I read the following post from Andy McCarthy over at NRO's The Corner and found anger rising within me.
From the Jerusalem Post:
Despite
a series of initiatives aimed at generating foreign tourism, the Saudi
Arabian government continues to bar Jews and Christians from bringing
items such as Bibles, crucifixes and Stars of David into the country
and is threatening to confiscate them on sight, The Jerusalem Post has learned. "A
number of items are not allowed to be brought into the kingdom due to
religious reasons and local regulations," declares the Web site of
Saudi Arabian Airlines, the country's national carrier. After
informing would-be visitors that items such as narcotics, firearms and
pornography may not be transported into the country, the Web site adds:
"Items and articles belonging to religions other than Islam are also
prohibited. These may include Bibles, crucifixes, statues, carvings,
items with religious symbols such as the Star of David, and others." Contacted by the Post,
an employee of Saudi Arabian Airlines in New York, who would only give
her name as Gladys, confirmed this rule was in force. "Yes, sir," she
said, "that is what we have heard, that it is a problem to bring these
things into Saudi Arabia, so you cannot do it." An official at the Saudi Consulate in New York, who declined to give her name, told the Post
that anyone bringing a Bible into the country or wearing a crucifix or
Star of David around their neck would run into trouble with Saudi
authorities. "You are not allowed to bring that stuff into the
kingdom," the consular official said. "If you do, they will take it
away," she warned, adding, "If it is really important to you, then you
can try to bring it and just see what happens, but I don't recommend
that you do so." Asked to explain the policy, the official said, "Every country has rules about what can or cannot enter." Steve
Emerson's Investigative Project on Terrorism, which pointed me to the
JPost story, also notes that the pertinent Saudi Customs regulations
can be found here.