Washington D.C., Feb 9, 2005 / 22:00 pm
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has urged Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to take action against Saudi Arabia, reported the Catholic News Service.
In a letter to Rice this week, the commission said the U.S. should impose restrictions against Saudi Arabia within the next month because of severe freedom of religion and human rights violations, including torture, cruel and degrading treatment, detention without charge and coercive measures aimed at women.
In addition, Saudi Arabia prohibits all public religious expression other than Islam and has been accused of supporting the spread of an ideology of hatred, intolerance and violence abroad.
The commission was set up under the 1999 International Religious Freedom Act. Since then, it has recommended that the State Department add Saudi Arabia to the list of "countries of particular concern" four years in a row.