What is your religion?
When people are applying to work in Saudi Arabia, they are asked several personal questions which, in North America, are highly unlikely to be asked, except in specific circumstances. One of these questions is that of religion, and it is asked both on employment application forms and on visa application forms.
Religion definitely plays a larger role in Saudi Arabia than elsewhere, not only in the daily lives of its Muslim citizens and Muslim expatriates, but also, to a certain extent, in the daily lives of its non-Muslim expatriates.
It is easy to find examples. Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of the prophet Mohammed and of Islam, and the holy cities of Mecca and Medina are off-limits to non-Muslims. Islam is the official and the only religion of the country.
Prayer call, one of the five pillars of Islam, is not only heard five times every day, but is very often attended to by the faithful, with worshippers hastening to mosques or prayer rooms each time the call is heard. And non-Muslim expatriates will not be served in a restaurant or shop during prayer.
It is common to see people in the hospital waiting rooms, at the airport, etc., reading the Quran.
The majority of Muslims – thus the majority of the population – fast during daylight hours for the holy month of Ramadan. This means restaurants are closed during daylight hours, and while non-Muslims may eat and drink, they may not do so in public places. Two of our staff, Donna Radey and Cindy Piccolo, were in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates during Ramadan 2009, and explain it like this: In the hospital, food and beverages can still be purchased, but the items must be taken to closed-off areas, such as behind dividers, into private offices, or into one’s home to be consumed.
Even though there are no non-Muslim houses of worship in the Kingdom, and proselytizing and public worship of other religions is not allowed, Saudis feel it is important that people have a religion.
Also, in Saudi Arabia, the weekend is Thursday and Friday, with the first day of the workweek being Saturday. Members of certain faiths, such as some Seventh Day Adventists, refuse to work on Saturdays, which means they would not be hired, since they could not get an exception to the work schedule.
But the main query that comes up – which reflects a contentious issue in our world, and is fraught with a long, complex, and troubled history – is whether one can indicate “Jewish” as one’s religion and still be issued a visa. The answer is no. While Jews and Christians are both considered “People of the Book” or “People of the Scripture” (i.e., they are also monotheistic, they share some of the same prophets as Islam, etc.), one may declare Christianity on the application, but not Judaism. The reason for this is not – contrary to common belief – that Saudi Arabia has a problem with the Jewish religion or Jewish people; the problem they have is with the treatment of the Palestinian people by the Government of Israel. It is a demonstration of solidarity with the Palestinian people.
So if you are applying for a visa to enter Saudi Arabia, but do not wish to list your religion (and yes, some don’t), you will not be issued a visa. For most employers, applicants do not usually have to specify their particular sect (e.g., Catholic, Baptist, Lutheran), but they do have to state “Christian,” “Muslim,” etc. Responses such as “Agnostic” or “Atheist” are not accepted.
However, when you are in the Kingdom, your religion does not disadvantage you. Those who are not Muslim are not expected to become Muslim. Although non-Muslims cannot openly practice their religion, what you do in private (e.g., private prayer) is your own business.
For related articles about personal questions, see:
- Why Medical Questions?
- The July/August Letter from the Editor “Getting Personal”
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