A Sri Lankan youth employed as a domestic aid has been arrested in Saudi Arabia for praying to a statue of Lord Buddha, which is considered an offence according to Islamic Sharia law. According to the Bodu Bala Sena, the youth bearing passport no. 2353715 identified as Premanath Pereralage Thungasiri has been arrested by Umulmahami Police, which is a grave situation. While the youth is a Buddhist, the charge levelled against him is that he paid obeisance to the Buddha at the house where he was employed.
The Bodu Bala Sena organisation further said those employed in Muslim-majority countries are prevented from practicing their religious faiths, and if found to do so are punished severely. Recently a Sri Lankan woman was arrested for gazing at a child at a shopping complex, where she was accused of witchcraft, on the grounds that she had a black cord around her wrist.
On prior occasions too many Sri Lankan female domestic workers were forced to embrace Islam, and wear the traditional attire, while so far four Sri Lankan youth have been beheaded in that country. (Source: Ceylon Today)
Saudi Arabia is an Islamic theocratic monarchy where the religion of Islam is the official religion. Non-Islamic proselytism and conversions are illegal and conversion by Muslims to another religion (apostasy) carries the death penalty. Under Saudia Arabia Sharia Islamic law, children of Saudi parents are considered Muslim, regardless of the country or the religious tradition in which they may have been raised.
Source: The Chakra, July 26, 2012
Saudi court to look into alleged apostasy case
Dubai: A Saudi court is expected to look into an unprecedented case of a foreigner converting a local Muslim woman to Christianity.
According to Sabq news website, the court in Al Khobar in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia will review the case submitted by the public prosecutor after a man filed a suit against a Saudi and a Lebanese for their alleged role in converting his daughter to Christianity and smuggling her out of the country. She is now reportedly living in a church in Lebanon. The woman, 28, was working in a company in Al Khobar where the two men were also employed. Sabq said that the investigation has concluded that the role of the Saudi national was to assist in smuggling the woman out of the country. Both defendants have been freed on bail pending the trial and the Lebanese has been reportedly barred from leaving the country.
Source: Gulf News, July 26, 2012