Libya
(2000)
The Government restricts freedom of religion.
There was no change in the status of respect for
religious freedom during the period covered by this report.
Information regarding relations among the country's
different religious groups is limited. According to recent reports, persons
rarely are harassed because of their religious practices unless such
practices are perceived as having a political dimension or motivation.
The U.S. Government has no official presence in the
country and maintains no dialog with the Government.
Section I. Government Policies on Freedom of Religion
Legal/Policy Framework The Government restricts freedom
of religion.
The country's leadership has been known to state
publicly its preference for Islam. In an apparent effort to eliminate all
alternative power bases, the regime has banned the once powerful Sanusiyya
Islamic order. In its place, Libyan leader Colonel Mu'ammar Al-Qadhafi
established the Islamic Call Society (ICS), which is the Islamic arm of the
Government's foreign policy and is active throughout the world. The ICS
also is responsible for relations with other religions, including the
Christian churches in the country. The ICS's main purpose is to promote a
moderate form of Islam that reflects the religious views of the Government,
and there are reports that Islamic groups whose beliefs and practices are
at variance with the state-approved teaching of Islam are banned. Although
most Islamic institutions are under government control, prominent families
endow some mosques; however, they generally remain within the
government-approved interpretation of Islam.
Religious Demography
The country is overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim (97 to 98
percent). There are small Christian communities, composed almost
exclusively of foreigners. There is a small Anglican community, made up
mostly of African immigrant workers in Tripoli, which is part of the
Egyptian Diocese; the Anglican Bishop of Libya is resident in Cairo. There
are Union churches in Tripoli and Benghazi. There are an estimated 40,000
Roman Catholics who are served by two Bishops--1 in Tripoli (serving the
Italian community) and 1 in Benghazi (serving the Maltese community).
Catholic priests and nuns serve in all the main coastal cities, and there
is one priest in the southern city of Sebha. Most of them work in hospitals
and with the handicapped; they enjoy good relations with the Government.
There are also Coptic and Greek Orthodox priests in both Tripoli and
Benghazi.
In March 1997, the Vatican established diplomatic
relations with Libya, stating that Libya had taken steps to protect freedom
of religion. The Vatican hoped to be able to address more adequately the
needs of the estimated 50,000 Christians in the country.
There still may be a very small number of Jews. Most of
the Jewish community, which numbered around 35,000 in 1948, left for Italy
at various stages between 1948 and 1967. The Government has been
rehabilitating the "medina" (old city) in Tripoli and has
renovated the large synagogue there; however, the synagogue has not
reopened.
There are no known places of worship for other
non-Muslim religions such as Hinduism, the Baha'i Faith, and Buddhism,
although adherents are allowed to practice within the privacy of their
home. Foreign adherents of these religions are allowed to display and sell
religious items at bazaars and other gatherings.
Governmental Restrictions on Religious Freedom
The Government controls most mosques and Islamic
institutions, and even mosques endowed by prominent families generally
remain within the government-approved interpretation of Islam. According to
recent reports, individuals rarely are harassed because of their religious
practices, unless such practices are perceived as having a political
dimension or motivation. However, Christians are restricted by the lack of
churches; there is a government limit of one church per denomination per
city. Members of some minority religions are allowed to conduct services.
Christian churches operate openly and are tolerated by the authorities. The
authorities reportedly have failed to honor a promise made in 1970 to
provide the Anglican Church with alternative facilities when they took the
property used by the Church. Since 1988 the Anglicans have shared a villa
with other Protestant denominations. There continue to be reports of armed
clashes between security forces and Islamic groups that oppose the current
regime and advocate the establishment of a more traditional form of Islamic
government.
There was no change in the status of respect for
religious freedom during the period covered by this report.
There were no reports of religious detainees or
prisoners.
Forced Religious Conversion of Minor U.S. Citizens
There were no reports of the forced religious conversion
of minor U.S. citizens who had been abducted or illegally removed from the
United States, or of the Government's refusal to allow such citizens to be
returned to the United States.
Section II. Societal Attitudes
Information on religious freedom is limited, although
members of minority religions report that they do not face harassment by
authorities or the Muslim majority on the basis of their religious
practices.
Section III. U.S. Government Policy
The United States has no official presence in Libya, and
consequently maintains no dialog with the Government on religious freedom
issues.
Sources: U.S. State Department - Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor |