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Article: Powell adds Saudis to freedom watchlist.(News)
- Article from:
- The Christian Century
- Article date:
- October 5, 2004
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 The Christian Century Foundation. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The U.S. State Department has for the first time included Saudi Arabia on a list of "countries of particular concern" for not allowing religious freedom--a potential stumbling block for relations between the U.S. and its Persian Gulf ally.
The department's sixth annual report on international religions freedom 'also added Eritrea and Vietnam to the roster of countries guilty or tolerant of "systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom." Nations that remained on the list were Burma, China, Iran, North Korea and Sudan. Iraq, which had been on the list, was removed.
"Defending the sacred ground of human conscience is a natural commandment ...