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The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an Islamic absolute monarchy in which Sunni Islam is the official state religion based on firm Sharia law. Non-Muslims must practice their religion in private and are vulnerable to discrimination and arrest.[1] While no law requires all citizens to be Muslim,[1] non-Muslim foreigners attempting to acquire Saudi Arabian nationality must convert to Islam.[2] Children born to Muslim fathers are by law deemed Muslim.[3]
Religious freedom is not provided for under the law.[1] The government does not provide legal recognition or protection for freedom of religion, and it is severely restricted in practice. As a matter of policy, the government guarantees and protects the right to private worship for all, including non-Muslims who gather in homes for religious practice; however, this right is not respected in practice and is not defined in law.
The Saudi Mutaween (Arabic: مطوعين), also known as the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (CPVPV) or "religious police" was enforcing the prohibition on the public practice of non-Muslim religions, though its powers were significantly curtailed in April 2016. Sharia applies to all people inside Saudi Arabia, regardless of religion.
- ^ a b c US State Dept 2022 report
- ^ "Saudi Arabian Citizenship System" (PDF). Ministry of Interior. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia - Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom". United States State Department. Retrieved 23 July 2024.