Another Christian has run afoul of the Saudi distaste for proselytizing, which is of course in line with Islamic law regarding dhimmis. From International Christian Concern, with thanks to FreedomNowNews:
The Washington-DC based human rights group, International Christian Concern (ICC) www.persecution.org, has just become aware that on Thursday, March 25th, 2004, Mr. Brian O'Connor, a Christian ex-pat Indian national, was arrested by the Muttawa (religious police) on the streets of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. ICC is being told from a highly reputable source that the Muttawa abducted, imprisoned, and tortured him in a Mosque. Mr. O’Connor is presently being held at the Olaya police station in Riyadh.Mr. O’Connor has received visitors and has communicated that his legs were chained and he was hung upside down and “they played football with me”. “The Muttawa came in turns of fours and kicked me in the chest and rib area, and this continued up to 2 AM on Friday morning”. He also says that he was whipped on his back and the soles of his feet by electrical wires and is in much pain as he walks. He also reports that he is in intense pain, and thinks that a rib may be broken.
The police at the Olaya police station state that he is being held on account of preaching Christianity, drug related charges, and for selling liquor. They went on to add that these charges were brought up by the Muttawa, and they have no direct proof of the claims made by them. It is typical for charges of drug dealing to be leveled at Christians suspected of spreading the Gospel. The Police also stated that the Muttawa were the ones who interrogated him and not the Police themselves. The Muttawas have informed Brian that he is to be formally charged on these 3 points and will be taken to court where the case would take about 6 to 7 months before a verdict is issued.
Brian O’Connor is known to be an upstanding citizen in the community and is a Christian. It is not known yet if the Muttawa have forced him to sign documents of admission to the crimes he is charged with. It has been common practice in Saudi that during torture, the Muttawas force Christians to sign documents in Arabic, which they were told are release papers. Later, they find out that they signed documents admitting to crimes of drug trafficking, etc…
ICC is very concerned that the Saudis, who claim to be the United States’ partners in the war on terror, have continued to imprison, torture and deport expatriate Christians workers in Saudi Arabia. We are asking that the United States take serious action in demanding not only the release of Brian, but a formal apology be made, and the immediate reinstatement to his position with Saudi Airlines. We are also very concerned about his present physical condition and are asking for an immediate report on his health, confirmed by a doctor.
Please contact the Saudi Embassy to voice your concern in a firm but polite manner.
Embassy of Saudi Arabia:
2600 Virginia Ave NW
Washington, DC 20037-1905
(202) 342-3800
The day the Saudis allow Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus and others who immigrate to their sands the right to worship as they see fit and (horrors! what would the Prophet say?) even to build churches and temples for such worship is the day they can legitimately claim the right to infiltrate the rest of the world with their ugly, intolerant, jihad-waging form of Islam.
Why do we allow mosques to spring up all over the West when the Wahhabis deny basic religious rights to every immigrant or native non-Muslim?
well earl what do you say; should the pontif say something or remain silent on the continuing killing of christians and jews by islam muslims.
Cato, Saudi Arabia allows very little immigration from anyone, Muslim or non. LOT'S of people here on work visas.
jay
Why do we allow mosques to spring up all over the West when the Wahhabis deny basic religious rights to every immigrant or native non-Muslim?
Why? because some in the upper echelons of society have found that conflict generates wealth, and those who want to exercise logical solutions are called right-wing extremist fascists.
The general public, who earnestly seek to be lovable, politically correct, flower children are perplexed at the fact that their liberal policies are not guaranteeing the harmonic balance of cosmic joy like they expected.
Bill - That is the best answer I have ever seen as to why we have allowed this problem to insinuate itself into our society. The wealty will become richer, the Left will be freer to spew their noxious ideologies, and the perplexed public will remain, well, perplexed.
However, when and if Islam gains real power in this country, everyone of those conspirators and their victims will be in the same boat. All will have a nasty surprise…Dhimmitude.