Saudi Arabia to deport 15 Christians
August 5, 2008
On Friday, April 25, twelve Saudi Arabian police raided a house where 16 Christians were holding a prayer meeting. The first officer to enter the house after breaking down the main gate pointed a pistol at the Christians and ordered them to hand over their resident permits and mobile phones. The other police followed quickly and started searching the entire house. They confiscated an electronic drum set, an offering box with some money in it, 20 bibles, and a few Christian books.
The police initially accused the Christians of preaching the Bible and singing. They later changed the charge to holding a "dance party" and collecting money to support terrorism.
During the raid, the police mocked, questioned and harassed the Christians for four hours. Then they took them to a police station where the head of the station interrogated them. The head of police then wrote down their "statements" in Arabic and forced the Christians -- immigrants who cannot read or write Arabic -- to sign the statements.
After the interrogations, the Christians were incarcerated and held incommunicado. After three days, the Christians were finally released.
One of them departed the country. The others, thinking that their ordeal was over, went back to their daily lives and work. But soon they received letters demanding that they leave the country immediately. These 15 Christians face immediate deportation.
-- adapted from International Christian Concern
On Friday, April 25, twelve Saudi Arabian police raided a house where 16 Christians were holding a prayer meeting. The first officer to enter the house after breaking down the main gate pointed a pistol at the Christians and ordered them to hand over their resident permits and mobile phones. The other police followed quickly and started searching the entire house. They confiscated an electronic drum set, an offering box with some money in it, 20 bibles, and a few Christian books.
The police initially accused the Christians of preaching the Bible and singing. They later changed the charge to holding a "dance party" and collecting money to support terrorism.
During the raid, the police mocked, questioned and harassed the Christians for four hours. Then they took them to a police station where the head of the station interrogated them. The head of police then wrote down their "statements" in Arabic and forced the Christians -- immigrants who cannot read or write Arabic -- to sign the statements.
After the interrogations, the Christians were incarcerated and held incommunicado. After three days, the Christians were finally released.
One of them departed the country. The others, thinking that their ordeal was over, went back to their daily lives and work. But soon they received letters demanding that they leave the country immediately. These 15 Christians face immediate deportation.
-- adapted from International Christian Concern