Saudis might take Bibles from Christian
tourists
Government
official: Every country has its rules
August 10th,
2007
By
Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent to to Assist News/font Christian
travelers to Saudi Arabia should be forewarned
to leave their Bibles at home, according
to an article in the Jerusalem Post.
The
Post reports that despite a series of initiatives
aimed at generating foreign tourism, the
Saudi Arabian government continues to bar
Jews and Christians from bringing items
such as Bibles, crucifixes and Stars of
David into the country and is threatening
to confiscate them on sight.
"A
number of items are not allowed to be brought
into the kingdom due to religious reasons
and local regulations," states the Web site
of Saudi Arabian Airlines, the country's
national airline.
After
informing would-be visitors that items such
as narcotics, firearms and pornography may
not be transported into the country, the
Web site adds: "Items and articles belonging
to religions other than Islam are also prohibited.
These may include Bibles, crucifixes, statues,
carvings, items with religious symbols such
as the Star of David, and others."
Contacted
by the Post, an employee of Saudi Arabian
Airlines in New York, who would only give
her name as Gladys, confirmed this rule
was in force. "Yes, sir," she said, "that
is what we have heard, that it is a problem
to bring these things into Saudi Arabia,
so you cannot do it."
An
official at the Saudi Consulate in New York,
who declined to give her name, told the
Post that anyone bringing a Bible into the
country or wearing a crucifix or Star of
David around their neck would run into trouble
with Saudi authorities.
"You
are not allowed to bring that stuff into
the kingdom," the consular official said.
"If you do, they will take it away," she
warned, adding, "If it is really important
to you, then you can try to bring it and
just see what happens, but I don't recommend
that you do so."
Asked
to explain the policy, the official said,
"Every country has rules about what can
or cannot enter."
Over
the summer, the Saudi government-run Supreme
Commission for Tourism announced a number
of steps, such as issuing group visas to
foreigners through tour operators and granting
longer entry visas, in the hopes of boosting
the number of foreign tourists to 1.5 million
annually by 2020.
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Michael
Ireland is an international British freelance journalist. A former reporter
with a London newspaper, Michael is the Chief Correspondent for ASSIST
News Service of Lake Forest, California.
Michael immigrated to the United States in 1982 and became a US citizen
in September, 1995.
He is married with two children. Michael has also been a frequent contributor
to UCB Europe, a British Christian radio station.
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