Maldives

In the archipelago of the Maldives, Islam is the official state religion and all citizens must be Muslims. Persecution of Christians in the Maldives is systematic: legislation forbids the practice of any religion except Islam; the government regards itself as the protector and defender of Islam; churches are forbidden; importing Christian materials is prohibited; discrimination of non-Muslims is total; social control is enormous and the average Maldivian agrees with the prohibition of any religion other than Islam. In the country -- one of the least evangelized countries on earth -- there is only a handful of indigenous believers who practise their faith individually and in extreme secrecy for fear of being discovered. No converts have been killed for apostasy in the Maldives. There was no improvement in religious liberty in the reporting period. There were a couple of reports about foreign Christians who were deported from the country after Christian materials had been found in their luggage.

(January 2010)

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