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Don't Count on Religious Freedom in Islamic World

Daily Policy Digest

International Issues

Tuesday, November 06, 2001

Several human rights organizations report that many Muslim-ruled countries have dismal records when it comes to religious freedom and tolerance. Christians are particularly discriminated against.

In fact, Christianity is banned in Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Kuwait.

The latest U.S. State Department religious freedom report rates Afghanistan among the worst offenders -- along with Burma, China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea and Vietnam.

Runners-up include Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Sudan, where leaving Islam for another religion is a capital offense.

Turkmenistan -- where four Baptists were tortured for having religious literature in their car -- made the list, along with Uzbekistan.

Nigeria, Indonesia and Sudan lead the world in actual death tolls of Christians, according to the Center for Religious Freedom at Freedom House -- and the number of Christians and animists who have perished in Sudan is estimated at 2 million.

By contrast, roughly 1.8 million to 2 million Muslims in the U.S. are free to construct mosques, set up their own nonprofit groups, evangelize for their own religion and raise funds here -- protected by the First Amendment.

Source: Julia Duin, "Christians Face Dismal Plight in Islamic Realms," Washington Times, November 6, 2001.

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