World Report - Public Affairs and Religious Liberty

316 Pages·2012·1.7 MB·English

R E L I G I O U S F R E E D O M
WORLD
REPORT
2010-2011
Public Affairs and Religious Liberty
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904 USA

R E L I G I O U S F R E E D O M
WORLD
REPORT
2010-2011
Public Affairs and Religious Liberty
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904 USA
T a b L E O F
c
ontents
Foreward 5
IntroductIon 6
countrIes LIsted aLphabetIcaLLy 8
countrIes 12
sources 310
the seventh-day adventIst church
& reLIgIous Freedom 313
thank you 314
contact InFormatIon 315
F
oreward
This report has come a long ways from our initial endeavor to document the state
of religious freedom in the world with a focus on the Seventh-day Adventist
experience. In an increasingly interrelated global world, a systemic approach
to religious freedom in the context of human rights is warranted and requires
a broader, multidisciplinary approach.
For this report, Dr Diop has chosen a multifaceted approach. A section entitled
“perspectives on current issues” provides succinct information that sheds light
on major human rights and freedom of religion or belief issues from economic,
political, social, cultural, and religious perspectives. Violations of human rights
always occur in contexts where all these perspectives are woven together. In
other words, each country provides a unique context where several factors are
intertwined. Disentangling these factors helps us to better understand the real
challenges a given country faces.
More than 70% of the world population lives under some form of restriction to
religious freedom. Where there is no separation of religion and state, freedoms
are restricted. Though we defend religious freedom for people of all beliefs,
approximately 75% of the people persecuted for their faith are Christian.
The World Report consistently zooms in on the Seventh-day Adventist experi-
ence and notes government restrictions, the hostility of the religious groups of
the majority population, and restriction from secular states.
To encourage government and institutions to embrace and promote freedom
of religion or belief, the Adventist Church supports the International Religious
Liberty Association’s (IRLA) congresses, symposia and festivals around the
world. We hope this world will become a better place for millions who deserve
to live the full scope of their human dignity.
Dr John Graz, General Editor
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM WORLD REPORT 2010-2011 Foreward 5
I
ntroductIon
All people strive to obtain freedom, justice, and peace. These rights form the
essential core of meaningful human existence. When these rights are denied,
people are reduced to disposable commodities to be used and abused. What
it means to be human becomes compromised and the entire human race is
diminished.
More than 60 years ago, the United Nations ratified the Universal Declara-
tion of Human Rights. The signatories of this historic document pledged to
uphold human dignity, to respect the inviolable freedom of conscience, and to
maintain the right to choose, change, and promote one’s inherited or adopted
religion or worldview. Article 18 reads as follows:
“Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right
includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in
community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in
teaching, practice, worship and observance.”
Despite heightened awareness of the global responsibility to protect the human
rights of every person, our world today is still marred by multifaceted violations
of these rights.
These violations take various forms: deprivation of political rights and legal
protections, judicial abuses, racial and ethnic stigmatization, gender inequality,
exploitation of children, denial of access to common resources, censorship and
intimidation intended to stifle freedom of speech, torture, and even murder. In
some countries these actions are state sponsored or driven by popular hostility.
Countries that adopt a state religion tend to restrict the freedom of religious
minorities in their midst and it is reported that in 75% of the world’s countries
minority groups experience some sort of discrimination. Oppressive and totali-
tarian regimes deprive millions of people of their human rights, including the
6 IntroductIon RELIGIOUS FREEDOM WORLD REPORT 2010-2011
right to freely practice their chosen religion. In some cases, religious differences
result in open warfare.
The fact that Seventh-day Adventists celebrate the Seventh-day Sabbath
(Saturday) as a day of worship and rest makes them vulnerable to discrimina-
tion in this area. For example, Adventists are unable to graduate from certain
schools because they will not participate in academic activities on the Sabbath.
In some cases, these young people find it necessary to change careers in order
to have more employment opportunities and live decent lives.
Seventy-five percent of those persecuted because of their beliefs and practices,
an estimated 200 million people, are Christians. While this report focuses on
the experiences of Seventh-day Adventists, advocacy for the religious freedom
of all people is a moral responsibility. For this reason, we summarize the human
rights record of each country and identify government restrictions on religious
liberty and social hostility directed toward minorities because of their religious
beliefs and practices. We hope that you will find this information useful.
Ganoune Diop, Ph.D.
Executive Editor
Director of UN Relations
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM WORLD REPORT 2010-2011 IntroductIon 7
c L
ountrIes Isted
a
LphabetIcaLLy
Afghanistan ................. 12 Botswana ................... 43
Albania .................... 13 Brazil ...................... 45
Algeria ..................... 15 British Virgin Islands ......... 46
American Samoa ............. 16 Brunei Darussalam ........... 47
Andorra .................... 17 Bulgaria .................... 49
Angola ..................... 18 Burkina Faso ................ 50
Anguilla .................... 20 Burma (Myanmar) ............ 52
Antigua and Barbuda ......... 20 Burundi .................... 53
Argentina. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Cambodia .................. 55
Armenia .................... 23 Cameroon .................. 56
Aruba ...................... 24 Canada .................... 57
Australia ................... 25 Cape Verde ................. 59
Austria ..................... 27 Cayman Islands .............. 60
Azerbaijan .................. 29 Central African Republic ...... 61
Bahamas ................... 31 Chad ...................... 62
Bangladesh ................. 32 Chile ...................... 64
Barbados ................... 33 China ...................... 65
Belarus ..................... 34 Colombia ................... 68
Belgium .................... 35 Comoros ................... 70
Belize ...................... 36 Congo, Democratic
Republic of the .............. 71
Benin ...................... 37
Congo, Republic of the ........ 73
Bermuda ................... 39
Cook Islands ................ 74
Bhutan ..................... 40
Costa Rica .................. 75
Bolivia ..................... 41
Cote d’Ivoire ................ 76
Bosnia and Herzegovina ....... 42
8 country Index RELIGIOUS FREEDOM WORLD REPORT 2010-2011
Croatia ..................... 78 Guinea-Bissau .............. 121
Cuba ...................... 80 Guyana ................... 122
Cyprus ..................... 81 Haiti ..................... 123
Czech Republic .............. 82 Honduras .................. 125
Denmark ................... 84 Hong Kong ................ 126
Djibouti .................... 85 Hungary .................. 127
Dominica ................... 87 Iceland .................... 129
Dominican Republic .......... 88 India ..................... 130
Ecuador .................... 89 Indonesia .................. 132
Egypt ...................... 91 Iran ...................... 134
El Salvador ................. 92 Iraq ...................... 136
Equatorial Guinea ............ 93 Ireland .................... 138
Eritrea ..................... 95 Israel ..................... 139
Estonia .................... 97 Italy ...................... 141
Ethiopia .................... 98 Jamaica ................... 142
Falkland Islands ............. 100 Japan ..................... 143
Fiji ....................... 101 Jordan .................... 145
Finland ................... 103 Kazakhstan ................ 147
France .................... 104 Kenya ..................... 148
French Guiana .............. 106 Kiribati ................... 150
French Polynesia ............ 107 Korea, Democratic Peoples
Republic of ................ 151
Gabon .................... 108
Korea, Republic of
Gambia ................... 109
(South Korea) .............. 153
Georgia ................... 110
Kosovo .................... 154
Germany .................. 112
Kuwait .................... 156
Ghana .................... 113
Kyrgyzstan ................. 157
Greece .................... 115
Laos ...................... 159
Grenada ................... 116
Latvia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Guadeloupe ................ 117
Lebanon .................. 162
Guatemala ................. 118
Lesotho ................... 163
Guinea .................... 119
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM WORLD REPORT 2010-2011 country Index 9
Liberia .................... 164 New Zealand ............... 204
Libya ..................... 166 Nicaragua ................. 205
Liechtenstein ............... 167 Niger ..................... 207
Lithuania .................. 168 Nigeria .................... 209
Luxembourg ............... 169 Niue ...................... 211
Macedonia ................. 170 Norway ................... 212
Madagascar ................ 172 Oman .................... 213
Malawi .................... 174 Pakistan ................... 214
Malaysia .................. 175 Palau ..................... 216
Maldives .................. 177 Panama ................... 217
Mali ...................... 178 Papua New Guinea .......... 218
Malta ..................... 180 Paraguay .................. 219
Martinique ................ 181 Peru ...................... 221
Mauritania ................. 182 Philippines ................. 222
Mauritius .................. 184 Pitcairn Island .............. 224
Mexico .................... 186 Poland .................... 225
Micronesia, Federated Portugal ................... 226
States of ................... 187
Puerto Rico ................ 227
Moldova .................. 188
Qatar ..................... 228
Monaco ................... 189
Reports: ................... 310
Mongolia .................. 190
Reunion ................... 229
Montenegro ................ 192
Romania .................. 230
Montserrat ................. 193
Russian Federation .......... 232
Morocco .................. 194
Rwanda ................... 234
Mozambique ............... 195
Saint Kitts and Nevis ......... 235
Namibia ................... 197
Saint Lucia ................ 236
Nauru .................... 198
Saint Pierre and Miquelon .... 237
Nepal ..................... 199
Saint Vincent and
Netherlands ................ 200 the Grenadines ............. 238
Netherlands Antilles ......... 202 Samoa .................... 239
New Caledonia ............. 203 San Marino ................ 240
10 country Index RELIGIOUS FREEDOM WORLD REPORT 2010-2011