Thread: Christian Persecutors Host U.N. Religious Summit

A Muslim nation that persecutes Christians and has a special police force to ensure that only a narrow Islamic sect predominates in its kingdom is sponsoring a United Nations summit on religious tolerance this week.

Further diminishing the credibility of the notoriously corrupt world body, Saudi Arabia is hosting the U.N. summit (SCulture of Peace) in New York this week. The conference was the brilliant idea of Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz, a renowned violator of religious and human rights.

Dozens of world leaders, including President George W. Bush, will attend the event even though the State Department agency that combats religious persecution abroad (U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom) considers religious freedom to be non existent in the Arab kingdom. The practice of religions other than Islam is strictly forbidden in Saudi Arabia and religious leaders of other faiths are not permitted in the country.
Blog 4 Paul: Christian Persecutors Host U.N. Religious Summit

The times they are a changin'...

Negotiations are underway to build the first Catholic church in Saudi Arabia with King Abdullah lending his support for its construction.

Vatican Radio reports the Vatican and the Saudi government are currently in talks to allow the church despite the kingdoms ban on allowing the construction of any non-Muslim place of worship.

No religion other than Islam is allowed to schedule public services, and even the possession of bibles, rosaries, and crucifixes is forbidden.

Saudi Arabia is the only country on the Arabian Peninsula without a Catholic church despite the 800,000 Catholics - virtually all of who are foreign workers.

While Saudi Arabia does not have formal diplomatic relations with the Holy See, King Abdullah became the first reigning Saudi monarch ever to visit the Vatican last November.

Commenting after his meeting with the Pope Vatican officials confirmed the Pontiff pressed for permission to open a Catholic church in the kingdom.

Holy See spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi said that opening a Catholic parish in the Islamic land would be "a historic achievement" for religious freedom and a major step forward for inter-religious dialogue.

The apostolic nuncio to Kuwait, Qatar, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, Archbishop Paul-Mounged El-Hachem, is reportedly the lead Vatican negotiator in talks with Saudi officials.

First Catholic church for Saudi Arabia - CathNews