Ahmadiyya in Saudi Arabia

Ahmadiyya is a persecuted branch of Islam in Saudi Arabia. Although there are many foreign workers and Saudi citizens belonging to the Ahmadiyya sect in Saudi Arabia,[1] Ahmadis are officially banned from entering the country[2] and from performing the pilgrimage to Mecca. This has led to criticisms from multiple human rights organizations.

History

From the very early history of the Ahmadiyya Movement, Ahmadis have had contact with the region in what were then a host of Ottoman provinces in the Arabian peninsula, primarily due to their spiritual connection to the two holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Perhaps the earliest and most prominent was a journey made by Hakeem Noor-ud-Din in the pursuit of religious knowledge, to the two cities, in the late 1860s, approximately 20 years before the birth of the movement.[3] He was later to become the first caliph of the movement.[4]

Modern status

There are no accurate figures for the number of Ahmadis in Saudi Arabia.[1] However, Ahmadi Muslims are a small community, primarily foreign workers from India and Pakistan and some from other countries. There is an increasing number of Saudi citizens who belong to the sect. Since the Ahmadiyya faith is banned in the country, there are no Ahmadi mosques. Ahmadis generally gather together in private properties for their daily prayers,[5] thereby limiting exposure to the local authorities.

In a 2006-2007 nationwide campaign to track down and deport Ahmadi Muslim foreign workers, the Saudi religious police arrested 56-60[6] Ahmadi Muslims of Indian, Pakistani and Syrian origin from major cities across the country. In late December 2006, several dozen Saudi police raided a private guest house in Jeddah in Western Saudi Arabia, and detained 49 Ahmadi Muslims, including women, children and infants. A fortnight later, in early January 2007, the police arrested 5 Ahmadis from major industrial cities of Jubail and Dammam in the Eastern Province. The police attempted to arrest the leader of the sect in Dammam, but he was out of the country at the time. In February of the same year, two more Ahmadi guest workers were arrested from the capital of the country Riyadh, in central Saudi Arabia.[7] The arrests came under the orders of Minister of Interior Prince Nayef, and targeted Ahmadis solely because of their faith.[5] Despite calls from international human rights groups, by April 2007, 58 Ahmadi Muslims were deported to their country of origin.[8]

In May 2012, Saudi authorities arrested two Saudi citizens because of their conversion to the Ahmadiyya sect. Saudi officials encouraged them to abandon their belifs, and three months later, they were detained. They have not been released since then.[1]

Pilgrimage

Although Ahmadi Muslims are not legally permitted to enter the city of Mecca, there are many Ahmadis who do so and perform Hajj, the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca.[9] However, Pakistan forcibly prevents Pakistani Ahmadi Muslims from performing Hajj by mandating that anyone who applies for a passport must deride the founder of the Community, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, and declare all Ahmadis as non-Muslims.[10] Moreover, anyone travelling for Hajj must declare his or her belief that Muhammad is the last prophet, contrary to the the belief of Ahmadi Muslims.[11] Pakistan is the world's only nation that imposes this requirement.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Saudi Arabia: 2 Years Behind Bars on Apostasy Accusation". Human Rights Watch. May 15, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  2. ↑ Maria Grazia Martino. The State as an Actor in Religion Policy: Policy Cycle and Governance. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  3. ↑ Syed Hasanat Ahmad. The Way of the Righteous (PDF). p. 24-31.
  4. ↑ J. Gordon Melton, Martin Baumann. Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia. p. 57.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Letter to Saudi King Abdullah bin Abd al-‘Aziz Al Sa’ud". Human RIghts Watch. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  6. ↑ Depending on the source there were 56-60 Ahmadis arrested in the years 2006-2007
  7. ↑ "Saudi Arabia: International Religious Freedom Report 2007". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Saudi Arabia" (PDF). United States Commission on International Relgious Freedom. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
  9. ↑ Daurius Figueira. Jihad in Trinidad and Tobago, July 27, 1990. p. 47.
  10. ↑ Jocelyne Cesari. The Awakening of Muslim Democracy. p. 41.
  11. ↑ Gerhard Böwering, Patricia Crone. The Princeton Encyclopedia of Islamic Political Thought. p. 25-26.