Saudi Arabia
From Missiopedia
|
Official name: |
DEMOGRAPHY
ECONOMY |
LIFE & LIBERTY |
Contents |
[edit] Geography
[edit] Location
- Saudi Arabia is an Islamic nation located on the Arabian Peninsula, covering most of that land mass. One of the most religious and insular countries in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia has emerged from being an underdeveloped desert kingdom to becoming one of the wealthiest nations in the region thanks to vast oil resources.
- Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam and home to Islam’s two holiest shrines in Mecca and Medina. The king’s official title is the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. The modern Saudi state was founded in 1932. King ABDALLAH has continued the cautious reform program begun when he was crown prince. To promote increased political participation, the government held elections nationwide from February through April 2005 for half the members of 179 municipal councils. In December 2005, King ABDALLAH completed the process by appointing the remaining members of the advisory municipal councils.
[edit] Climate
[edit] Natural Resources
[edit] Demographics
[edit] Peoples
- Ethnic groups: Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%
- National language Arab
[edit] Provinces
[edit] Life
[edit] Economy
- The country remains a leading producer of oil and natural gas and holds approximately 25% of the world’s proven oil reserves. The government continues to pursue economic reform and diversification, particularly since Saudi Arabia’s accession to the WTO in December 2005, and promotes foreign investment in the kingdom.
[edit] Government
- Type of Government: An Islamic state, custodian of Islam. Monarchy - King Abdullah
[edit] Religion
[edit] Islam
- Saudi Arabia remains one of the least-evangelized nations on earth. The birthplace of Islam 1300 years ago, Saudi Arabia is entrusted with guardianship of Islam's most sacred sites. The city of Mecca, the birthplace of Mohammed, hosts Islam’s holiest mosque, Al-Masjid al-Haram, and is the destination of pilgrimage (called the hajj) for Muslims around the world. The Ka’ba, a small, black, cubic structure in the courtyard of the mosque, houses the Black Stone, one of Islam’s most revered artifacts. This stone, which was sacred in pre-Islamic times as well, is viewed by many Muslims as just a marker – a convenient way of keeping track of the number of times they have walked around the Ka’ba during their time in Mecca, a ritual which requires seven revolutions. Other Muslims attribute more supernatural power to the stone and believe that it holds the power to cleanse from sin those who would kiss it. When Muslims face Mecca to pray five times daily, they are really facing the Ka’ba, and thus the Black Stone.
- Saudi Arabia does define itself as the “upholder of Islam”. As such, the foreign policy of Saudi Arabia is very much based on Islamic mission (Da’wa). This is partly because of the Islamic concept of non-separation between religion and state, and partly due to the kingdoms own desire to spread Islam around the world.
- On the one hand we have some cracks in the armor of Saudi Arabia itself, but on the other hand there is a huge work continuing outside Saudi’s borders to not just promote Islam, but to “see the West converted to Islam and integrated into the global Umma (all Muslims in the world viewed as one community)”.
[edit] Buddhism
[edit] Christianity
[edit] History
[edit] Churches
- There is Christian communications from outside of the country - radio, satellite, television and internet - this makes it possible for Muslims to hear the Good News.
- Christians have been praying for Saudi Arabia for years and as a result, some openness has resulted. For example, in October 2005, King and Prime Minister Abdullah, in his first TV appearance, publicly stated “people are free to practice their faith in the privacy of their homes”.
- About one million Filipinos are working in Saudi Arabia, 7% - i.e. 70,000 of them are Christians.
[edit] Church and State Relations
[edit] Mission
[edit] Broadcasting
[edit] Councils and Networks
[edit] Persecution
- Probably the world's worst record on religious freedom and human rights.
- Under the kingdom's strict interpretation of Islamic law, apostasy (conversion to another religion) is punishable by death. Still, a growing and substantial number are secretly seeking and finding Him. Public non-Muslim worship is prohibited. Christians here are expatriate workers. In 2006 four East African Christians were arrested when meeting for worship. They were detained for over a month in tortuous conditions, allegedly for preaching to Muslims, planting churches and gathering women and men together for prayer, and then deported. All Christians are threatened by violence from other faiths. They need the love and compassion of the Christians world wide into the difficult situations in which they find themselves.
- Challenges for Christians: Public non-Muslim worship is prohibited, although members of the royal family insist that Christians are free to worship in their own homes. Practice has proven otherwise. The total number of arrested Christians during 2006 was lower than in 2005, when as many as 70 expatriate Christians were arrested.
[edit] Future Trends
[edit] For More Reading
