Description

The annual reports issued by the U.S. State Department on global religious freedom regularly featured sections on 'Religious Freedom in Saudi Arabia, '(1). These reports are distributed by the U.S. State Department via its official information outlets, from where it is circulated to centres of research in the West, the international media, and governmental and non-governmental organizations. These reports, which the State Department claims offer balanced assessments of religious freedom in Saudi Arabia and other countries around the world, are in fact politically motivated, arising from specific cultural viewpoints which desire that their standards be the criteria for judging the cultural values of others. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, specifically, is a primary recipient of attention in these reports. The Kingdom is given more prominence due to its religious, political, and economic significance, not only in the Middle East but globally.