The Relationship between Christianity and Islam in Saudi Arabia

Introduction 

Saudi Arabia is the cradle for the Islamic faith. The land housed the founder of Islamism, Mohamed, whose life begins and end at Medina and Mecca. His teachings continue to have significant bearing in the shaping of individuals, communities and state religions in the Middle East, globally and of great interest in Saudi Arabia. The interaction of the faith with other religion causes special results in the global and religious arena. Wherever it is established or seeks to penetrate, the followers of Mohammedism have continued to receive or cause a cultural, spiritual and economic impact. In Saudi Arabia, the state has outlawed the conversion to Christianity or any other faith. Christians are not allowed to congregate in public or display symbols of their faith at the pain of banishment, death or other forms of suffering. The relations between Christianity and Islam in the past, present and the future intrigues many scholars and much can be said about it. 

Muslim And Christian Relations In Saudi Arabia 

Saudi Arabia is considered today as the center of the Islamic faith. The country houses Mecca and Medina which have been associated with the earliest activities of Mohammed the great prophet of Islam (Aksoy, 2007; Yamani, 2009). As the originator of Islamic faith, the country has adopted intolerant strategies towards other minority faiths.christianity has been affected greatly by the restrictions. The state prohibits public conduction of any other worship but Islamic religion. Minor faiths such as Christianity and any other are prohibited by large until recent developments in 2018 when its new ruler made gestures that he would be tolerant to other religions and protect minority groups (Shellnut, 2018). Before the adoption of the intolerant attitude towards Christianity and other faiths, Saudi Arabia was a ground for early Christian activities and in close intercourse socially and economically with other nations surrounding it (De Lacy, 2013). 

Saudi Arabia was originally a peaceful state where others coexisted. It is not until the establishment of the Saudi state in 1744 under the strict adherence to Salafism faith and Wahhabism that the country degenerated into religious intolerance (Meijer, Aarts, Wagemakers & Kanie, 2012). Through the pact formed between Muhammad b. Sa‘ud and Muhammad b. ‘Abd al-Wahhab, the country formed itself around a single religion. Opposed to every other form of worship such as the deifying of saints and the concept of trinity which forms doctrinal points of Christians, the government, hiding under the garb of protecting state religion and strict adherence to the teaching of prophet Mohamed enacted Christian intolerant policies (Meijer, Aarts, Wagemakers & Kanie, 2012). 

The primary struggle between Islams in Saudi and the Christians in the region has been political. The government has sought to exact its influence on other religions and other cultural practices to appease factions that are likely to turn against it for abandoning the Wahhabism and Salafism such as the rebellion against ‘Abd al-‘Aziz the first ruler of Saudi Arabia (Meijer, Aarts, Wagemakers & Kanie, 2012). 

Present Age Relations Between Christians And Muslims 

The present relation between Islam and Christianity is tense seeing that Islamic faith remains the state’s official religion and 93% of the population is Islam. Saudi Arabia continues to struggle with accepting other religions. As of 2018, the country had introduced a few reforms such as allowing women to drive cars and even having the leader hold meetings with Christian leaders as efforts towards tolerance ( Shellnut, 2018 ). These steps are still of fewer consequences compared to the religious freedom enjoyed by other Christians elsewhere. This is particularly so seeing that there are no churches in Saudi Arabia today ( Shellnut, 2018 ). Nonetheless, the Saudi government has made other efforts to reduce religious intolerance and moderate the strict Islamic positions. Decisions to allow cinemas and the curtailing of sweeping powers held by religious police is celebrated; none the less, the country remains the 23 rd country hostile to religious freedom among 198 nations, and high in the list of social hostility index (Fahmy, 2018). 

The Christian population in the Gulf peninsula has dropped drastically. Before World War 1, the population had 20% Christians, but today only 4% of the population is made of Christians: Today, Saudi Arabia has an approximately 1.2 million Christians who are worship hidden and are not allowed to conduct any public display of their belief (Horowitz & Walsh, 2019). Saudi Arabia has been at the forefront in support of the ousting of the Houthi rebels in Yemen. The involvement, thereby lending of financial, military and information aid to the process, has led to the extermination of Christians in Yemen who have been forced to run into exile. Failures to condemn such actions only demonstrate Saudi Arabia's position on the relationship between Islam and Christianity. Despite these acts of terror and intolerance towards Christianity, many adherents of the faith are flooding from other countries such as Philippines, India and other eastern countries establishing themselves in Saudi Arabia and other states (Horowitz & Walsh, 2019). This diversity is introducing a challenge to the Middle Eastern countries that are opposed to Christianity. 

The country and its leadership retain its hypocritical position. Several excavations and site discoveries are lending evidence to the fact that Christianity was tolerated in the region during Mohammed's reign which is in contrary to the leadership's position that the prophet did not tolerate other religions ( Jubail, 2018 ). The rhetoric against Christianity and other religions is sustained by a misapplication of Mohamed’s statement on two dins, as noted by tolerant Muslim leaders, that “ Elsewhere it’s no problem, but two  dins , or religions, have no place in the Arabian peninsula "; The correct interpretation of the phrase refers to religious leadership (Jubail, 2018) 

The Future Of The Christian And Muslim Relations 

The future of Christianity in Saudi Arabia is not promising. Although the new ruler promised religious tolerance, the political landscape in countries surrounding Saudi Arabia, which impacts its decisions and moral authority in the region, have continued to suppress the coexistence of Islam and Christianity within and beyond (Haider, 2017; Commins, 2015; Commins, 2006; Esposito & Shahin, 2016). The country remains a critical player in the shaping of ideologies of other Islamic states. The September 11 bombings testify to this fact owing to the statistics that majority of the attackers were of Saudi Arabia descent and the terror attacks that have grown since then as though springing from the same masterminds. 

Christianity and Islamic religion continue to differ doctrinally. It seems as though the position they form perfect harmony is the position of the women in the society as also held by Judaism (Khimish, 2014). In other areas, the three areas separate and as far as possible. This separation, together with the lack of willingness to concede on the part of the Muslim adherents in Saudi Arabia, presents less likelihood that Christianity will be lightly regarded or welcomed shortly. The pope's visit to the middle east may present some glimmer of hopes however much is yet to be done if the two religions are to coexist with each setting up its banner publicly (Horowitz, 2019). The position of the country as the originator of Islamic faith is pride that it cannot suffer from being wounded. The pope sought to convince the country to expand its tolerance towards Catholic immigrants, who form a greater percentage of the Christians in the country, but this leaves other Christian faiths unprotected if it is granted. The country's law prohibits conversion from Islamic faith; this makes it difficult for Christians to express the command to evangelize and therefore the faith remains a dwarf in the country except as it is replenished by new immigrants (Horowitz, 2019). With the increasing radicalism, Christianity faces unprecedented difficulties in the future. Pressure from other Islamic states and internal struggles may cause a reverse of the significant advances made in the course of religious tolerance. According to Hackett et al. (2015), the Christian population is expected to remain at 4% even in 2050. This statics predicts the likelihood that the status quo will remain as it is today thereby having little or no consequences at all; or that the situation will worsen thereby thwarting any attempt to legitimize Christianity in Saudi Arabia. 

Conclusion 

Before the establishment of Islamic faith in Saudi Arabia, the country was tolerant of Christianity as evident in historical sites, and excavations made recently. However, the extremism witnessed today can be attributed to the misinterpretation of Mohhamed's original teachings purposely exclude other religions from the country. Successive leadership has maintained the intolerant Wahhabism and Salafism that prohibits other religions. None the less, the present ruler has made initiatives to make the country tolerant to Christianity. This is still not enough given that more should be done to enhance tolerance. Activities of the pope in the region are pro-Christian, but other non-catholic Christians may be left behind in case of a new deal. Above all, the future of Christianity in Saudi Arabia is not promising. The country is likely to retain its hard-line towards religious tolerance or even become worse. Christians in Saudi Arabia or those intending to move in should do so after in-depth consideration or exercise their faith with great discretion to avoid commotion and worse death. 

References 

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Meijer, R., Aarts, P., Wagemakers, J., & Kanie, M. (2012). Saudi Arabia between conservatism, accommodation, and reform . Netherlands Institute of International Relations' Clingendael'. 

Omer Faruk Aksoy. (2007). The Blessed Cities of Islam, Mecca-Medina. The light, Inc 

Shellnut, K. (2018). Still No Churches in Saudi Arabia, But Small Steps Toward Religious Freedom . Retrieved from https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2018/october/saudi-arabia-religious-freedom-islam-johnnie-moore-uscirf.html 

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