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Chapter 1 General Principles
Article 1
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a sovereign Arab Islamic state with Islam
as its religion; God's Book and the
Sunnah of His Prophet, God's prayers and peace be upon him, are its constitution, Arabic is its
language and Riyadh is its capital.
Article 2
The state's public holidays are Id
al-Fitr and Id al-Adha. Its calendar is the Hegira calendar.
Article 3
The state's flag shall be as follows:
(a)
It shall be green.
(b) Its width shall be equal to
two-thirds of it's length.
(c) The words "There
is but one God and Mohammed is His Prophet" shall be inscribed
in the center with a drawn sword under it. The statute shall define the rules
pertaining to it.
Article 7
Government in Saudi Arabia derives
power from the Holy Koran and the Prophet's
tradition.
Article 8 [Government Principles]
Government in the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia is based on the premise of justice, consultation, and equality in accordance with the Islamic Shari'ah.
Article 9
The family is the kernel of Saudi
society, and its members shall be brought up on
the basis of the Islamic faith, and loyalty and obedience to God, His
Messenger, and to guardians; respect for
and implementation of the law, and
love of and pride in the homeland and its glorious history as the Islamic faith stipulates.
Article 10
The state will aspire to
strengthen family ties, maintain its Arab and Islamic
values and care for all its members, and to provide the right conditions
for the growth of their resources and capabilities.
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{ Adopted by Royal decree of
King Fahd } { ICL Document Status: Oct 1993 }
Article 11
Saudi society will be based on the
principle of adherence to God's command,
on mutual cooperation in good deeds and piety and mutual support and
inseparability.
Article 17
Property, capital, and labor are
essential elements in the Kingdom's economic and social being. They are
personal rights which perform a social function in accordance with Islamic Shari'ah.
Article 23 [Islam]
The
state protects Islam; it implements its
Shari'ah; it orders people to do right and shun evil; it fulfills the
duty regarding God's call.
Article 26 [Human
Rights]
The
state protects human rights in accordance with the Islamic Shari'ah.
Article 29 [Science, Culture]
The state safeguards science,
literature and culture; it encourages scientific research; it protects the Islamic and Arab heritage and contributes
toward the Arab, Islamic and human
civilization.
Article 33 [Armed
Forces]
The state establishes and equips
the Armed Forces for the defence of the Islamic
religion, the Two Holy Places, society,
and the citizen.
Article
38 [Punishment, nulla poena]
Penalties shall be personal and
there shall be no crime or penalty except in accordance with the Shari'ah or organizational law. There shall be
no punishment except for acts committed subsequent to the coming into force of
the organizational law.
Article 45
The source of the deliverance of fatwa in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are God's Book
and the Sunnah of His Messenger. The law
will define the composition of the senior ulema body, the administration of
scientific research, deliverance of fatwa and it's (the body of senior ulema's)
functions.
Article 46
The judiciary is an independent
authority. There is no control over judges in the dispensation of their
judgements except in the case of the Islamic
Shari'ah.
Article 48
The courts will apply the rules of the Islamic
Shari'ah in the cases that are brought before them, in accordance with
what is indicated in the Book and the Sunnah,
and statutes decreed by the Ruler which do not contradict the Book or the
Sunnah.
Article 57
(a) The King appoints and
relieves deputies of the prime minister and ministers and
members of the Council of
Ministers by Royal decree.
(b) The deputies of the prime
minister and ministers of the Council of Ministers are responsible, by
expressing solidarity before the King, for implementing the Islamic Shari'ah and the state's general policy.
(c)
The King has the right to dissolve and reorganize the Council of Ministers.
Article 57
(a) The King appoints and
relieves deputies of the prime minister and ministers and members of the
Council of Ministers by Royal decree.
(b) The deputies of the prime
minister and ministers of the Council of Ministers are responsible, by expressing
solidarity before the King, for implementing the Islamic Shari'ah and the state's general policy.
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Institute on Religion and Public Policy Thursday, June 09, 2005 9:13
PM
Subject: Saudis Release Christian Detainees; Deny
That Non-Muslims are Apprehended or TorturedPress Release Contact:
Stephen Glaser
For Immediate Release Phone: 202-835-8760
Saudis Release Christian Detainees
Deny That Non-Muslims are Apprehended or Tortured
Washington, DC - Saudi Officials yesterday announced the
release of seven Christians who had been arrested for practicing Christianity
in the Kingdom. Of the released, six were arrested on May 28 in an
extensive raid carried out by the Muttawa in Riyadh. The other individual
released is Samkutty Varghese, an Indian Protestant, in jail since March.
In Saudi Arabia, public expression
of any faith other than Wahabbist Islam is illegal. All seven had been caught
with Christian items - including Bibles, crosses, and teaching materials. Their
release was contingent upon each Christian signing a renunciation to non-Muslim
religious practice, which they had been carrying out privately in their homes.
Such practice in theory is permitted by law in the Kingdom
A Saudi official speaking in
Cairo denied allegations that the Kingdom arrests and tortures Christians. The
official stated that such allegations run counter to Islamic policies of
tolerance. The official, speaking to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), explained
that the allegations "don't go with the principles and values of the
Kingdom and above all our tolerant Islamic belief which guarantees the rights
of Muslims and residents of different religions and ethnicities alike."
Saudi Arabia was designated by
the United States Department of State as a "Country of Particular Concern
for Severe Violations of Religious Freedom"
last year. A report accused the
Saudis of "particularly severe violations" of religious freedom.
Joseph K. Grieboski, President of the Institute on Religion and Public Policy,
stated that "Saudi Arabia not only unashamedly suppresses fundamental
rights of individuals living within the Kingdom and disregards international
covenants on religious freedom, but also by these incidents, openly contradicts
itself."
After their release, local press
sources - referring to telephone calls from the prison - reported that the
Christian prisoners were subjected to abuse. Four of the released prisoners
have been repatriated to India, while the other three are awaiting a decision
as to whether or not they will be allowed to remain in Saudi Arabia.
In
Saudi Arabia, all forms of religious expression are banned except Wahabbist
Islam. Saudi
Arabia has their own religious police, the Muttawa, who have a reputation for
violations of religious freedom for non-Muslims.
The Saudi Royal Family has
recently permitted non-Muslims to practice their own religion in the privacy of
their homes. However, from the evidence of recent arrests, it is clear that the
seriousness to protect the rights of non-Muslims is essentially non- existent.
Mr. Grieboski added that "The
time has come for Saudi Arabia to uphold fundamental rights and to conduct the
reciprocity of free exercise of faith that Muslims enjoy throughout the world.
The Saudi record is one of direct violations of religious rights, and no matter
the rhetoric, their actions speak louder than any words."
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