Minorities worldwide: Are they getting fair deal?

In spite of Iran being projected as sworn enemy of Israel and Jews, and as projected to be ever ready to wipe Israel off the map of world. More than 25 thousands Jews still living in Iran. Iran has more Jewish population than of India. Jew are giver proper representation and allocated one seat in the Iranian Parliament. Ciamak Moresadegh is the current Jewish member of the parliament. Tehran has close to 20 functioning synagogues, many of them with Hebrew schools. It has two kosher restaurants, an old-age home and a cemetery. Jewish burial rites and divorce laws are accepted by Islamic courts. Iran has one of only four Jewish charity hospitals in the world. This hospital regularly receives fund from Jewish diaspora – in Iran where even local aid organizations have difficulty receiving funds from abroad due to strict monitoring. Dr. Sapir Hospital, has also received donation of $27,000 from President Ahmadinejad. During the 1979 revolution, the hospital refused to hand over those wounded in clashes with the security forces of the pro-West Shah Reza Pahlavi. Ayatollah Khomeini later sent a personal representative to express his thanks. The Constitution states that the army must be Islamic and must recruit individuals who are committed to the objectives of the Islamic Revolution. In practice, however, no religious minorities are exempt from military service. In June 2007, there were reports that wealthy expatriate Jews established a fund to offer incentives ranging from £5,000 a person to £30,000 to Iranian Jews to emigrate to Israel. Few took them up the offer. Ayatollah Khomeini met with the Jewish community upon his return from exile in Paris and issued a fatwa decreeing that the Jews were to be protected. In the Islamic republic, Jewish citizens were free to travel out of the country but were subject to the general restriction against travel by the country’s citizens to Israel. Jews regularly visit their relatives in Israel and keep in touch with them on phone.

But Media continue to project Iran in bad light. In 2006, a false story in the National Post of Canada claimed that the Iranian parliament was considering requiring a yellow insignia for Jews in Iran.

Iran has 2% of total population as non-Muslim religious minorities, including Bahá’ís, Mandeans, Hindus, Yezidis, Yarsanis,Zoroastrians, Jews, and Christians. According to U.N. figures 300,000 Christians live in the country. 5 seats of a total 290 in the Majles are reserved for religious minorities. Three of the parliament seats are for members of Christian religious groups, including two seats for Armenian Christians and one for Assyrian Christians. Sunnis Muslims do not have reserved seats in the MajlesMembers of religious minorities are allowed to participate in election. The Government allows recognized religious minorities to establish community centers and certain self-financed cultural, social, athletic, or charitable associations.

There are close to 18 thousand Jew living in Uzbekistan and Turkey. Morocco and Uzbekistan have population of close to 5 thousands Jews.

Syria has around 16% of christian population. Syrian Christians have their own courts that deal with civil cases like marriage, divorce and inheritance based on Bible teachings. Christians civil servants are given Sunday mornings off to allow them to attend church, even though Sunday is a working day in Syria. Schools in Christian-dominated districts have Saturday and Sunday as the weekend, while the official Syrian weekend falls on Friday and Saturday. The Government observes the Birth of the Prophet Muhammad, Orthodox and Western Easter, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, the Islamic New Year, and Western Christmas as national holidays. Military personnel are expected to refrain from expressing their faith overtly during work hours. For example, Muslims are discouraged from praying while on duty. Syria does not profess a state religion, and does not officially favor any religion over another. Citizens have the legal right to sue the Government when they believe it has violated their religious rights.

Egypt has large minority of Christians in Egypt, who make up around 10% of the population. In Egypt, Coptic Christmas (January the 7th) is recognized as an official holiday. The application of family law, including marriage, divorce, alimony, child custody, and burial, is based on an individual’s religion. In 2005 the President issued Decree 291/2005, which delegated authority to the country’s 26 governors to grant permits to Christian denominations that seek to expand or rebuild existing churches.

In Iraq, Christians are around 3% with Tariq Aziz, who was deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and close adviser of Saddam Hussain as famous face of it. There are 6% Christian population in neighboring Jordan.

Hindu Temple in Dubai

United Arab Emirates has 76 percent of the total population is Muslim, 9 percent is Christian, and 15 percent is “other.” According to unofficial figures, at least 15 percent of the resident population is Hindu, and 5 percent is Buddhist. In spite ofIslam being the official religion, the government follows a policy of tolerance toward other religions and rarely interferes in the activities of non-Muslims. The Government recognizes more than 30 Christian denominations and issues many of them land-use permits for the construction and operation of churches. Non-Muslim groups are allowed to own houses of worship to practice their religion freely. The Emirate of Sharjah also waives utility payments for religious buildings. There are at least 33 Christian churches built on land donated by the ruling families of the emirates. There are two Hindu temples, at least one of which is shared with Sikhs, in Dubai. A new Sikh temple was under construction in Dubai.

Oman has 5 percent non-Muslim population which includes Hindus, Buddhists, Zoroastrians, Sikhs, Baha’i and Christians. ManyHindus and Christians have been naturalized. There are two Hindu temples and one Sikh temple in Muscat, as well as additional temples located on work sites. The Basic Law provides for the freedom to practice religious rites as long as doing so does not disrupt public order and it also prohibits discrimination based on religion. Non-Muslim communities are allowed to practice their beliefs without interference on land specifically donated by the Sultan for the purpose of collective worship.

Kuwait, The Christian population, consisting mostly of expatriates, is estimated to be more than 450,000. There are also 300,000 Hindus, 100,000 Buddhists, 10,000 Sikhs and 400 Baha’i . The Constitution provides for “absolute freedom” of belief and for freedom of religious practice in accordance with established customs, provided that it does not conflict with public policy or morals. Private employers have authority to decide to give their non-Muslim employees time off for their holidays. The Government does not designate religion on passports or national identity documents. Seven Christian denominations enjoy full recognition by the Government and are allowed to operate freely: Catholic, National Evangelical, Coptic Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholic, and Anglican. Minority community leaders are pleased with Government effort and help it provides in form of police security and traffic control as needed. Unrecognized religious groups are allowed to worship privately in their homes without government interference.

In Bahrain, even though Jews, Christians, Hindus, and Baha’i constitute the only less than 1 percent. Four Sikh temples, several Hindu temples, and a Hindu crematorium function freely. The Hindu temple dedicated to Krishna has existed in Manama for over 150 years. The Jewish cemetery is operational. The Constitution imposes no restrictions on the right to choose, change, or practice one’s religion of choice, including the study, discussion, and promulgation of those beliefs.

In Qatar, rough estimate puts Christian population close to 130,000 and Hindu around 100,000 and Buddhists close to 200,000. Christian group worship was permitted among the six registered Christian denominations at a Government-provided area. Worship by other religious groups in private homes and workplaces is allowed. In 2009, several public Sri Lankan Buddhist Vesak celebrations took place. In addition, throughout the year, several public Hindu celebrations were attended by thousands of followers.

The Saudi Arabia Government guarantees and protects the right to private worship for all, including non-Muslims who gather in homes for religious services. No law requires citizens or passport holders to be Muslim. Statistics for the religious denominations of foreigners are not available. Estimates provided by other countries’ embassies include 1.8 million Indians, 1.5 million Bangladeshis, 1.4 million Filipinos, 1.23 million Pakistanis, 1 million Egyptians, 600,000 Indonesians, 600,000 Yemenis, 400,000 Syrians, 400,000 Sri Lankans, 350,000 Nepalese, 250,000 Palestinians, 150,000 Lebanese, 100,000 Eritreans, and 50,000 Americans. Public religious practice was generally limited to activities that conform to the only official interpretation of Islam. Contrary practices, such as celebrating Milad Al-Nabi (birthday of the Prophet Muhammad) and visits to the tombs of renowned Muslims, are forbidden. Shi’a continued to face systematic discrimination and intolerance. Most Shi’a shared general concerns about discrimination in education, employment, political representation, the judiciary, religious practice, and media. In 2009, Shiite in Dammam were waiting for an official license for establishing a cemetery for burying their deceased instead of burying them in Alahssa which is about 150km from their residence. Government religious authorities continue the practice of destroying ancient Islamic historical sites for fear that Muslims would pray to the persons the sites represented In Saudi not only the non-Muslim but even some branches of Islam are discriminated. Tablighi Jamaat, movement primarily aims at Islamic spiritual reformation by working at the grass root level, also not allowed to preach in Saudi Arabia.

Conclusion: In Arab world Syria is leading the way in minority rights by allowing citizens to sue government on violation of their religious rights and separating state with religion. UAE, Bahrain and Oman are not far behind with providing all assistance to minorities and religious freedom. UAE is also offering everyone property linked residence visa. Oman has neturalizes some Hindus and Christian. Iran in spite of being projected as biggest enemy of Jews and Israel, treats its Jew population very well. Iranian Jews have rejected lucrative offer of expatriate Jews to migrate to Israel. Jews are allowed to call and visit Israel without any trouble. Apart from Saudi Arabia, all the Arab countries have allowed minorities to establish religious place. Saudi Arabia is not only discriminating against non-Muslims but also Muslims following other branches of Islam. Shias and all other faiths other than Wahabism is discriminated and prosecuted.

“No democracy can long survive which does not accept as fundamental to its very existence the recognition of the rights of Minorities.” Franklin D Roosevelt

“Shall we judge a country by the majority, or by the minority? By the minority, surely.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Asia:

In Afghanistan, war torn country known for brutalities of Taliban has non-Muslim population close to 1 % consists of Hindus, Sikhs, Baha’is, Jews, and Christians. There are two active gurudwaras and Hindu Mandirs in Kabul and four Hindu mandirs in other cities. There is one Christian church and one synagogue. Although most members of these communities left the country during civil war, a small population of native Hindus and Sikhs never departed. Since the fall of the Taliban, some members of religious minorities have returned, with many settling in Kabul. Many in the Sikh and Hindu communities chose to send their children to Sikh and Hindu schools. The government continued to intervene to protect the Hindus’ (and Sikhs’) right to carry out cremations. Afghanistan has been placed on watch list by United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.

Ashamai Temple in Kabul, Afghanistan

In Bangladesh, largest minority of Hindus are around 10%. Islam is the state religion but constitution provides the right to practice, profess, and propagate any religion. Family laws concerning marriage, divorce, and adoption depends on the religious beliefs of the persons involved. The Hindu Welfare Trust received a total of $882,400 (60 million taka) from the Government for the fiscal year ending June 2009, much of it dedicated to temple-based literacy and religious programs. In addition, the trust money aided in repairing temples, improving cremation pyres, and helping destitute Hindu families afford medical treatment. The Trust spent approximately $43,478 (3 million taka) in government funds on annual Pujas, religious worship and festivals. Non-Muslim religious bodies are not required to register with the Government. The new Government appointed more religious minorities at all levels of government. In the new cabinet, three of 38 ministers are non-Muslim. Government-sponsored television and radio broadcast readings and interpretations of Hindu scriptures and prayers. The Government observes most major religious festivals and holy days of Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians as national holidays.

Hindu Temple in Islamabad, Pakistan

Pakistan is an Islamic republic. But its constitution guarantees religious freedom to the non-Muslim residents. In Pakistan, close to 2 percent of the population include Hindus, Christians, and others .The Government allocated a 5 percent quota for religious minorities in all federal jobs and directed provincial governments to implement the same at the provincial level. The Government celebrates Minorities’ Day on August 11 every year nationwide. The Ministry of Religious Affairs, Zakat, and Ushr, in addition to safeguarding religious freedom, spends 30 percent of its annual budget to assist indigent minorities, repair minority places of worship, establish minority-run small development projects, and celebrate minority festivals. The Government imposes no restrictions on raising children in accordance with religious teachings and practices of their choice. Marriages are performed and registered according to one’s religious group. The National Assembly has 10 members of minority religious groups, and minorities are represented in most tiers of local government, including union councils, tehsil councils, and district councils. Minorities were also elected to the provincial assemblies: three non-Muslims in the NWFP, eight in Punjab, nine in Sindh, and three in Balochistan. Even though Liquor is prohibited in Islam but religious minorities are entitled to liquor under minority quota. Pakistan regularly allows Sikh and Hindu pilgrims from India. Prominent Pakistani Hindus include Danish Kaneria, cricketer, fashion designer Deepak Perwani, and Justice Rana Bhagwandas, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Nepal, Hindus constitute 86.51 percent of the population, Buddhists 7.79 percent, Muslims 3.53 percent, and Christians and others 2.17 percent. Members of minority religious groups believe their numbers were significantly under counted. Christian, Muslim, and Jewish religious organizations claimed that, unless registered, they were prevented from owning land, an important step for establishing churches, mosques, synagogues, or burial sites. Although public schools do not teach religious beliefs, most have a statue of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of learning, on their grounds. Some begin the day with a Hindu prayer to the goddess. The Government has no formal policy on interfaith understanding. Madrasa are required to register with local district administration offices and supply information about their funding sources. The Constitution prohibits discrimination on the basis of caste; however, the caste system strongly influences society.

India has been placed under the watch list by United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. Religious freedom guaranteed by constitution has been hampered by “anti conversion” laws in five states namely Gujarat, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh. Right wing influential organization, RSS opposed conversions from Hinduism and expressed the view that all citizens, regardless of their religious affiliation, should adhere to Hindu cultural values. Under Article 25 of the Constitution, Sikhism, Jainism, and Buddhism are considered sects of Hinduism; however, these groups view themselves as unique and sought to introduce their own separate personal laws. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs 2008-09 annual reports, there were 943 instances of communal violence or violence along religious lines, in which 167 persons were killed and 2,354 injured. Attacks on Christians and Muslims and their places of worship continued, along with incidences of intolerance against both. Governmental response at the state and local levels continues to be largely inadequate and the national government has failed to take effective measures to ensure the rights of religious minorities in several states. International human rights groups have indentified the VHP, RSS, BJP and Bajrang Dal as perpetrators of the violence in Gujarat, as well as other acts of violence against non-Hindus. A 2007 study by University Grants Commission, Chairperson Prof. Sukhdeo Thorat for his Indian Institute of Dalit Studies, has found that fewer people with Dalit or Muslim names find jobs in private sector than equally qualified persons with high caste Hindu names. “Having a high caste name considerably improves a job applicant’s chance of a positive outcome” it says .As part of the study, 4808 application were filed for 548 jobs advertised in English language newspaper in a period of 66 weeks starting from October 2005. The response from the corporate sector indicates Muslims are the most discriminated, followed by Dalits. And chances of higher caste Hindus, with same qualification as Dalits and Muslims, getting the job are much higher. In government and government services too, minorities specially Muslims are under represented.

Prambanan-Hindu Temple in Indonesia

Indonesia, 88 percent of the population is Muslim, 6 percent Protestant, 3 percent Roman Catholic, 2 percent Hindu, and in total less than 1 percent Buddhist,. Some Christians, Hindus, and members of other minority religious groups argued that the census undercounted non-Muslims. The Ministry of Religious Affairs estimates that 10 million Hindus live in the country. Hindus account for approximately 90 percent of the population in Bali. Hindu groups such as Hare Krishna and followers of the Indian spiritual leader Sai Baba are also present .The country has a small Sikh population, estimated at between 10,000 and 15,000. Sikhs reside primarily in Medan and Jakarta. Eight Sikh gurdwaras are located in North Sumatra and Jakarta has two. The Ministry of Religious Affairs extends official status to six religious groups: Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism. In Bulukumba Regency, the laws, which apply only to Muslims, include obligatory Islamic dress, a requirement to read the Qur’an in Arabic, regulations on tithing, and a ban on liquor. Televised religious programming remains unrestricted. No restrictions exist on the publication of religious materials or the use of religious symbols. The law does not discriminate against any religious group in employment, housing, or health care. The Government observes the Ascension of the Prophet, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, the Muslim New Year, Good Friday, the Ascension of Christ, the Birth of the Prophet Muhammad, Christmas, the Buddhist holiday Waisak, the Chinese New Year and the Hindu holiday Nyepi as national holidays. Additional Hindu holy days are recognized as regional holidays in Bali, and Balinese do not work on Saraswati Day, Galungan, and Kuningan. Despite being among the officially recognized religious groups, Hindus stated that they frequently had to travel long distances to have their marriages registered, because in many rural areas the local government could not or would not perform the registration.

Malaysia, According to 2000 census figures, 60 percent of the population practices Islam; 19 percent Buddhism; 9 percent Christianity; 6 percent Hinduism; and 3 percent Confucianism, Taoism, and other traditional Chinese religions. In January 2009 the Selangor state government, under the ruling People’s Alliance coalition, allocated $1.7 million (six million Malaysian ringgit) for non-Muslim places of worship. The federal government, allocated $125.9 (RM428 million) to build Islamic places of worship, and $2.4 million (RM8.1 million) to build Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, and other places of worship for minority religious groups between 2005 and 2008. Public schools generally offered Islamic religious instruction, which is compulsory for Muslim children; non-Muslim students are required to take nonreligious morals and ethics courses.

Conclusion: Pakistan, which is know for its religious extremism and divided society, has taken some laudable steps for the benefit of minorities. Providing reservation in government jobs is one of them. Bangladesh government to increase minority participation in government is appreciable. War torn Afghanistan is doing its best to provide all the assistance to minorities. Inspite of many years of Taliban rules minorities are able to pray in their religious place and send their children to their own school, is a big relief for minority right watchers. Inspite of Indian government strong commitment to secularism, few communal forces are getting stronger and successful in communalizing the society. Indian government has failed to separate the state with religion. Almost all the government offices display religious pictures and perform regular pujas. Though Indian Army is very secular, most of the Police stations have temples built within the campus. Largest Muslim country, Indonesia has maintained harmony through effective government policy of no discrimination on basis of religion. Hindus festivals are celebrated as national holiday in Indonesia. In Malaysia, government offers financial aids to all religious institutions.

West:

Denmark has Evangelical Lutheran 95%, other Christian (includes Protestant and Roman Catholic) 3%, Muslim 2%. The Constitution stipulates that the Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELC) is the state church, the reigning monarch shall be a member of the Church, and the state shall support it. The ELC is the only religious organization that can receive state subsidies or funds directly through the tax system. However, members of other religious groups, notably Catholics, have argued that the system is unfair and that the Government does not provide religious equality, despite providing religious freedom. ELC Church’s is officially registering births and deaths. Religious communities not recognized by either royal decree or the Marriage Act are entitled to practice their faith without any licensing requirement, but their marriage ceremonies are not recognized by the state. The Evangelical Lutheran faith is taught in public schools; however, a student may withdraw from religious classes with parental consent. Although government policy contributed to the free practice of religion for most religious groups, the Government restricts the issuance of religious worker visa. That restriction disproportionately affects groups that depend on missionaries from abroad. Brøndby cemetery was serving the Muslim community’s needs with 215 persons buried. The cemetery opened in 2006 after a 15-year effort by members of the Muslim community

Desecrated tombs of Muslim soldiers in France

France has Roman Catholic 83%-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 5%-10%, unaffiliated 4% .The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and other laws and policies contributed to the generally free practice of religion. In 2004 the Government passed legislation prohibiting public school employees and students from wearing conspicuous religious symbols, including the Islamic headscarf, Jewish skullcap, Sikh turban, and large Christian crosses. The legislation took effect at the beginning of the school year in 2004. Religious instruction is not given in public schools, but facts about religions are taught as part of the history curriculum. The Government subsidizes private schools, including those affiliated with religious organizations. On September 12, 2008, President Sarkozy gave a speech alongside the Pope at the Elysée Palace, advocating a “positive secularism” that is respectful of its Christian roots. On November 27, 2008, Shingara Mann Singh from Sarcelles, who refused to remove his turban as required when taking photos to receive his driver’s license, lost a legal challenge before the ECHR. ECHR judges ruled unanimously that French regulations prohibiting head coverings when posing for identification papers did not constitute interference within the right of the freedom of religion

In England, Christians make up 72 percent of the population Individuals with no religious belief constituted 15 percent of the population. Muslims composed 3 percent of the population. Groups comprising 1 percent or less of the population include Hindus, Sikhs, Jews, and Buddhists. The law provides for freedom of religion, and other laws and policies contributed to the generally free practice of religion. The 1998 Human Rights Act guarantees freedom of religion, and the 2006 Equality Act bans discrimination based on religion. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) reported that in 2007-08, it prosecuted 13,008 racially and religiously motivated crimes, of which 10,398 led to convictions, an increase from the previous year, when there were 11,713 prosecutions leading to 9,017 convictions. The monarch appoints Church of England officials on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Crown Appointments Commission, which includes lay and clergy representatives. The Bill of Rights of 1689 and the Act of Settlement of 1701 forbid any Catholic, or person married to a Catholic, from becoming monarch. The monarch is the “Supreme Governor” of the Church of England and must always be a member of and promise to uphold the Church. More than 30 percent of state schools had a religious character. Nearly all of the approximately 7,000 “faith schools” in England are associated with Christian denominations, although there are Jewish, Islamic, Sikh and one Hindu schools. The law requires religious education for all children, ages three to 19, in publicly maintained schools. Daily collective prayer or worship of “a wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character” is practiced in schools in England and Wales. Ministry of Justice figures showed that the number of stop and searches were significantly higher for blacks and Asians than whites. Several studies have shown that Muslims suffer serious discrimination from both authorities and societal actors. On May 8, 2009, a British high court ruled against a Hindu who wanted to have an open funeral pyre. The judge stated that according to the Cremation Act of 1902 and subsequent 2008 regulations, it is a criminal offense to burn human remains other than in a crematorium. A 2001 Home Office study suggested that the establishment status of the Church of England causes “religious disadvantage” to other religious communities. Twenty-six senior bishops of the Anglican Church are given places in the House of Lords as representatives of the official church. The Home Office requires nonresidents wishing to marry in the country to apply for a Certificate of Approval (COA) if they are not going to marry in the Church of England. Nonresidents marrying in the Church of England do not have to apply for the COA currently. On May 15, 2009, a school decided to allow a 16-year-old Sikh girl to wear a kirpan (a Sikh ceremonial dagger that all Sikhs must wear) while taking her exams. Several days previously the school had said she would not be able to take the exams while wearing the kirpan. According to news reports the dispute was resolved amicably.

Canada, According to the most recent census with questions about religious affiliation (2001), approximately 77.1 percent of the population is Christian. The Muslim population stands at 2 percent, and approximately 1.1 percent of the population is Jewish. Other religious groups include Buddhists, Hindus, and Sikhs, each with an estimated 1 percent of the population. Ontario is the only province that funds Catholic religious education while providing no funding for other religious schools. In early 2009 city transit authorities in Vancouver, Victoria, and Kelowna (all in British Columbia), London (Ontario), and Halifax (Nova Scotia) rejected an atheist bus advertisement campaign sponsored by the Freethought Association of Canada. In October 2008 the Supreme Court of Canada heard an appeal by the Alberta government to uphold the province’s 2001 decision to make provincial photo drivers licenses mandatory and to abolish an exemption that allowed individuals to opt out of being photographed for religious reasons. The Alberta government argued that mandatory photo licenses were necessary to improve security and deter fraud. Members of a Hutterite community in the province testified that the rule would violate their constitutional right to freedom of religion.

Germany population consists of Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 3.7%, unaffiliated or other 28.3% and Buddhists numbering 245,000 and Hindus 97,500. Muslim communities sometimes suffered discrimination when building new mosques and seeking allotments of land for cemeteries. The Constitution provides freedom of religion. Any religious organization may request that it be granted “public law corporation” (PLC) status, which, among other things, entitles it to name prison, hospital, and military chaplains and to levy a tithe (averaging 9 percent of income tax) on its members that the state collects . An estimated 180 religious groups have been granted PLC status. Muslim communities remained an exception. In principle, the federal Government is in favor of the states’ granting public law corporation status to Muslim communities but has indicated a desire that Muslims agree upon a single organization with which the states and the federal Government can negotiate. Achieving PLC status has potential implications for Muslims in the country who wish a traditional Islamic burial, which consists of burial in a shroud facing Mecca, in a cemetery permanently dedicated only to Islamic burial. Eleven of the 16 federal states currently allow burial without a coffin. Eight states had enacted laws banning female Muslim teachers from wearing headscarves at work, after the Federal Constitutional Court cleared the way in 2003 for the state legislation. However, on December 10, 2007, the Hesse State Constitutional Court upheld the state’s headscarf ban. The Hesse ban as applied allows state institutions to prevent civil servants, including public school teachers, from wearing headscarves, while making exceptions for Christian religious symbols or clothing. Most public schools offer Protestant and Catholic religious instruction in cooperation with those churches, as well as instruction in Judaism if enough students express interest. The number of Islamic religion classes in public schools continued to grow. In principle, participants of the federal government-sponsored Islam Conference agreed that Islamic education should be made widely available. Organizations providing Islamic instruction do not have PLC status. The Bachmans, a Baptist family residing in the country since 1989, has 13 children and decided to home school them. They have consequently had problems with the local public school system and have reported harassment by local authorities. A large number of Muslim organizations, including some that profess to be engaged in specifically and solely peaceful religious, social, and/or cultural activities were under observation by state and federal OPCs. On September 1, 2008, the Federal Interior Ministry introduced a nationwide naturalization test. The Central Council of Muslims welcomed it, since it ended earlier state attempts to include questions on morals and social values, which had been seen as discriminating against Muslims. According to the census bureau, the number of immigrants naturalized in 2008 dropped to 94,500, about 18,600 (16%) fewer than in 2007, when 113,000 people became citizens. This was the lowest outcome since the country’s reunification.

Italy, has close to 87 percent of native-born citizens are Roman Catholic, members of non-Catholic Christian groups, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Baha’i Faith adherents, and Buddhists constitute less than 5 percent of the population. The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and other laws and policies contributed to the generally free practice of religion. The law at all levels protects this right in full against abuse, either by governmental or private actors. The Ministry of the Interior reported that there are 258 places of worship for Muslims (mainly “garage” mosques) concentrated in the regions of Lombardy, Veneto, Lazio, Emilia Romagna, and Tuscany. The Jewish community is estimated at 30,000 and maintains synagogues in 21 cities. The revised concordat of 1984 accords the Catholic Church certain privileges regarding instruction in public schools. For example, the Church is allowed to select Catholic teachers, paid by the state, to provide instruction in “hour of religion” courses taught in the public schools. Such courses are optional, and students who do not wish to attend are free to study other subjects or, in certain cases, to leave school early. The continuing presence of Catholic symbols, such as crucifixes, in courtrooms, schools, and other public buildings continued to draw criticism and led to a number of lawsuits. On February 17, 2009, the Cassation Court acquitted a judge who had been sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment and barred from holding public office for a year by the Appeal Court of L’Aquila for refusing to preside in a courtroom where a crucifix was displayed; he accused the Minister of Justice of religious prejudice for not allowing the display of a menorah. Also in February, the Ministry of Education suspended for a month a teacher who removed the crucifix from a classroom in Perugia. here were no reports of violent anti-Semitic attacks in the period covered by this report, but public opinion surveys indicated that anti-Semitism was growing in the country.

In Israel, 5.6 million are Jews, 1.5 million are Arab Muslims and Christians, and 320,000 are classified as “other”–mostly persons from the former Soviet Union who immigrated under the Law of Return but who did not qualify as Jews according to the Orthodox Jewish definition used by the Government for civil procedures. The country has no Constitution. While the Basic Law on Human Dignity and Liberty does not specifically refer to freedom of religion, it does refer to the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel, which explicitly provides for the protection of religious freedom. The Basic Law describes the country as a “Jewish and democratic state.” Government policy continued to support the generally free practice of religion, although governmental and legal discrimination against non-Jews and non-Orthodox streams of Judaism continued. The Government provides funds for Orthodox conversion programs but does not provide support for non-Orthodox (i.e. Reform and Conservative) programs. The High Court ruled on May 18, 2009, that the Government must cease discriminating against non-Orthodox conversion institutes. Residency rights were not granted to relatives of converts to Judaism, except for children of female converts who are born after the mother’s conversion is complete. While the law safeguards the “holy places of all religions,” the Government provides significantly greater levels of legal protection and government resources to Jewish holy places than to those of other religious groups and to Orthodox Jews over non-Orthodox Jews. The Government implements some policies based on Orthodox Jewish interpretations of religious law which thereby discriminates against citizens adhering to other religious groups. only in-country Jewish marriages the Government recognizes are those performed by the Orthodox Jewish establishment; and the Government does not allow civil marriages (e.g., secular ceremonies performed by state or municipal authorities) or marriages performed by Conservative, Reform or Reconstructionist rabbis. Members of unrecognized religious groups, particularly evangelical Christians, faced problems in obtaining marriage certifications or burial services that are similar to the problems faced by Jews who were not considered Jewish by the Orthodox establishment. The Government, through the Chief Rabbinate, discriminates against women in civil status matters related to marriage and divorce. Under the Jewish religious court’s interpretation of personal status law, a Jewish woman may not receive a final writ of divorce without her husband’s consent. Consequently, thousands of women, so-called agunot–“chained women”–are unable to remarry or have legitimate children because their husbands have either disappeared or refused to grant divorces. The 1967 Protection of Holy Sites Law applies to holy sites of all religious groups within the country and in all of Jerusalem, but the Government implements regulations only for Jewish sites. Non-Jewish holy sites do not enjoy legal protection under it because the Government does not recognize them as official holy sites. At the end of 2008, there were 137 designated holy sites, all of which were Jewish. The country’s airline El Al and public buses in every city except Haifa did not operate on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath; streets in most ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods were closed to vehicles on the Sabbath. The law permits the Government to subsidize approximately 60 percent of the expenses incurred by ultra-Orthodox Jewish religious schools, despite their regular failure to implement a governmental requirement that all state-funded schools teach core subjects, such as English, mathematics, and science. The Government funds the construction of Jewish synagogues and cemeteries. According to the Government, while the state budget does not cover the costs of construction for non-Jewish places of worship, it does provide some assistance for their maintenance, although at a disproportionately lower level than for synagogues. In some areas, the Government allows private citizens or municipalities to turn old mosques into galleries, restaurants, and museums. According to the Israel Religious Action Committee (IRAC), in 2006 approximately 96 percent of all state funds for Jewish religious education were allocated to Orthodox or ultra-Orthodox Jewish schools. Public and private Arab schools offer studies in both Islam and Christianity, but the state funding for such studies is proportionately less than the funding for religious education courses in Jewish schools. The IDF does not have any Muslim or Christian chaplains because, according to government sources, the frequent home leave accorded to all soldiers allows Muslim and Christian soldiers easy and regular access to their respective clergy and religious services at home.

The Interior Ministry distinguishes between Jews and non-Jews on identification cards by printing the birth date of Jews in Hebrew letters according to the Jewish calendar while listing that of others according to the Gregorian calendar. Government uses Orthodox Jewish criteria to determine the right to full citizenship, entitlement to government financial support for immigrants. Approximately 310,000 citizens who immigrated under the Law of Return but are not considered Jewish by the Orthodox Rabbinate cannot be married, divorced, or buried in Jewish cemeteries within the country. Restrictions on access to non-Jewish religious sites, as well as limits on funding and protection of those sites, also contributed to religious tensions. While officially legal, some missionaries continued to face harassment and discrimination from some local government officials. Clergy who wished to return to or visit their parishes and congregations were required to apply for new, single-entry visas at Israeli consulates abroad, a process that could take months. Following an unsuccessful appeal by the Vatican in advance of Pope Benedict XVI’s May 2009 visit to the country, the Interior Ministry stated that multiple-entry visas for clergy and other religious workers constituted a security threat and would not be issued. According to government figures, the 2008 budget for religious services and religious institutions for the Jewish population was approximately 1.6 billion shekels ($457 million). Religious minorities, which constituted slightly more than 20 percent of the population, received approximately 65 million shekels ($18.6 million), or just less than 4 percent of total funding. In order to marry in government-recognized ceremonies, Jews had to undergo marriage counseling administered by the Orthodox religious authorities. As part of this counseling, all Jews–including the secular majority and those who practice reform or conservative Judaism–were instructed to respect traditional Orthodox family roles. A brochure used in the counseling during the reporting period compared women to clay and urged the husband to “shape and mold her as he pleases.” The husband is also instructed not to become “spineless” or tolerate disrespectful behavior from his wife: “If she is disrespectful you must not give in; you can become angry and stop talking to her until she realizes she is wrong.” The husband is also admonished to compliment his wife regularly, “even if it is a lie,” because “a woman who has not been complimented is like a fish out of water.” Muslim residents of the Be’er Sheva area continued to protest the municipality’s intention to reopen the city’s old mosque as a museum rather than as a mosque for the area’s Muslim residents. The High Court rejected a petition from the Israeli-Arab legal advocacy NGO Adalah, representing the area’s Muslim community, to enjoin the municipality from renovating the mosque into a museum. In July 2006 the High Court proposed a compromise whereby the mosque would be used as a museum of Islamic culture. In January 2007 Adalah rejected the court proposal, arguing that there was a need to uphold the religious rights of area Muslims. Adalah’s response to the court observed that while there was one synagogue for every 700 Jews in Be’er Sheva, there was not a single mosque for the city’s 5,000 Muslims. The case remained pending at the end of the reporting period. On October 29, 2008, the High Court ruled that the Simon Wiesenthal Center could continue construction at a site several Muslim organizations disputed because it contained a centuries-old Muslim cemetery. Supporters of the U.S.-based center had cited an 1894 ruling by the Shari’a court, which stated that because the cemetery was abandoned, it was no longer sacred. Ultra-Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem and other ultra-Orthodox enclaves threw rocks at passing motorists driving on the Sabbath and periodically harassed or assaulted women whose appearance they considered immodest, including by throwing acid on them. On May 15, 2009, ultra-Orthodox residents of the Tel Aviv suburb of Rehovot attacked and beat a group of Messianic Jews who were handing out New Testament pamphlets on the street. According to press reports, secular passers-by joined in the beating before police intervened to stop them. On October 8, 2008, violence erupted between Israeli Jews and Arabs in the city of Acre (Akko) at the beginning of the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur after an Arab resident drove into a predominantly Jewish neighborhood. Driving on Yom Kippur is prohibited with the exception of emergency vehicles. On November 10, 2008, two defendants were sentenced to two months imprisonment, suspended for three years, plus 150 hours of community service for their part in a 2006 incident where approximately 100 ultra-Orthodox Jews assaulted approximately 50 Christian tourists in a Jerusalem neighborhood, injuring three.

Conclusion: Contrary to popular belief, Europe still need to work towards safeguarding minorities rights. Denmark is officially favoring Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELC) and discriminating against other faith including Catholics. President Sarkozy, inspite of being forefront of promoting secularism in society by banning religious symbols in schools and burqa for, has advocated “positive secularism” that is respectful of its Christian roots. UK, the Monarch is the “Supreme Governor” of the Church of England. One third of public schools have religious character and daily collective prayers are broadly Christian in nature. In Canada, Ontario state is funding only to Catholic religious education ignoring support for other religious schools. In Germany, Muslim organization has been denied Public Law Corporation (PLC), which will enable them to better manage their organization inspite of being close to 4 percent of the total population. Whereas close to 180 religious groups have been granted PLC status. Italy continues to display Catholic symbols in courtrooms, schools and other public building. Isreal Government policy continued to support the generally free practice of religion, although governmental and legal discrimination against non-Jews and non-Orthodox streams of Judaism has continued.

All over the world, condition of Minorities are far from ideal. Every country need to work towards removing the prejudice and bias against minorities. Discrimination and denial of their legitimate rights are prevalent in every society. Rise of intolerance has lead to rise of insecurities in the mind of minorities. Extremist forces getting stronger in every country and they tend to target the weakest link. Only minority in majority communities are most vocal and visible in their attacks on minorities. This minority in majority need to be isolated as they can not be allowed implement their agenda of hate. It is this group which is challenging the values of civilized societies, democracy and authority of government. It is the duty of government to ensure rights of minorities are safeguarded. Time to watch is over, it is the time to act. Act for harmony, peace and make this world a better place.