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RELIGIOUS FREEDOM WORLD REPORT 2010-2011 Public Affairs and Religious Liberty 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904 USA RELIGIOUS FREEDOM WORLD REPORT 2010-2011 Public Affairs and Religious Liberty 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904 USA T a b le of contents 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 Foreward 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 IntroductIon 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 countrIes LIsted aLphabetIcally 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 Benin. 37 Republic of the . 71 Bermuda. 39 Congo, Republic of the. 73 Bhutan. 40 Cook Islands. 74 Bolivia. 41 Costa Rica. 75 Bosnia and Herzegovina. 42 Cote d’Ivoire. 76 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 Gabon. 108 Republic of . 151 Gambia. 109 Korea, Republic of (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 Sao Tome and Principe. 241 Timor-Leste. 277 Saudi Arabia. 242 Togo . 278 Senegal . 244 Tonga. 280 Serbia. 246 Trinidad and Tobago. 281 Seychelles . 247 Tunisia. 283 Sierra Leone . 249 Turkey. 284 Singapore. 250 Turkmenistan . 285 Slovenia. 252 Tuvalu. 287 Solomon Islands . 253 Uganda . 288 Somalia. 255 Ukraine. 289 South Africa . 257 United Arab Emirates. 291 South Sudan. 264 United Kingdom. 292 Spain. 258 United States of America . 294 Sri Lanka. 260 United States Virgin Islands. 295 Sudan. ..
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