12 Filipinos arrested for proselytizing out on bail

By RODOLFO ESTIMO JR. | ARAB NEWS

RIYADH: Twelve Filipinos and a Catholic priest have been released on bail in Riyadh after being arrested at a rest house in the city’s Rawdah district last Friday.

The arrests followed a raid by members of the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice on the premises,  where 150 expatriates were said to have attended a Catholic mass.

However, a source told Arab News that only the priest and the 12 Filipinos were arrested for allegedly being the organizers and leaders of the group while the others were let go because they could not all be accommodated at the police station.

“They were charged with proselytizing,” confirmed Ezzedin H. Tago, chargé d'affaires at the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh.

According to the source, the priest was the first to be released when his embassy provided a kafala, or written guarantee. By Sunday, 11 of the Filipinos had been released through kafalas issued by their employers.

A kafala, which can be issued by an embassy, a Saudi national or an employer, is an undertaking that an arrested person will appear if and when needed by the authorities.

Tago told Arab News that two diplomats had been sent to Rawdah police station to assist the 12 detained Filipinos before they were released on bail. The two embassy officials explained to them that the issuance of a kafala might mean only a temporary liberty for them.

"It did not mean that their case had been settled. If they are proven guilty as charged, they would go back to jail," the source said.

The remaining OFW, reportedly a doctor, was subsequently released on bail. 

Comments

XTIAN

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I think its unfair that somebody who attended a mass be arrested particularly in a private place. There is nothing wrong as long as you are not disturbing your neighbors and not done in public. They should not have allowed Christians to enter this country in the first place. Let this event be a guiding example to all of us. Whatever happens, just have faith.

BEN

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Why is that? It is not fair. The islam can be practised even in Rome, Italy!

TOJY TOM

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It is ridiculous.I live in ireland and there are thousands of my muslim friends out here celebrating their religion eventhough its a catholic country.Government has provided facilities for them to practice their religion.They are free to profess their faith publically.Here in Ireland my Muslim brothers says that Islam is for religious harmony and preach that Islam is a religion of peace.Now I seriously doubt it.Its pure selfishness to think that you could practice only Islam in Saudi Arabia.I fully acknowledge the fact that mecca resides in Saudi.But it does not mean that if other religion spreads, it is a threat to Islam

ABDUL

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I think we must respect the saudi policy. let me remind you kababayan that before we go here in this kingdom we have pre-departure orientation siminar. So we know already what are the Do's and Don'ts here. Most expats coming from Philippines are non-Muslim. Maybe its unfair and discrimination to your faith but we must accept the reality that Islam practices here in this kingdom is so sensitive and conservative if you compare it to other Muslim countries. It's not selfishness; Saudis only want are to preserve their tradition and religion they practiced since the birth of Islam. So they don't want other religious practice in huge number of members in one venue even privately such as Catholic mass. Maybe they see it as threat against what they preserved. Every country has unique rules or practices, especially that KSA is a home of ancient Muslims and home of muslims around the world. We don't compare our religious practices with others, that's the reality.

HUNTERS

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If you want fairness and respect to all Muslims living in Christian countries, show it first and earn it. This is the reason why our Muslim brothers living in Christian majority countries are being discriminated upon and mistreated because of these dreaded Saudi mutawas. How can we justify the Prophet’s (pbuh) injunctions for fairness, peacefulness and tolerance if what the mutawas do are the opposite? If a group of non-Muslims practice their belief in private, not in public, and do not disturb their neighbours, they should be left alone. I wonder how Muslims would react if they are banned from praying in a country of majority Christian countries. For sure their will again a violent protests. Isn’t that kind of attitude biased and selfish? Take for example France, which has passed a law banning full-face cover — Muslims all over the world are protesting and even threatening violence. That’s just about a face cover and you consider it discriminatory, yet here in Saudi Arabia every woman including non-Muslims are required to wear the abaya. Look are your face in the mirror first.
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