Having had a friend of my family who went to Saudi Arabia to work as a medical doctor, I’ve heard first hand accounts of how difficult life is for the several thousand Hindus who live in Saudi Arabia. Not only were him and his family not allowed to openly practice Hinduism, they were not allowed to have gatherings of greater than five people. Doing so would risk a crackdown from the police, and inevitable prosecution.
Even more shockingly however, and perhaps a crucially decisive piece of evidence in exposing the discriminatory nature of the Saudi regime is a look at its system of compensation, which was reported some time back in the Wall Street Journal.
In Saudi Arabia, there is the concept of blood money (“diyya”). If a person has been killed or caused to die by another, amongst other punishment the perpetrator has to pay blood money or compensation, as follows:
300,000 riyals if the victim is a Muslim man
150,000 riyals if a Muslim woman
50,000 riyals if a Christian or Jewish man
25,000 riyals if a Christian or Jewish woman
6,666 riyals if a Hindu man
3,333 riyals if a Hindu woman
[Note: Jews are generally not allowed in Saudi Arabia, although technically Jews would be afforded the same “value” as Christians, being “people of the book” as per Islamic theology]
So there we have it, a Muslim man’s life is worth 90 times that of a Hindu woman’s. Although I haven’t yet decided where I want to spend my summer holiday next year, I certainly know of one country which I have firmly ruled out of my holiday wish list!
Imagine how much uproar and indignation there would be if such discriminatory systems were to exist in the other countries, such as the democracies in Europe or Asia. However it appears that no Western government cares to query such issues with Saudi Arabia for fear of disrupting their oil supplies. Note, the Hindus who go to work in Saudi Arabia are also, in my opinion, quite silly for living in a country which doesn’t allow them to practice their religion openly even if it pays well.
Hindu Perspective 
First man goes there unknowingly – that too is not justified because anyone leaving one’s place should know where he is going. Then, why did others follow? It is the fault of those who go there and not who ill treat them; it is their place, they act as they like. Philippines stopped their girls going to Middle East when they felt insecure. Why India should send people there? Indians going there and the secularist government were irresponsible citizens of India – esult, suffer. Who make mistake should suffer for it. May God help them!!
“a Muslim man’s life is worth 90 times that of a Hindu woman’s”
So awful!! I never knew these type of thing exsisted… thanks for sharing!
Saudi is discremenatory is well known fact. No external country does anything about it also is known. It is all due to simple economic reasons. Saudi is rather peaceful compared to other mideast countries. So many of our indians are choosing to go into the den of discrimination. For what? For economic reasons. Silly. Nobody cares for human values. Hindu culture is all about human values. But our country has thrown those human values in pursuit of silly economics. Due to horrible economic policies we have created a wide class divide which is pushing people to pursue life in dangerous zones. If we cared for human values here in India itself and created policies enabling, encouraging people to join hands to build stronger society, then automatically economy would have been thriving enough to sustain all people a decent living here.
Disgraceful hate discussions between Hindus, Muslims, Jews, Christians here and my post has not been published on the horrific portrayal of Hindu Rajahs, robbed of palaces, (translated, “palaces” as “pieces of land”) locked up and starved, photographed before being killed and the photo used as if they died from lack of food due to poverty in India before “His Majesty’s” ships arrived- is this incidental or design? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bkdklv1Ov74 British INVENTED Muslims, Jews & Christians in millions from Hindus in India on 14 August 1947
The fault lies with those Hindus who to earn few more coins leave their dignity and self respect and go to these silly and wild countries..It is better to die with self respect .than to live like a hog.with no self respect
Saudis are barbarics. Everybody knows that.
Bengalis do Durga Puja there on big life-size portraits!!!!
Bengalis do Durga Puja there on big life-size portraits!!!!? Bengalis? Which Indian Bengalis or Bangladeshi Bengalis? Hindus in Bangladesh are unsafe, migrating to India and you are telling Bengalis do Durga puja in Saudi Arabia means Hindus you mean to say. It is impossible. If some one wants to get his neck chopped up then he can do this kind of thing there. Value of Hindu man is on 6666 riyals where as muslim man value is 300,000 riyals if died or killed in an accident. What you are telling is provocation. There the people live in fear. It is not bad but a very dangerous and worst country. Kuwait is also same.
At least I am bringing awareness about part of the issue? Are you doing anything better?
Are you raising awareness amongst anybody or doing anything to resist the oppression?
All you are doing appears to be preaching to somebody like me who is doing what I can to raise awareness in a palatable way. PREACHING TO THE CONVERTED IS FUTILE.
I am a muslim in India…and can say that saudis are inhumans. They have extremely low iq level …comparable to that of a 5 year kid…and yes…they treat their women really bad…coz of which
.there is huge adultery in the saudi society. Shame …it still is relevant because of their oil. Wish Russia could knock this country off from the hands of such syupid people in power there
The same should b apply in India for muslims