News from May 2018
By State Newswire | May 29, 2018
Release: The constitution protects freedom of religion and states the government shall consider the religious beliefs of society and form cooperative relations with the Roman Catholic Church and other religious faiths. The government has a bilateral agreement with the Holy See that grants the Roman Catholic Church ...
By State Newswire | May 29, 2018
Release: The constitution provides for freedom of religion and prohibits discrimination based on religion. The Organization for Rastafarians in Unity (ORU) stated that police harassment of Rastafarians and the mandatory cutting of dreadlocks while in prison continued. The ORU said the government also continued...
By State Newswire | May 29, 2018
News Release: The constitution provides for freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, including the freedom to change religion. The constitution and other laws give Buddhism the “foremost place" among the country’s religious faiths and commit the government to protecting it while respecting the rights of religious...
By State Newswire | May 29, 2018
News Release: The transitional constitution stipulates separation of religion and state, prohibits religious discrimination, and provides religious groups freedom to worship and assemble, organize themselves, teach, own property, receive financial contributions, communicate and issue publications on religious matters,...
By State Newswire | May 29, 2018
Release: The constitutions of the union government and of the semiautonomous government in Zanzibar both prohibit religious discrimination and provide for freedom of religious choice. An opposition leader and former prime minister was detained in June and accused of making inflammatory statements after calling...
By State Newswire | May 29, 2018
Release: The constitution states that the country is secular, prohibits religious discrimination, provides for freedom of religion, bans the use of religion for political ends, and stipulates impositions on freedom of conscience stemming from “religious fanaticism" shall be punishable by law. A government decree bans individuals from wearing full-face Islamic veils in public.
By State Newswire | May 29, 2018
Release: The constitution prohibits religious discrimination and provides for freedom of belief and the right to practice, profess, and promote any religion. Some religious groups noted the difficulty of obtaining work visas for foreign religious workers; however, they also noted that all organizations were subject to strict visa enforcement and this policy was not targeted at religious groups.
By State Newswire | May 29, 2018
Release: The constitution guarantees freedom of religion and the right to worship according to one’s own beliefs but states citizens must accept restrictions established by law to protect the rights of others and to satisfy “just demands based upon considerations of morality, religious values, security, and public...
By DOJ Newswire | May 29, 2018
News Release: The Impersonation Scheme Involved Fake Diplomatic License Plates, Expensive Jewelry, Artwork, Wire Fraud, and International Trips.
By State Newswire | May 29, 2018
News Release: The interim constitution states Islam is the state religion and sharia the principal source of legislation. It accords non-Muslims the freedom to practice their religion and bans discrimination based on religion. The internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) remained in office, but...
By State Newswire | May 29, 2018
Release: The constitution codifies the separation of religion and the state, establishes freedom of religious choice, prohibits religious discrimination, and stipulates the government shall not interfere in the practice of any religion, nor shall any religion interfere in the affairs of the state. In August the...
By State Newswire | May 29, 2018
News Release: The constitution prohibits religious discrimination and provides for freedom of conscience, thought, and religion, including the freedom to change religion or belief and to manifest and propagate one’s religion. The government provided extensive support for schools operated by religious groups, including paying and certifying all teachers.
By State Newswire | May 29, 2018
News Release: The constitution codifies the separation of religion and the state, establishes freedom of religious choice, prohibits religious discrimination, and stipulates the government shall not interfere in the practice of any religion, nor shall any religion interfere in the affairs of the state. In August the...
By State Newswire | May 29, 2018
News Release: According to the 1992 Basic Law of Governance, the country’s official religion is Islam and the constitution is the Quran and Sunna (traditions and practices based on the life of the Prophet Muhammad). The legal system is based on sharia as interpreted within the Hanbali School of Sunni Islamic jurisprudence.
By DOJ Newswire | May 29, 2018
News Release: COLUMBUS, Ohio - Former Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper Jason J. Delcol and co-defendants Stevedore Crawford, Jr., Carlos Carvalho and Benjamin J. Owings pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today for their roles in a drug-trafficking ring.
By State Newswire | May 29, 2018
Release: The constitution establishes Islam as the state religion but stipulates followers of religions other than Islam are free to exercise their faith within the limits of the law. Conversion from Islam to another religion is considered apostasy, which is punishable by death, imprisonment, or confiscation...
By State Newswire | May 29, 2018
News Release: The constitution provides for freedom of religion and conscience. Religious groups may worship without registering, but registered groups receive certain benefits, including the right to receive state funding, operate schools and hospitals, and receive property tax exemptions. The constitution recognizes...
By State Newswire | May 29, 2018
News Release: Since 1974, the southern part of Cyprus has been under the authority of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus, while the northern part, administered by Turkish Cypriots, proclaimed itself the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" (“TRNC") in 1983. The United States does not recognize the “TRNC," nor...
By State Newswire | May 29, 2018
News Release: The constitution states that freedom of religion is a fundamental right, with individuals having the right to practice freely the religion of their choice or to practice no religion at all. The law prohibits discrimination based on religion. Practice of Obeah, an Afro-Caribbean belief system with some...
By State Newswire | May 29, 2018
News Release: This section includes the West Bank, Gaza, and issues primarily related to Palestinian residents of Jerusalem. Issues primarily related to Israeli residents of Jerusalem are covered in the “Israel and the Golan Heights" section. On December 6, the United States recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. It is the position of the United States that the specific boundaries of Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem are subject to final status negotiations between the parties.
