(AP/Guardian-UK) Noha, a doctor, tells her children not to get upset when government-issued religion books tell them they are deviants. They are Shiites, who make up 10-15% of the population in the Saudi kingdom whose majority Sunnis follow a puritanical code that shuns not only other religions but also other Muslim sects. It's almost impossible for Shiites to get permission to build new mosques or community halls for weddings or funerals. Shiite publications are banned. Shiites say they are barred from sensitive positions in national and local government, security agencies, schools, and hospitals.
2003-03-06 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive