United Arab Emirates
(2001)
The federal Constitution designates Islam
as the official religion, and Islam is also the official
religion of all seven of the constituent emirates of the
federal union. The federal Constitution also provides for
the freedom to exercise religious worship in accordance with
established customs, provided that it does not conflict with
public policy or violate public morals, and the Government
generally respects this right in practice and does not interfere
with the private practice of religion; however, it limits
the number of officially recognized religions, controls virtually
all Sunni mosques, grants only a small number of Christian
denominations recognition, prohibits proselytizing, and restricts
the ability of nonrecognized religions to conduct business
as organized groups.
There was no change in the status of religious
freedom during the period covered by this report.
The generally amicable relationship among
religions in society contributed to a relatively tolerant
atmosphere for the practice of a wide variety of faiths,
albeit within the context of a predominantly Muslim society
in which Islam has a privileged status and not all non-Islamic
religions have equal legal standing.
The U.S. Government discusses religious
freedom issues with the Government in the context of its
overall dialog and policy of promoting human rights.
Section I. Religious Demography
The country's total land area is 32,300
square miles and its population is approximately 3.1 million.
More than 80 percent of the population are non-citizens.
All of the country's citizens are Muslims, with approximately
85 percent followers of Sunni Islam and the remaining 15
percent followers of Shi'a Islam. Naturalization of new citizens
is limited to Sunni Muslims. Approximately 80 percent of
the population are foreigners, predominantly from South and
Southeast Asia. A substantial number of foreign professionals
are citizens of countries in the Middle East, Europe, and
North America. Although no official figures are available,
local observers estimate that approximately 55 percent of
the foreign population are Muslim, 25 percent are Hindu,
10 percent are Christian, 5 percent are Buddhist, and 5 percent
are a mixture of other faiths, including Ismailis, Parsis,
Baha'is, and Sikhs (most of whom reside in the Dubai and
Abu Dhabi).
No foreign missionaries operate in the
country.
There are no available statistics on the
number of atheists.
Section II: Status of Religious Freedom
Legal/Policy Framework
The federal Constitution designates Islam
as the official religion, and Islam is also the official
religion of all seven of the individual emirates in the federal
union. The federal Constitution also provides for the freedom
to exercise religious worship in accordance with established
customs, provided that it does not conflict with public policy
or violate public morals, and the Government generally respects
this right in practice. The Government controls virtually
all Sunni mosques. It funds or subsidizes virtually all such
mosques and employs all Sunni imams. The Government also
distributes guidance on religious sermons and monitors for
political content sermons delivered in all mosques, whether
Sunni or Shi'a; however, the Government does not appoint
the imams in the country's Shi'a mosques. The Government
prohibits proselytizing by non-Muslims.
The Government does not recognize all non-Muslim
religions. In those emirates that officially recognize and
thereby grant a legal identity to non-Muslim religious groups,
only a limited number of Christian groups are granted this
recognition. While recognizing the difference between Roman
Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant Christianity,
the authorities make no legal distinction between Christian
groups, particularly Protestants. Several often unrelated
Christian congregations are required to share common facilities
because of limitations on the number of Christian denominations
that are recognized officially. Non-Muslim and non-Christian
religions are not recognized legally in any of the emirates.
Partly as a result of emirate policies regarding recognition
of non-Muslim denominations, facilities for Christian congregations
are far greater in number and size than those for non-Christian
and non-Muslim groups, despite the fact that Christians are
a small minority of non-Muslim foreigners.
Restrictions on Religious Freedom
Virtually all Sunni mosques are government
funded or subsidized; about 5 percent of Sunni mosques are
entirely private, and several large mosques have large private
endowments. The federal Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs
distributes weekly guidance to both Sunni and Shi'a sheikhs
regarding religious sermons and ensures that clergy do not
deviate frequently or significantly from approved topics
in their sermons. All Sunni imams are employees of either
the federal Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs or of
individual emirate ministries. In 1993 the Emirate of Dubai
placed private mosques under the control of its Department
of Islamic Affairs and Endowments. This change gave the Government
control over the appointment of preachers and the conduct
of their work.
The Shi'a minority, which is concentrated
in the northern emirates, is free to worship and maintain
its own mosques. All Shi'a mosques are considered private
and receive no funds from the Government. The Government
does not appoint sheikhs for Shi'a mosques. Shi'a Muslims
in Dubai may pursue Shi'a family law cases through a special
Shi'a council rather than the Shari'a courts.
Major cities have Christian churches, some
built on land donated by the ruling families of the emirates
in which they are located. In early 2001, ground was broken
for the construction of several churches on a parcel of land
in Jebel Ali donated by the Government of Dubai for four
Protestant congregations and a Catholic congregation. In
May 2001, the Crown Prince of Dubai authorized the construction
of a Greek Orthodox church on donated land. Also in 2001,
the Catholic church received permission to establish a secondary
school in Fujeirah. Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah are also
home to Catholic primary and secondary schools. In 1999 land
was designated in Ras Al-Khaymah Emirate for the construction
of a new Catholic Church. In Sharjah a new Catholic church
was opened in 1997 and a new Armenian Orthodox church in
1998, both with public ceremonies. Also in 1998, land was
designated in Jebel Ali for the construction of a second
Christian cemetery, and Abu Dhabi emirate donated land for
the expansion of existing Christian burial facilities. The
Dubai Government permits one Hindu temple and two Sikh temples
to operate. There are no such temples elsewhere in the country.
There are no Buddhist temples; however, Buddhists, along
with Hindus and Sikhs in cities without temples, conduct
religious ceremonies in private homes without interference.
In 1998 Abu Dhabi Emirate donated land for the establishment
of the country's first Baha'i cemetery. There are only two
operating cremation facilities and associated cemeteries
for the large Hindu community, one in Dubai and one in Sharjah.
Official permission must be obtained for their use in every
instance, posing a hardship for the large Hindu community,
and neither facility accepts Hindus who have died in other
parts of the country for cremation or burial. The remains
of Hindus who die outside Dubai and Sharjah in all cases
must be repatriated to their home country at considerable
expense.
Non-Muslims in the country are free to
practice their religion but may not proselytize publicly
or distribute religious literature. The Government follows
a policy of tolerance towards non-Muslim religions and, in
practice, interferes very little in the religious activities
of non-Muslims. Apparent differences in the treatment of
Muslim and non-Muslim groups often have their origin in the
dichotomy between citizens and noncitizens rather than in
religious difference.
Apart from donated land for the construction
of churches and other religious facilities, including cemeteries,
non-Muslim groups are not supported financially or subsidized
by the Government. However, they are permitted to raise money
from among their congregants and to receive financial support
from abroad. Christian churches are permitted to openly advertise
certain church functions, such as memorial services, in the
press.
The conversion of Muslims to other religions
is regarded with extreme antipathy. While there is no law
against missionary activities, authorities have threatened
to revoke the residence permits of persons suspected of such
activities, and customs authorities have questioned the entry
of large quantities of religious materials (Bibles, hymnals,
etc.) that they deemed in excess of the normal requirements
of existing congregations, although in most instances the
questions have been resolved and the items have been admitted.
There have been reports that customs authorities
are less likely to question the importation of Christian
religious items than non-Muslim, non-Christian religious
items, although in virtually all instances importation of
the material in question eventually has been permitted.
Although immigration authorities routinely
ask foreigners to declare their religious affiliation, the
Government does not collect or analyze this information,
and religious affiliation is not a factor in the issuance
or renewal of visas or residence permits.
Family law for Muslims is governed by Shari'a
and the local Shari'a courts. As such, Muslim women are forbidden
to marry non-Muslims. Such a marriage may result in both
partners being arrested and tried. Shari'a, according to
the Maliki school of jurisprudence, is also applied in cases
of divorce. Women are granted custody of female children
until they reach the age of maturity and are granted temporary
custody of male children until they reach the age of 12.
If the mother is deemed unfit, custody reverts to the next
able female relative on the mother's side. Shari'a permits
polygyny.
In November 1999, the Government sponsored
the country's first ecumenical meeting, officially designated
a seminar on "Islam and the West," in Abu Dhabi,
in honor of the visit to the country of the United Kingdom's
Prince Charles. The half-day seminar included statements
by Islamic and Christian clerics and a brief discussion.
In addition, the principal advisor to the ruler of the Emirate
of Abu Dhabi on relations with Christian denominations regularly
represents the country at ecumenical conferences and events
in other countries. In 1999 Dubai emirate established a center
for the promotion of cultural understanding aimed at expanding
contact and interchange between the citizen and foreign populations.
One of the center's goals is to expose foreigners to aspects
of the indigenous culture, including Islam.
There were no reports of religious detainees
or prisoners.
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
While citizens regard the country as a
Muslim nation that should respect Muslim religious sensibilities
on matters such as public consumption of alcohol, proper
dress, and proper public comportment, society also places
a high value on respect for privacy and on Islamic traditions
of tolerance, particularly with respect to forms of Christianity.
Casual attire for men and women is tolerated in areas and
facilities frequented by foreigners, while hotels, stores,
and other businesses patronized by both citizens and foreigners
are permitted to sell alcohol and pork to non-Muslims, and
to acknowledge, in modest displays, non-Muslim holidays such
as Christmas, Easter, and Diwali (although such displays
are not permitted during the month of Ramadan). Citizens
occasionally express concern regarding the influence on society
of the cultures of the country's foreign majority. However,
in general citizens are familiar with foreign societies and
believe that they can best limit unwanted foreign influence
by supporting and strengthening indigenous cultural traditions.
Slightly less tolerant attitudes by citizens toward non-Muslim
and non-Christian faiths reflect both traditional Islamic
views of these religions and the fact that Hindus and Buddhists
in the country are overwhelmingly less-educated, less-affluent,
and work in less desirable occupations.
Section IV. U.S. Government Policy
The U. S. Government discusses religious
freedom issues with the Government in the context of its
overall dialog and policy of promoting human rights.
In early 1998, the Ambassador sent a letter
to the Government of Dubai emirate in support of the request
of three Protestant congregations for expanded facilities
in Dubai, and later raised the issue in official meetings
with Dubai emirate leaders. In response to these requests--and
with the support of the U.S. and UK Embassies--Dubai emirate
donated land for these facilities and granted permission
for their construction. While originally three churches were
proposed, the Dubai municipality instructed that the number
of churches to be built on the site increase from three to
seven. In early 2001, ground was broken for the construction
of several churches on the site. In early 2001, the U.S.
Ambassador sent a letter to the government of the Dubai emirate
in support of the request of the Greek Orthodox congregation
for the construction of a church in Dubai; the request was
quickly approved by the Crown Prince of Dubai. The Ambassador
and other embassy personnel also have participated regularly
in ceremonies marking the opening or expansion of religious
facilities, and embassy officers meet on occasion with Muslims,
Christians, and representatives of other religious faiths.
Sources: U.S. State Department - Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor |