KUALA LUMPUR – A United States delegation focused on religious freedom said it had cut short its visit to Saudi Arabia following a request for one of its members to remove his Jewish head covering, known as a kippah.
The official visit of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia took an unexpected turn when the delegation was asked to leave the Diriyah Unesco World Heritage Site in Riyadh.
The incident occurred after Saudi authorities insisted that USCIRF chair Rabbi Abraham Cooper remove his religious head covering.
The USCIRF delegation, led by Cooper and vice-chair Reverend Frederick A. Davie, had been invited by the Saudi government for an official visit that commenced on March 3.
The controversy arose during a tour of the Diriyah Unesco World Heritage Site on March 5, when officials requested Rabbi Cooper, an Orthodox Jewish rabbi, to remove his kippah, despite the prior approval of the visit by the Saudi Foreign Affairs Ministry.
After several delays and discussions, US embassy staff accompanying the delegation supported Cooper’s decision to retain his kippah, conveying his “polite” but “firm” refusal to Saudi officials. Despite these efforts, site officials escorted the USCIRF delegation off the premises, prompting an early end to their visit.
“No one should be denied access to a heritage site, especially one intended to highlight unity and progress, simply for existing as a Jew,” Cooper said in a statement.
The occurrence unfolds amid heightened tensions between Saudi Arabia and its ally, Israel, amid the conflict in Gaza. Concurrently, the US is actively working to facilitate the normalisation of relations between the two nations once the ongoing conflict subsides.
Cooper emphasised that, as an observant Jew, he could not comply with the request to remove his kippah, especially in a time of rising antisemitism.
He added that USCIRF looks forward to continuing discussions with the Saudi government regarding the incident and addressing systemic issues.
Davie echoed the sentiments, noting that the incident contradicted the official narrative of change in Saudi Arabia and observed signs of greater religious freedom.
Davie highlighted the need for further discussions to protect freedom of religion or belief, emphasising that more work remains to be done for Saudi Arabia to align with international legal protections.
“We stand by our chair and look forward to further discussions with our Saudi counterparts about protecting freedom of religion or belief for all,” Davie said.
“While we appreciate the various meetings we had in the country with the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the Interior Ministry, the Human Rights Commission, and other interlocutors, this unfortunate incident starkly illustrates that much more work remains to be done for Saudi Arabia to align with international legal protections guaranteeing this fundamental right.”
Since 2000, the USCIRF has consistently recommended that the US State Department designate Saudi Arabia as a “country of particular concern” (CPC) for religious freedom violations.
The US State Department has repeatedly designated Saudi Arabia as a CPC, most recently in December 2023. However, waivers have been issued, and no action has been taken as outlined in the International Religious Freedom Act, according to the statement by USCIRF.
The USCIRF also stressed the importance of the right to religious freedom, including the freedom to wear religious symbols and attire, as protected under international human rights law. The incident highlights the challenges Saudi Arabia faces in achieving alignment with these standards. – March 12, 2024
