officially banned from entering the country and from performing the pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina. This has led to criticisms from multiple human rights organizations. From the very early history of the Ahmadiyya Movement in the late 19th century, Ahmadis have had contact with the region in what were then a host of Ottoman provinces in the Arabian peninsula, primarily due to their spiritual connection to the

neg: Iran–Saudi Arabia relations 8 January 2016 to understand their stance regarding the conflict. He urged the Government of Pakistan to play a positive role to resolve the matter between both countries. Iran–Saudi Arabia relations The Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have no diplomatic relations following an attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran in January 2016. Bilateral relations between the countries have been strained over several geo-political issues such as the interpretations of Islam, aspirations for leadership of the Islamic world, oil export policy and relations with the United States and other Western countries. Saudi Arabia is a

neg: Saudi Arabia separated from Israel and Egypt by the Gulf of Aqaba. It is the only nation with both a Red Sea coast and a Persian Gulf coast, and most of its terrain consists of arid desert, lowland and mountains. Saudi Arabia is the largest economy in the Middle East as of October 2018 and the 18th largest in the world. The territory that now constitutes Saudi Arabia was the site of several ancient cultures and civilizations. The prehistory of Saudi Arabia shows some of the earliest traces of human activity in the world. The world's second-largest religion, Islam, emerged in modern-day

neg: Foreign relations of Saudi Arabia allies for their support of Israel, oil revenues increased dramatically and it worked to become the leading Islamic state, spending generously to advance Islam and particularly its conservative school (known as Wahhabism). The effect has been to purify and unify Islamic faith, according to supporters, and to erode regional Islamic cultures, according to others. (Examples of the acculturizing effect of Saudi aid can be seen among the Minangkabau and the Acehnese in Indonesia, as well as among the people of the Maldives. The Wahhabi form of Islam is also perceived in the West as being a source of Islamist extremism)

neg: Banu Yam Murrah and the 'Ujman of eastern Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf coast. The Yam are notable among the tribes of Saudi Arabia for the majority of its members who follow the small Sulaymani Isma'ili branch of Shi'ite Islam. Religious leadership is currently in the hands of the al-Makrami clan, who joined Yam through alliance some time in the 17th century. Members of the tribe can be found throughout Saudi Arabia due to migration, particularly the areas around Jeddah and Dammam. Unlike some other tribes of southwestern Saudi Arabia, Yam have traditionally had a large bedouin section, due to the

neg: Meccan Trade and the Rise of Islam Meccan Trade and the Rise of Islam Meccan Trade And The Rise Of Islam is a book written by scholar and historiographer of early Islam Patricia Crone. The book argues that Islam did not originate in Mecca, located in western Saudi Arabia, but in northern Arabia. An examination of all available evidence and sources leads Crone to conclude that Mohammed's career took place not in Mecca and Medina or in southwest Arabia at all, but in northwest Arabia. Robert Bertram Serjeant, reviewing the book in the "Journal of the American Oriental Society", described it as a "confused, irrational and illogical

neg: Makkah Region event of Ghadir Khumm. Governors of the Makkah Region since the establishment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are as follows: The region is divided into 17 governorates (with 2010 Census populations): Makkah Region The Makkah Region or Mecca Region ( "") is the most populous region ("minṭaqah") in Saudi Arabia. It is located in western Saudi Arabia, and has an extended coastline. It has an area of 153,128 km², and a population of 6,915,006 (2010 census). Its capital is Mecca (also transliterated as Makkah), the holiest city in Islam, and its largest city is Jeddah, which is also Saudi

neg: Shabbir Ahmed (writer) of the royal medical staff of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, he learned the Arabic language in the 1970s under the auspices of Malik Faisal bin Abdul Aziz and Malik Khalid bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia . Ahmed has traveled and studied the Muslim world and written several books on what Islam is as well as what it is not. Dr. Shabbir Ahmed's published works include: In 2010 Dr. Shabbir Ahmed was criticized for alleging in his books The Criminals of Islam and Islam-The True History and False Beliefs, that after writing his 300 volumes, authoritative Imam Razi confesses: ""All

neg: Antisemitism in Saudi Arabia freedom "does not exist" in Saudi Arabia. Islam is the official religion of Saudi Arabia, and the tenets of that religion are enforced by law. Saudi textbooks vilify Jews (and Christians and non-Wahhabi Muslims): according to 21 May 2006 issue of "The Washington Post", Saudi textbooks claimed by them to have been sanitized of antisemitism still call Jews apes (and Christians swine); demand that students avoid and not befriend Jews; claim that Jews worship the devil; and encourage Muslims to engage in Jihad to vanquish Jews. The Center for Religious Freedom of Freedom House analyzed a set of Saudi Ministry

neg: Saudi Arabia–Yemen relations Saudi Arabia–Yemen relations Saudi Arabia and Yemen relations refers to the current and historical relationship between the neighbouring sovereign states of Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The two countries at one time did enjoy good relations and closely cooperated in military, economic and cultural issues. Now because of the ongoing Yemeni Civil War and the realignments of power in the Middle East with the emergence of al-Qaeda and the radicalization of some factions of Islam, Saudi Arabia has led a military intervention into Yemen, alongside a nine-member coalition, backed logistically by the United States, using airstrikes inside of Yemen and commencing

neg: Saudi Arabia–Yemen relations Foreign Influence, Columbia University Press, . Saudi Arabia–Yemen relations Saudi Arabia and Yemen relations refers to the current and historical relationship between the neighbouring sovereign states of Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The two countries at one time did enjoy good relations and closely cooperated in military, economic and cultural issues. Now because of the ongoing Yemeni Civil War and the realignments of power in the Middle East with the emergence of al-Qaeda and the radicalization of some factions of Islam, Saudi Arabia has led a military intervention into Yemen, alongside a nine-member coalition, backed logistically by the United States, using

neg: Religion in Saudi Arabia other than Islam is illegal; as is an intention to convert others. However, the Saudi Arabian authorities accept the private practice of religions other than Islam, and you can bring a Bible into the country as long as it is for your personal use. Importing larger quantities than this can carry severe penalties. Estimates of the number of Christians in Saudi Arabia include 1,500,000 (Memri.org) and about 3,000,000 (journalist Karen House). All or almost all Christians in the Kingdom are foreign workers. Christians have complained of religious persecution by authorities. In one case in December 2012, 35 Ethiopian Christians working

neg: Hijab In a 2014 survey of men and women in seven Muslim-majority countries, the Afghan burqa was the preferred form of woman's dress for 11% of respondents in Saudi Arabia, 4% in Iraq, 3% in Pakistan, 2% in Lebanon, and 1% or less in Egypt, Tunisia, and Turkey. The niqab face veil was the preferred option for 63% of respondents in Saudi Arabia, 32% in Pakistan, 9% in Egypt, 8% in Iraq, and 2% or less in Lebanon, Tunisia, and Turkey. Veiling did not originate with the advent of Islam. Statuettes depicting veiled priestesses precede all major Abrahamic religions (Christianity, Judaism,

neg: Religion in Saudi Arabia the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice in 2014 to tackle 'cyber criminals' operating in the kingdom received reports of 2,734 cases of sites based in Saudi Arabia promulgating atheist sentiment. A government official announced in that same year that 850 websites and social media pages espousing views deemed to be 'atheistic' in nature have been blocked in the country over a span of 16 months. Religion in Saudi Arabia Islam is the state religion of Saudi Arabia and its law requires all citizens to be Muslims. Public worship by adherents of religions other than