Algeria
(2001)
The Constitution declares Islam to be the
state religion but prohibits discrimination based on religious
belief, and the Government generally respects this right
in practice; however, there were some restrictions.
There was no change in the status of respect
for religious freedom during the period covered by this report.
Islam is the only state-sanctioned religion, and the law
limits the practice of other faiths; however, the Government
follows a de facto policy of tolerance by not inquiring into
the religious practices of individuals. Self-proclaimed radical
Muslim terrorists continue to justify their killing of security
force members and civilians by referring to interpretations
of religious texts; however, the level of violence perpetrated
by terrorists declined during the period covered by this
report.
The generally amicable relationship among
religions contributed to religious freedom. A very small
number of citizens practice nonmainstream forms of Islam
or other religions, and there is minimal societal discrimination
against them.
The U.S. Government discusses religious
freedom with the Government in the context of its overall
dialog and policy of promoting human rights.
Section I. Religious Demography
The country has a total land area of 6,406,880
square miles and its population is approximately 31,194,000.
The vast majority of citizens belong to the Sunni branch
of Islam. Official data on the number of non-Muslim residents
is not available. Many citizens who practice non-Muslim faiths
have fled the country as a result of the civil war; thus,
the number of Christians and Jews in the country is significantly
lower than the estimated total before 1992. The small Christian
community, which is predominantly Roman Catholic, has approximately
25,000 members, and the Jewish community numbers perhaps
fewer than 100. There are no reliable figures on the numbers
of atheists in the country, and very few persons identify
themselves as such. There is only one missionary group operating
in the country on a full-time basis. Other evangelical groups
travel to and from the country but are not established.
For security reasons, both Christians and
Jews have concentrated in Algiers and the larger cities of
Constantine and Oran. There also is a Christian community
in the eastern region of Kabylie.
Section II. Status of Religious Freedom
Legal/Policy Framework
The Constitution declares Islam to be the
state religion but prohibits discrimination based on religious
belief, and the Government generally respects this right
in practice; however, there were some restrictions. Islam
is the only state-sanctioned religion, and the law limits
the practice of other faiths; however, the Government follows
a de facto policy of tolerance by not inquiring into the
religious practices of individuals. The small Christian and
Jewish populations generally practice their faiths without
government interference. Missionary groups are permitted
to operate without government interference as long as they
are discreet. Most of the "home churches" in which
Christians worship are in contact with the Government and
none report feeling intimidated or threatened.
Restrictions on Religious Freedom
The Government appoints preachers to mosques
and gives general guidance on sermons. The Government monitors
activities in mosques for possible security-related offenses.
Amendments to the Penal Code, which became law on June 27,
2001, established strict punishments, including fines and
prison sentences for anyone other than government-designated
imams who preach in mosques. Harsher punishments were established
for any person, including government-designated imams, if
such persons act "against the noble nature of the mosque."
The Ministry of Religious Affairs provides some financial
support to mosques and has limited control over the training
of imams.
The law prohibits public assembly for purposes
of practicing a faith other than Islam. However, there are
Roman Catholic churches, including a cathedral in Algiers
(the seat of the Archbishop), which conduct services without
government interference. In 1994 the size of the Jewish community
diminished significantly, and its synagogue has since been
abandoned. There are only a few smaller churches and other
places of worship; non-Muslims usually congregate in private
homes for religious services.
Islamic law (Shari'a) does not recognize
conversion from Islam to any other religion; however, conversion
is not illegal under the law. Conversions from Islam to other
religions are rare. Due to safety concerns and potential
legal and social problems, Muslim converts practice their
new faith clandestinely.
Non-Islamic proselytizing is illegal, and
the Government restricts the importation of non-Islamic literature
for widespread distribution. Personal copies of the major
works of other religions, such as the Bible, may be brought
into the country. Occasionally such works are sold in local
bookstores in Algiers, and in general, non-Islamic religious
texts are no longer difficult to find. Non-Islamic religious
music and video selections also are available. The Government
prohibits the dissemination of any literature that portrays
violence as a legitimate precept of Islam.
Because Islam is the state religion, the
country's education system is structured to benefit Muslims.
Education is free to all citizens below the age of 16, and
the study of Islam is a strict requirement in the public
schools, which are regulated by the Ministry of Education
and the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Private primary and
secondary schools were permitted to operate for the first
time in 1990, with the first private primary school opening
in 1992. Now both private primary and private secondary schools
operate in the country; however, private school students
find it more difficult than other students to register for
official national examinations.
Some aspects of Shari'a as interpreted
and applied in the country discriminate against women. The
1984 Family Code, which is based in large part on Shari'a,
treats women as minors under the legal guardianship of a
husband or male relative. For example, a woman must obtain
a father's approval to marry. Divorce is difficult for a
wife to obtain except in cases of abandonment or the husband's
conviction for a serious crime. Husbands generally obtain
the right to the family's home in the case of divorce. Custody
of the children normally is awarded to the mother, but she
may not enroll them in a particular school or take them out
of the country without the father's authorization. Only males
are able to confer citizenship on their children. Muslim
women are prohibited from marrying non-Muslims; Muslim men
may marry non-Muslim women.
Women also suffer from discrimination in
inheritance claims; in accordance with Shari'a, women are
entitled to a smaller portion of an estate than are male
children or a deceased husband's brothers. According to Shari'a,
such a distinction is justified because other provisions
require that the husband's income and assets be used to support
the family, while the wife's remain, in principle, her own.
Women may take out business loans and are the sole custodians
of their dowries. However, in practice women do not always
have exclusive control over assets that they bring to a marriage
or income that they earn themselves. Females under 19 years
of age may not travel abroad without their husbands' permission.
Abuses of Religious Freedom
The country's 9-year civil conflict has
pitted self-proclaimed radical Muslims against moderate Muslims.
Approximately 100,000 civilians, terrorists, and security
forces have been killed during the past 9 years. Extremist
self-proclaimed Islamists have issued public threats against
all "infidels" in the country, both foreigners
and citizens, and have killed both Muslims and non-Muslims,
including missionaries. Extremists continued attacks against
both the Government and moderate Muslim and secular civilians;
however, the level of violence perpetrated by these terrorists
declined during the period covered by this report. The majority
of the country's terrorist groups do not, as a rule, differentiate
between religious and political killings. In the majority
of cases during the period covered by this report, in which
both security forces and civilians died at the hands of terrorists,
the preferred methods of assault were knifings (particularly
throat-slitting) and shootings. Terrorists, often claiming
religious justification for their actions, set up false roadblocks
to kill civilians and security force personnel. Terrorists
also killed villagers and shepherds in their homes and fields,
with firearms and knives.
During the period covered by this report,
an indeterminate number of persons were serving prison sentences
because of their alleged Islamist sympathies or membership
in Islamist groups that commit or endorse terrorists acts;
however, there were no reports of cases in which it was clear
that persons were arrested or detained based solely on their
religious beliefs.
Forced Religious Conversion
There were no reports of forced religious
conversion, including 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 III. Societal Attitudes
In general noncitizens who practice faiths
other than Islam enjoy a high level of tolerance within society;
however, citizens who renounce Islam generally are ostracized
by their families and shunned by their neighbors. The Government
generally does not become involved in such disputes. Converts
also expose themselves to the risk of attack by radical extremists.
The majority of cases of harassment and
security threats against non-Muslims come from radical Islamists
who are determined to rid the country of those who do not
share their extremist interpretation of Islam (see Section
II). However, a majority of the population subscribes to
Islamic precepts of tolerance in religious beliefs. Moderate
Islamist religious and political leaders have criticized
publicly acts of violence committed in the name of Islam.
Section IV. U.S. Government Policy
The U.S. Government discusses religious
freedom with the Government in the context of its overall
dialog and policy of promoting human rights. However, because
the country was rated as a "critical threat" post
during the period covered by this report, the U.S. Embassy's
staff level was one-third the size that it would have been
under normal circumstances. Officers were confined to the
embassy grounds and moved outside its walls, almost exclusively
for business purposes, with armed escorts. For practical
and logistical purposes, the Embassy could not maintain regular
contact with leaders in the Muslim community or with the
Ministry of Religious Affairs. Nevertheless, the Embassy
tracked human rights issues, including religious freedom,
as closely as possible under these restrictive working conditions.
The U.S. Embassy maintained frequent contact
with the National Observatory for Human Rights (ONDH), a
quasigovernmental institution that was established by the
Government in response to international and domestic pressure
to improve Algeria's human rights record. The Embassy assisted,
wherever possible, to augment the ONDH's ability to address
human rights abuses. Although officially disbanded, the ONDH
continues to function and embassy personnel continue to remain
in contact with it and its leadership.
The Embassy maintained strong and close
contact with religious leaders in the non-Muslim community,
who cite the dangers posed by radical Islamists as their
principal concern regarding the safe practice of their faith.
The Embassy maintains contact with several moderate Islamist
organizations, including a social service nongovernmental
organization and a scholarly institute.
Sources: U.S. State Department - Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor |