"US Religious Freedom Delegation Abruptly Ends Saudi Trip Over Rabbi's Kippah Incident"
A U.S. Congress-mandated group's fact-finding mission to Saudi Arabia was cut short after a Saudi official ordered a Jewish rabbi to remove his kippah in public, highlighting religious tensions in the region. Despite progress in allowing different faiths to worship privately, displaying non-Islamic religious symbols remains criminalized in the kingdom. The group's visit was also affected by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, and the U.S. State Department has raised concerns with Saudi authorities over the incident. Additionally, the U.S. government is prepared to grant refugee status to four Uyghur Muslims imprisoned in Saudi Arabia due to potential persecution they could face if returned to China.
