India is facing the heat from the Gulf and other Islamic nations over derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammed by two leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
The foreign ministries of Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia issued official statements slamming the remarks by BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma and Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal and demanding an apology. Iran too has hit out at India, become yet another country to summon the Indian ambassador ahead of the Iranian foreign minister’s first-ever upcoming visit to India.
“Respect for religion” and “extremism” kept coming up, as the nations slammed the two leaders – one suspended and one expelled. Amid the diplomatic outrage, we take a look at religious freedoms in the Islamic world.
Kuwait
The Constitution declares Islam to be the religion of the state but says freedom of belief is absolute. Sharia is the main source of legislation but all individuals are equal before the law regardless of religion, according to the Constitution.
Defamation of the three Abrahamic faiths – Islam, Judaism, and Christianity – publication or broadcast of material the government deems offensive to religious groups, and practices the government finds inconsistent with the Islamic law are prohibited in Kuwait.
However, religious minorities continue to face discrimination in the Gulf nation including the Shias, which are mostly migrants from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Iran and form 35 per cent of the population.
According to a non-profit, although Shias have the same legal rights as Sunnis and access to education, health care, and other state benefits, they are often perceived as being lower on the social scale and marginalised in religious, economic, social, and political terms.
The Kuwaiti government continued to appoint and pay the salaries of Sunni imams and provide the full basic text for weekly sermons preached at mosques. However, it did not exercise the same oversight for Shia imams, says 2020 report on International Religious Freedom.
While non-Islamic holidays like Diwali, Christmas and Easter are observed by hotels and businesses, some Muslim clerics who disapprove of the celebrations, call for the government to curb public expression of these festivals, according to the report.
During the Holy month of Ramzan, non-Muslims are not expected to fast but it is against Kuwaiti law for anyone to eat, drink, or smoke in public between sunrise and sunset. Even children should be instructed not to eat or drink in public, which includes while in a vehicle on, or visible from, the street. Eating, drinking or smoking in public are grounds for arrest.
With the exception of Hindus and Sikhs of Indian nationality, who may marry at the Embassy of India, members of non-Abrahamic faiths and nonregistered churches cannot marry legally in the country but may have their foreign wedding certificates recognised.
In Kuwait, those converting from Islam continue to face pressure. Relatives of citizens who convert outside the country are often harassed.
Discrimination against minorities is prevalent. In January 2021, a prominent cleric issued a statement condemning the construction of an interfaith centre in the United Arab Emirates that would include a synagogue, church, and mosque. He also uploaded to YouTube a statement calling Jews “the brothers of apes and pigs”.
Members of non-Abrahamic faiths in Kuwait said they remained free to practice their religion in private but faced harassment and potential prosecution if they disturbed their neighbours or violated laws regarding assembly. Many of these groups said they did not publicly advertise religious events or gatherings to avoid bringing unwanted attention to their organisations, both from the public and from government authorities, according to the 2021 Report on International Religious Freedom by the US state department.
Qatar
In Qatar, Islam is the state religion and the legislation is governed by sharia. The law punishes “offending” Islam or any of its rites or beliefs or committing blasphemy against Islam, Christianity, or Judaism.
Sunni and Shia Muslims and eight Christian denominations constitute the registered religious groups in the country. Unregistered religious groups are illegal, but authorities permit them to practice their faith but only privately.
In its 2021 World Watch List report, the Christian non-profit Open Doors USA said that Muslims who convert to Christianity face significant persecution. “Converts from both indigenous and migrant backgrounds bear the brunt of persecution, and Qatari converts face very high pressure from their families,” the report pointed out.
Qatar has been accused of promoting the religious cleansing of the persecuted Baha’i community, which is a religious minority in the Bani Dugal, Baha’i International Community (BIC) representative to the United Nations, had said in January, “This pattern of deportation is tantamount to religious cleansing – if it continues, an entire religious community could be erased in a few years.”
Hindus mostly from India and Nepal comprise 15.4 per cent of the population in Qatar. Representatives of the Hindu community have continued to express concern that the government had not granted them permission to open new places of worship, according to the US department’s 2021 report on religious freedom.
Like Kuwait, Qatar does not require non-Muslims to fast during Ramzan. But they cannot drink, smoke, or chew gum in public. All restaurants are required to close during daylight hours during the holy month.
India and Qatar have had earlier face-offs over religious freedom. Legendary painter MF Husain who was living in self-imposed exile for nearly four years following a spate of cases in India over his controversial paintings of Hindu goddesses was given citizenship by Qatar in 2010. Since India does not recognise dual citizenship, he had given up his Indian passport and accepted the citizenship of Qatar.
Saudi Arabia
US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) places Saudi Arabia on the list of countries of particular concern.
Freedom of religion is not provided under the law in the country. The law criminalises “anyone who challenges, either directly or indirectly, the religion or justice of the King or Crown Prince”.
Religious freedom conditions in Saudi Arabia remain poor. The Saudi government has lifted several religious restrictions on women’s rights and passed a parliamentary bill restricting child marriages. However, the public practice of any religion other than Islam is prohibited, and no houses of worship other than mosques are allowed in the kingdom, according to the USCIRF.
Discrimination and abuse of Shia Muslims have been common in Saudi Arabia. In March, the country executed 81 men, the largest mass execution in recent years.
Saudi activists told Human Rights Watch that 41 of the men belonged to the country’s Shia Muslim minority, who have long suffered systemic discrimination and violence by the government. Many Saudi Shias are serving lengthy sentences, are on death row, or have been executed for protest-related charges following patently unfair trials.
Saudi Arabia has been a “Country of Particular Concern” since 2004. This designation is given by the US secretary of state to nations with severe violations of religious freedom.
Iran
In Iran, religious freedom continues to be a grave concern. The Constitution defines Iran as an Islamic republic and specifies Twelver Ja’afari Shia Islam as the official state religion. It states all laws and regulations must be based on “Islamic criteria” and an official interpretation of sharia.
In 2021, despite the prevalence of COVID-19 in Iran’s prisons, scores of religious minorities, including Christians, Baha’is, and Sunnis, were called to begin prison sentences. Iran has also been accused of spreading anti-Semitism – discrimination against Jews.
The country detains those who call for greater religious freedom and continues to harass and imprison women who protest the wearing of religious headscarves.
Throughout 2021, the government arrested scores of Baha’is across Iran. Many detained Baha’is were held incommunicado or taken to undisclosed locations, according to the USCIRF report.
Christians, especially Christian converts, are under attack in the country. Sunni Muslims in Iran, particularly religious leaders, faced persecution and sentences on spurious charges.
Since 1999, Iran has been designated as a “Country of Particular Concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 for having engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom.
With inputs from agencies
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from Explained: Where do Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Iran stand on minority rights and religious freedom?
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