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.
No comments:
Post a Comment