Freedom of religion

==Modern concerns==
In its 2011 annual report, the ''[[United States Commission on International Religious Freedom]]'' designated fourteen nations as "countries of particular concern". The commission chairman commented that these are nations whose conduct marks them as the world's worst religious freedom violators and human rights abusers. The fourteen nations designated were [[Rohingya people|Burma]], China, Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. Other nations on the commission's watchlist include Afghanistan, Belarus, Cuba, India, Indonesia, Laos, Russia, Somalia, Tajikistan, Turkey, and Venezuela.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=10154|title=US commission names 14 worst violators of religious freedom|access-date=11 July 2011|magazine=Christianity Today|date=29 April 2011}}<br />^ {{Cite press release|url=http://www.uscirf.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3595|title=USCIRF Identifies World's Worst Religious Freedom Violators: Egypt Cited for First Time|publisher=United States Commission on International Religious Freedom|date=28 April 2011|access-date=11 July 2011}}<br />
^ {{cite report|url=http://www.uscirf.gov/images/book%20with%20cover%20for%20web.pdf|title=Annual Report 2011|publisher=United States Commission on International Religious Freedom|date=May 2011|access-date=11 July 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111023101604/http://uscirf.gov/images/book%20with%20cover%20for%20web.pdf|archive-date=23 October 2011}}</ref>

There are concerns about the restrictions on public religious dress in some European countries (including the [[Hijab]], [[Kippah]], and [[Christian cross]]).<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.christiantoday.com/article/france.passes.religious.symbol.ban/17.htm|title=France Passes Religious Symbol Ban|access-date=29 April 2011|magazine=Christianity Today|date=9 February 2004}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5414098.stm|title=The Islamic veil across Europe
|access-date=2 December 2006|work=BBC News|date=17 November 2006}}</ref> Article 18 of the UN [[International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights]] limits restrictions on freedom to manifest one's religion or beliefs to those necessary to protect public safety, order, health, or morals or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others.<ref>{{Cite web|title=International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, G.A. res. 2200A (XXI), 21 U.N. GAOR Supp. (No. 16) at 52, U.N. Doc. A/6316 (1966), 999 U.N.T.S. 171, entered into force Mar. 23, 1976.|url=http://hrlibrary.umn.edu/instree/b3ccpr.htm|access-date=2023-01-02|website=hrlibrary.umn.edu}}</ref> Freedom of religion as a legal concept is related to, but not identical with, religious toleration, [[separation of church and state]], or [[secular state]] (''[[laïcité]]'').

===Social hostilities and government restrictions===
[[File:Religiousfreedom.png|thumb|upright=1.8|Freedom of religion by country (Pew Research Center study, 2009). Light yellow: low restriction; red: very high restriction on freedom of religion.]]
The [[Pew Research Center]] has performed studies on international religious freedom between 2009 and 2015, compiling global data from 16 governmental and non-governmental organizations{{snd}}including the United Nations, the [[United States State Department]], and [[Human Rights Watch]]{{snd}}and representing over 99.5 percent of the world's population.<ref name="prc-1">{{cite web |title=Global Restrictions on Religion (Executive summary)|publisher=The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life|date=December 2009|url=http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=491|access-date=29 December 2009}}</ref><ref name="prc-2">{{cite web|title=Global Restrictions on Religion (Full report)|publisher=The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life|date=December 2009|url=http://www.pewforum.org/files/2009/12/restrictions-fullreport.pdf|access-date=12 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303223318/http://www.pewforum.org/files/2009/12/restrictions-fullreport.pdf|archive-date=3 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2009, nearly 70 percent of the world's population lived in countries classified as having heavy restrictions on freedom of religion.<ref name="prc-1" /><ref name="prc-2" /> This concerns restrictions on religion originating from government prohibitions on [[free speech]] and religious expression as well as social hostilities undertaken by private individuals, organisations and social groups. Social hostilities were classified by the level of [[communal violence]] and [[Religious terrorism|religion-related terrorism]].

While most countries provided for the protection of religious freedom in their constitutions or laws, only a quarter of those countries were found to fully respect these legal rights in practice. In 75 countries governments limit the efforts of religious groups to proselytise and in 178 countries religious groups must register with the government. In 2013, Pew classified 30% of countries as having restrictions that tend to target religious minorities, and 61% of countries have social hostilities that tend to target religious minorities.<ref name="pew2013"/>

The countries in North and South America reportedly had some of the lowest levels of ''government'' and ''social'' restrictions on religion, while The Middle East and North Africa were the regions with the highest. Saudi Arabia and Iran were the countries that top the list of countries with the ''overall'' highest levels of restriction on religion. Topping the Pew government restrictions index were Saudi Arabia, Iran, Uzbekistan, China, Egypt, Burma, Maldives, Eritrea, Malaysia and Brunei.

Of the world's 25 most populous countries, Iran, Egypt, Indonesia and Pakistan had the most restrictions, while Brazil, Japan, Italy, South Africa, the UK, and the US had some of the lowest levels, as measured by Pew.

Vietnam and China were classified as having high ''government'' restrictions on religion but were in the moderate or low range when it came to ''social'' hostilities. Nigeria, Bangladesh and India were high in ''social'' hostilities but moderate in terms of ''government'' actions.

Restrictions on religion across the world increased between mid-2009 and mid-2010, according to a 2012 study by the [[Pew Research Center]]. Restrictions in each of the five major regions of the world increased{{snd}}including in the Americas and sub-Saharan Africa, the two regions where overall restrictions previously had been declining. In 2010, Egypt, Nigeria, the Palestinian territories, Russia, and Yemen were added to the "very high" category of social hostilities.<ref>{{cite report|url=http://www.pewforum.org/Government/Rising-Tide-of-Restrictions-on-Religion-findings.aspx|title=Rising Tide of Restrictions on Religion|date=20 September 2012|publisher=[[Pew Research Center]]}}</ref> The five highest social hostility scores were for Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Iraq, and Bangladesh.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://stage.pewforum.org/uploadedFiles/Topics/Issues/Government/RisingTide-SHI.pdf |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20121005033805/http://stage.pewforum.org/uploadedFiles/Topics/Issues/Government/RisingTide-SHI.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-10-05 |title=Table: Social Hostilities Index by country |year=2012 |publisher=[[Pew Research Center]] }}</ref> In 2015, Pew published that social hostilities declined in 2013, but the harassment of Jews increased.<ref name="pew2013">{{cite web|url=http://www.pewforum.org/2015/02/26/religious-hostilities/|title=Latest Trends in Religious Restrictions and Hostilities|work=Pew Forum|date=26 February 2015}}</ref>

In the [[Palestinian territories]], Palestinians face tight restrictions on practicing the freedom of religion due to the ongoing [[Israeli–Palestinian conflict]]. In a report published by the [[Geneva]]-based [[Euro-Med HRM|Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor]], eyewitnesses reported systematic practices aiming at preventing young men and women from performing their prayers at [[Temple Mount|Masjid Al-Aqsa]]. These practices include military orders issued by the Israeli Defense Army commander against specific Palestinians who have an effective role in [[Jerusalem]], interrogating young men, and creating a secret blacklist of people who are prevented from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://euromedmonitor.org/en/article/2611/New-report:-Israel-punishes-Al-Aqsa-worshippers--escalates-harassment-of-Palestinians-in-Jerusalem|title=New report: Israel punishes Al-Aqsa worshippers, escalates harassment of Palestinians in Jerusalem|date=8 October 2018|publisher=Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor|access-date=2019-07-09}}</ref>

The lack of religious freedom in China has led to Uyghur Muslims fleeing the country to take refuge in other parts of the world. However, the diplomatic relations of Beijing have resulted in the abuse and detention of Uyghur Muslims even in abroad. The government of UAE was reportedly one of the three Arab nations to have detained and deported Uyghur Muslims living in asylum in Dubai, back to China. The decision received a lot of criticism due to China's poor human rights records and no extradition agreement shared between the two countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2021/06/08/middleeast/uyghur-arab-muslim-china-disappearances-cmd-intl/index.html|title=Uyghurs are being deported from Muslim countries, raising concerns about China's growing reach|accessdate=8 June 2021|website=CNN|date=8 June 2021 }}</ref>

[[Raif Badawi]], the Saudi blogger who was detained for 10 years and received 1,000 lashes in public in 2014, was released on 11 March 2022. The information of Raif's release was shared by his Quebec-based wife, Ensaf Haidar after she received a call from him. The Saudi blogger was fined, jailed, and flogged for criticizing his country's clerics through his writings. However, besides the said punishment, a 10-year passport ban was also imposed on Raif, restricting him from traveling outside Saudi Arabia. Reporters Without Borders claimed that they would work in order to get the travel ban removed to help Raif join his family in Canada.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/business-raif-badawi-quebec-canada-saudi-arabia-84299704ff3dc914b85e59b084dbbe37|title=Saudi blogger reported freed after decade in prison|accessdate=11 March 2022|website=AP News|date=11 March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-60714086|title=Raif Badawi: Saudi blogger freed after decade in prison|work=BBC News|date=11 March 2022|accessdate=11 March 2022}}</ref>