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An article by CoptsToday reported that the Saudi Arabian government may have imposed new laws requiring the death penalty for the illegal smuggling of Bibles into the country (read here). The reports have not been confirmed by any official source.
A Saudi Arabian Christian writes:
“Dear Brethren,
We Christians who are working in Saudi Arabia were alarmed with the news coming from a reliable Christian website entitled “Saudi Arabia Imposes Death Sentence for Biblew Smuggling.”
I personally searched the English news websites here and didn’t find such an announcement. On the contrary a few days after this “death sentence” news came out, Saudi Gazette came out with this article: “No breach of human rights in Saudi law, experts say.”
The writer has this to say about recent agreements within the Kingdom and within the GCC (Gulf Cooperating Council – a group of countries in the Middle East)
On freedom of belief, Al-Shaddy said that the Kingdom does grant freedom of belief as long as it is not publicly demonstrated.
“Visitors to the Kingdom are allowed to practice their faith and rituals in their own homes and not in public. This still conforms to the human rights declaration and does not breach any international law,” said Al-Shaddy.”
I believe he is speaking the truth.”
Please pray for this country and the rest of the Middle East, that God would continue to hold the doors which are open for the Gospel and open those that are currently closed.
The Gospel in Arabic, part 1
To watch the rest of the sermons in this series, go to The Gospel in Arabic sermon series.
Prayercast | Saudi Arabia from Prayercast on Vimeo.
Beautiful. Rugged. Dangerous. The parched and arid desert nation of Saudi Arabia thrives on man-made water supplies and a man-made faith. This Middle Eastern nation boasts to being the birthplace of the one of the fastest growing religions in the world, Islam. It permeates through every corner of society, the government not excluded, for in place of a constitution, the nation abides by the laws of their holy book, the Koran. The culture of Saudi Arabia is bound by the rules, stipulations, and conditions of their religion, a belief that confines its followers in stationary worship and encourages the development of discrimination.
The value of life is depreciated through the Islamic faith, and human trafficking continues to grow and spread throughout the country. Domestic workers and sexually exploited women and children are bought and sold with no reported prosecutions. As of yet, the Saudi government is either unable or unwilling to meet the standards required by the United Nations to end this trade. The freedoms of speech, press, or worship do not exist, and all other faiths outside of Islam are forbidden from public or even private practice. As the country’s economy becomes more dependent on the exportation of oil, the gap between rich and poor grows, and discontentment continues to develop, pushing the next generation towards rebellion and religious extremism.
Christians are raped, abducted, murdered, and beaten on a daily basis. Saudis who accept Christ as their Savior are choosing to pick up a cross of ostracism, discrimination, harassment, and even death. They risk losing their jobs, access to education for their children, or even the right to basic utilities like water and electricity. Yet the Church flourishes under persecution, and the body of underground believers in Saudi Arabia is no exception. No one is beyond the reach of God’s hand; pray for the Saudis to have the courage to take hold of it.
