美国国务院2007年度《国际宗教自由报告》英文全文及中文概要

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Brazil
International Religious Freedom Report 2007
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor

The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respected this right in practice.

There was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom by the Government during the period covered by this report, and government policy continued to contribute to the generally free practice of religion.

There were no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice.

The U.S. Government discusses religious freedom issues with the Government as part of its overall policy to promote human rights.

Section I. Religious Demography

The country has an area of 3,286,488 square miles and a population of 188,078,200. Nearly all major religious groups are present. Many citizens worship in more than one church or participate in the rituals of more than one religion. The 2000 census taken by the Geographic and Statistical Institute of Brazil (IBGE) indicated that approximately 74 percent of the population identified themselves as Roman Catholic, although only a small percentage regularly attended Mass. Approximately 15 percent of the population was Protestant, an estimated 85 percent of whom were Pentecostal or evangelical. These groups included the Assemblies of God, Christian Congregation of Brazil, Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, the Quadrangular Gospel, God is Love, Maranata, Brazil for Christ, House of the Blessing, New Life, and others. Lutherans, Presbyterians, Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, Methodists, Congregationalists, and others accounted for most of the remaining Protestants and were centered in the south. In the 2000 census, 199,645 residents identified themselves as belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), but the church listed its current membership as 970,903.

According to the 2000 census, there were approximately 214,873 adherents of Buddhism and 151,080 adherents of other oriental religious groups. The Japanese-Brazilian community practiced Shintoism to a limited degree. There are 17,088 adherents of indigenous traditions, and 2,905 Hindus.

Followers of African and syncretic religious groups such as Candomble totaled 127,582, while followers of Umbanda totaled 397,431. There were no statistics on the number of followers of Xango or of Macumba; however, data from the same study indicated that followers of Afro-Brazilian religious groups totaled 0.3 percent of the population.

Followers of spiritism, mainly Kardecists-adherents of the doctrine expounded by Frenchman Allan Kardec in the 19th century-constituted approximately 1.3 percent, with 2,262,401 followers. There were 25,889 practitioners of Spiritualism. An estimated 7 percent did not practice any religion, and approximately 384,000 participants did not respond to the census.

Reliable figures on the number of Muslims do not exist. Muslim leaders estimated that there were between 700,000 and 3 million Muslims, with the lower figure representing those who actively practiced their religion, while the higher estimate included also nominal members. These figures are much higher than the 27,239 Muslims reported in the 2000 census. There are significant Muslim communities in S鉶 Paulo, the ABC industrial suburbs of the greater S鉶 Paulo city area, and in the Santos area. There are also communities in Parana state in the coastal region and in Curitiba and Foz do Iguazu in the triborder area. The community is overwhelmingly Sunni; the recent Shiite immigrants gravitate to small insular communities in S鉶 Paulo, Curitiba, and Foz do Iguazu, whereas the Sunnis are for the most part completely assimilated into broader society. Sunni and Shi'a Islam are practiced predominantly by immigrants from Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt who arrived during the past 25 years. Conversions to Islam have increased recently among non-Arab citizens. There are approximately 52 mosques, Islamic religious centers, and Islamic associations.

According to the Jewish Confederation of Brazil (CONIB), there are 119,560 Jewish persons of whom 60,000 are in S鉶 Paulo state and 40,000 in Rio de Janeiro state. Many other cities have smaller Jewish communities.

Foreign missionary groups are present.

Section II. Status of Religious Freedom

Legal/Policy Framework

The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respected this right in practice. The Government at all levels sought to protect this right in full and did not tolerate its abuse, either by governmental or private actors.

There are no registration requirements for religious groups. There is no favored or state religion, although the Government has a concordat with the Vatican. All religious denominations are free to establish places of worship, train clergy, and proselytize. There is a general provision for access to religious services and counsel in all civil and military establishments. The law prohibits discrimination based on religion.

The following holy days are observed as national or regional holidays: Saint Sebastian's Day, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, Corpus Christi, Saint John's Day, Our Lady of Carmen ("Carmo"), Assumption Day, Our Lady Aparecida, All Souls' Day, Evangelicals Day, Immaculate Conception, and Christmas.

Public schools are required to offer religious instruction, but neither the Constitution nor legislation defines how this should be done. Religious instruction is optional for students. Each school defines how to offer religious instruction and in which religion, usually in agreement with parent councils. Education is mandatory for all children, but parents are free to send their children to the public or private school of their choice.

The Government restricted the access of nonindigenous persons, including missionaries, to indigenous reserves and required visitors to seek permission from the National Indian Foundation to enter official indigenous areas.

It is illegal to write, edit, publish, or sell books that promote anti-Semitism or racism. The law enables courts to fine or imprison anyone who displays, distributes, or broadcasts anti-Semitic or racist material and mandates a 2 to 5-year prison term for violators.

Restrictions on Religious Freedom

Government policy and practice contributed to the generally free practice of religion.

There were no reports of religious prisoners or detainees in the country.

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 refusal to allow such citizens to be returned to the United States.

Anti-Semitism

Anti-Semitism was rare; however, there were reports of increasing violence against Jewish persons. Leaders in the Jewish community expressed concern over the continued appearance of anti-Semitic material on Internet websites compiled by neo-Nazi and "skinhead" groups. There were reports of anti-Semitic graffiti, harassment, vandalism, and threats via telephone and e-mail. The Government officially equates anti-Semitism to racism.

In May 2007 more than 100 instances of graffiti being painted on the wall of the Shalom Synagogue, on numerous Jewish residences, and throughout Teres髉olis (35 miles from Rio de Janeiro), a city with a substantial Jewish presence, occurred. According to the president of the Rio de Janeiro Israelite Federation, it was unclear if the graffiti were anti-Semitic. However, according to the Coordination Forum for Countering Anti-Semitism, many had a swastika in addition to a cryptic symbol of an "88" superimposed over an "HH." In 2004 similar incidents occurred.

On August 5, 2006, six men threw Molotov cocktails and rocks at the Beth Jacob Synagogue in Campinas, breaking windows, burning its main door, and painting an anti-Semitic slogan on the sidewalk in front of the temple.

Media reported that a S鉶 Paulo Jewish community leader received death threats in late July 2006, probably related to the July-August conflict involving Hezbollah and Israel. Police provided him with personal protection.

In 2005 15 persons were arrested and charged with attempted murder, gang formation, and racism for attacking 3 Jewish students in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul State. After spending more than 100 days in jail, all 15 were freed and awaiting the testimony stage of the process, which started in May 2006. At the end of the reporting period, no trial had been scheduled.

Numerous anti-Semitic websites continued to operate, one of which is on a server located in the United States.

Section III. Societal Abuses and Discrimination

There were no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice.

There was no national ecumenical movement; however, the National Commission for Religious Dialogue brought together Christian, Jewish, and Muslim leaders.

Section IV. U.S. Government Policy

The U.S. Government discusses religious freedom issues with the Government as part of its overall policy to promote human rights.



Released on September 14, 2007

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Canada
International Religious Freedom Report 2007
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor

The Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982) provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respected this right in practice.

There was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom by the Government during the period covered by this report, and government policy continued to contribute to the generally free practice of religion.

There were some reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice, and prominent societal leaders took positive steps to promote religious freedom.

The U.S. Government discusses religious freedom issues with the Government as part of its overall policy to promote human rights.

Section I. Religious Demography

The country has an area of 3,855,101 square miles and a population of 33 million. According to a 2001 census, approximately 77.1 percent of the population belonged to Christian denominations or claimed Christianity as its religion. Roman Catholics (44 percent of the population) constituted the largest denomination, followed by Protestant denominations (29 percent). United Church, Anglican, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Baptist, and Pentecostal were the largest Protestant groups. The Muslim population stood at 2 percent, and approximately 1.1 percent of the population was Jewish. Other religious groups included Buddhists, Hindus, and Sikhs, each with approximately 1 percent of the population. Several other religions, such as Scientology, Baha'i, Shinto, Taoism, and aboriginal spirituality, each accounted for less than 1 percent. A total of 17 percent claimed no religious affiliation, an increase from 12 percent in the 1996 census.

Approximately two-thirds of the country's net population growth is due to immigration. Most of these immigrants were born in Asia and generally practice different religions than the majority native-born citizens. The majority of immigrants settle in urban areas.

An April 2006 Ipsos Reid Survey of Christian religious attitudes indicated that, while Christian beliefs had remained largely unchanged since 1996, fewer persons (17 percent) attended church on a weekly basis. A 2002 Pew Research Center poll on religious attitudes found that approximately 21 percent of the population attended church on a weekly basis.

Section II. Status of Religious Freedom

Legal/Policy Framework

The Charter of Rights and Freedoms provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respected this right in practice. The Government at all levels sought to protect this right in full and did not tolerate its abuse, either by governmental or private actors.

The following Christian holy days are national holidays: Good Friday, Easter Monday, and Christmas Day.

Religious groups are not required to register with the Government. The Government grants tax-exempt status to religious institutions through the Charities Directorate of the tax authority, Revenue Canada. This status provides religious institutions with certain federal and provincial sales tax reductions, rebates, and exemptions, and it requires them to be nonpolitical, send donations only to approved overseas recipients, and undergo periodic audits. Through this same government-approved charitable status, clergy receive various federal benefits, including a clergy housing deduction under the tax code and fast-tracking through the immigration system. Individual Canadians who donate to religious tax-exempt institutions receive a federal tax receipt entitling them to deductions for federal income tax purposes.

The Constitution and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms protect the rights or privileges possessed by religious minorities in their public, but denominational, schools at the time of national union in 1867. In practice this protection has meant that some provinces have funded Catholic school education, and some provinces (such as Quebec) have funded Protestant education but under the category of "public," not "private," education. Education falls under the purview of the provinces, not the Federal Government. As such, levels of direct funding and indirect tax benefits for all schools, public as well as private, religious and nonreligious, ranged across the country from 0 to 75 percent.

On November 2, 2005, the U.N. Human Rights Committee reiterated its 1999 ruling that called on the Federal Government to "adopt steps in order to eliminate discrimination on the basis of religion in the funding of schools in Ontario." The ruling, which resulted from a 1996 complaint filed under article 28 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on behalf of an Ontario Jewish parent who was sending his child to a Jewish private school, concluded that Ontario's policy of full and direct public funding for only Catholic but not other religious schools was discriminatory. While the issue of public funding for non-Catholic religious schools in Ontario has been the subject of domestic litigation since 1978, a 1996 Supreme Court ruling confirmed the constitutionality of funding for Catholic separate schools. Some school boards across Ontario have passed resolutions calling for the elimination of the public Catholic school system, but the provincial government has not officially reconsidered its dual system.

There was no official government council for interfaith dialogue, but the Government provided funding for individual ecumenical projects on a case-by-case basis.

Restrictions on Religious Freedom

Government policy and practice contributed to the generally free practice of religion.

In April 2007 the Jehovah's Witness parents of sextuplets born prematurely in January filed suit against the British Columbia government for seizing their children in order to give them blood transfusions. The parents claimed the procedure violated their religious beliefs, while the Government claimed it was medically necessary. The parents, however, in turn claimed that their constitutional rights were violated when the Government authorized the transfusions. The surviving children were returned to their parents' custody after the procedure.

In April 2007 a Sikh law student and the Canadian Human Rights Commission reached a settlement with the national rail carrier that permits Sikhs to wear kirpans (ceremonial daggers) on trains. The student was twice prohibited in September and October 2005 from riding on national rail carrier trains with a kirpan. Railway company officials, responding to another passenger's complaint and referring to its baggage policy that bans weapons, required that the Sikh passenger disembark, enforcing a company policy that makes no exceptions for religious symbols. A spokesperson stated that under the new policy, kirpans may only be worn by Sikhs, cannot be visible to other passengers, and must be sheathed at all times.

In March 2007 Quebec election officials ruled that voters in the provincial elections would be required to show their faces to polling workers before casting votes. Some critics opposed the measure and threatened to wear masks to the polling places in protest. Muslim community leaders maintained that they never asked for special treatment for Muslim women who wear niqab (veils that cover a woman's entire face) in public and that women routinely show their faces as necessary and appropriate. An official from the Council on American-Islamic Relations Canada alleged that the controversy was indicative of a growing hostility toward Muslims in the province.

In 2006 the police concluded their investigation of the polygamous community of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS), as a result of allegations of child abuse and statutory rape. The report's findings, however, had not been released by the end of the reporting period. The FLDS openly practices polygamy, a criminal offense according to the criminal code. British Columbia attorneys have generally declared that the statute violates the Charter of Freedoms and is unenforceable as a restriction on the practice of religion. At the end of the period covered by this report, a complaint by former FLDS members alleging denial of human rights was pending before the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal. The Government issued deportation orders for three foreign women, allegedly married to a former FLDS bishop, on the grounds of illegal extended residence in the country. The women alleged that the Government's refusal to grant residency based on their claimed marriage to a Canadian citizen constituted religious persecution. Citizenship and Immigration Canada denied their petition for humanitarian and compassionate parole, and the women filed appeals in court, still pending at the end of the reporting period.

There were no reports of religious prisoners or detainees in the country.

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 refusal to allow such citizens to be returned to the United States.

Anti-Semitism

The B'nai Brith Canada League for Human Rights received 935 reports of anti-Semitic incidents in 2006, a 12.8 percent increase compared to 2005. The League noted that incidents had jumped more than four-fold since 1997. The highest number of reports came from Ontario Province (569 incidents, 445 of which took place in the Greater Toronto area), followed by Quebec Province (226 incidents, 215 of which took place in Montreal); approximately 80 percent of the Jewish population resided in these two provinces. A large spike in incidents occurred in July and August 2006 during the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. The majority of synagogue attacks took place in Quebec and Manitoba. The 935 reports included 588 cases of harassment, 317 cases of vandalism, and 30 cases of violence. Of these, 167 cases involved attacks on synagogues, Jewish homes, or communal buildings. Jewish students reported 54 cases of anti-Semitic incidents that occurred on campus, and another 48 involved school settings. The B'nai Brith League also noted a continued increase in web-based hate, with 253 reports compared to 164 cases in 2005.

On June 29, 2007, for the third time in 3 months, a Jewish cemetery in Ottawa was desecrated. According to reports, grave markers were uprooted and demolished and the watering system rendered useless. In April 2007 grave markers were also knocked over and anti-Semitic graffiti was painted on a cemetery wall. Police alleged that the incidents were related.

In April 2007 Montreal authorities charged two men for arson, uttering death threats, and possessing arson materials in connection with two incidents against the Jewish community. In April and September 2006, the men exploded a small bomb in front of a Jewish Community Center and hurled a firebomb at the front door of an Orthodox Jewish School. No one was injured in either attack.

Also in April 2007 a synagogue in British Columbia was defaced with anti-Semitic graffiti on Holocaust Remembrance Day. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the British Columbia Hate Crimes Unit were investigating the attack as a hate crime.

In March 2007 a man wearing clothing and items representative of neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups was arrested after breaking a window at Toronto's Chabad Midtown Jewish Community Center. Authorities were treating the incident as a hate crime.

Section III. Societal Abuses and Discrimination

There were some reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice and prominent societal leaders took positive steps to promote religious freedom.

The Toronto, Ontario Police Service 2006 Hate/Bias Crime Statistical Report counted 47 crimes based on religion, or 29 percent of the year's hate/bias crimes. The Jewish community comprises 4 percent of Toronto's population but was the target of 60 percent of the religious-based hate/bias crimes. Muslims comprise 7 percent of Toronto's population and were the target of 34 percent of the religious-based incidents. The Christian and Sikh communities were each the target of one crime.

On May 8, 2007, a man allegedly stabbed a young man at a mosque in Toronto because the victim refused to pray. The aggressor was charged with attempted murder.

In Quebec two separate incidents involving young girls wearing hijabs (headscarfs worn by Muslim women) at sporting events sparked a national outcry over the province's policy of reasonable accommodation. In April 2007 five Muslim girls were barred from participating in a Tae Kwon Do tournament due to a ban on head coverings for safety reasons. In February 2007 a young Muslim girl was ejected from a soccer game for wearing a hijab, which violated a Quebec Soccer Association safety rule. The referee claimed the hijab increased the risk of injury during play. In both cases the girls claimed the rules were being enforced without regard for religious considerations.

In March 2007 Toronto police investigated a probable hate crime directed against senior members of a moderate Islamic association. An unidentified caller threatened to harm the senior members of the Muslim Canadian Congress for "smearing" Islam. In the past the Muslim Canadian Congress has blamed other Muslim groups in the country of attempting to politicize Islam.

In January 2007 an elected town council in rural Quebec adopted a controversial code of conduct for immigrants. The code included provisions against the stoning or burning of women as well as provisions seemingly directed against Muslims and other immigrant groups. The code sparked a firestorm of media interest and public discourse on the subject of reasonable accommodation and was derided by some commentators as being anti-immigrant and insulting to religious minorities.

In January 2007 an Islamic school in the Montreal area was vandalized. Multiple windows were smashed and a school bus was ransacked.

In September 2006 an arsonist set fire to an Islamic school in Ottawa. No injuries were reported, but the school sustained damaged to its exterior and roof. Since the perpetrator(s) did not leave behind any message or graffiti, the police undertook an arson probe rather than a hate crime investigation; the Council on American-Islamic Relations Canada urged the police to treat it is a hate crime. In Winnipeg, a mosque was spray painted with profanities and swastikas. Police were conducting an investigation.

During the reporting period, approximately 35 acts of vandalism against Christian churches and cemeteries were identified in the media. In December 2006 vandals spray painted anti-Christian slurs on the walls of a Catholic Church in London, Ontario. Also in December, vandals scattered vestments and knocked over sacred objects in a Catholic Church in Welland, Ontario.

Section IV. U.S. Government Policy

The U.S. Government discusses religious freedom issues with the Government as part of its overall policy to promote human rights.



Released on September 14, 2007

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Chile
International Religious Freedom Report 2007
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor

The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respected this right in practice.

There was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom by the Government during the period covered by this report, and government policy continued to contribute to the generally free practice of religion.

There were no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice.

The U.S. Government discusses religious freedom issues with the Government as part of its overall policy to promote human rights.

Section I. Religious Demography

The country has an area of 292,260 square miles and a population of 15 million. According to the most recent census (2002), 70 percent of the population over age 14 identify themselves as Roman Catholic, and 15.1 percent as evangelicals. In the census, the term "evangelical" referred to all non-Catholic Christian churches with the exception of the Orthodox Church (Greek, Persian, Serbian, Ukrainian, and Armenian), the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Seventh-day Adventists, and Jehovah's Witnesses. Approximately 90 percent of evangelicals are Pentecostal. Wesleyan, Lutheran, Reformed Evangelical, Presbyterian, Anglican, and Methodist churches are also present.

Other affiliations recorded in the 2002 census are Jehovah's Witnesses (119,455 persons), Mormons (103,735), Jews (14,976), Orthodox Christians (6,959), and Muslims (2,894). Of those surveyed, all other religions total 493,147 persons, or 4.4 percent, and atheists and those "indifferent" regarding religion constitute approximately 8.3 percent (931,990). The Baha'i were not mentioned in the census, but adherents estimate the number of practitioners at 6,000. There is also a small Buddhist population as well as a very small number of Unification Church members.

Indigenous people make up 5 percent (780,000) of the population. Of this group, 65 percent identify themselves as Catholic, 29 percent as evangelicals, and 6 percent as "other." Mapuche communities, constituting 87 percent of indigenous citizens, continue to respect traditional religious leaders (Longkos and Machis), and anecdotal information indicates a high degree of syncretism in worship and traditional healing practices.

Members of the largest religious groups (Catholic, Pentecostal and other evangelical churches) are numerous in the capital and are also found in other regions of the country. Jewish communities are located in Santiago, Valparaiso, Vi馻 del Mar, Valdivia, Temuco, Concepci髇, and Iquique (although there is no synagogue in Iquique). Mosques are located in Santiago and Iquique, with a third under construction in Coquimbo.

Foreign missionaries operate freely.

Section II. Status of Religious Freedom

Legal/Policy Framework

The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respected this right in practice. Church and state are officially separate. The 1999 law on religion includes a clause that prohibits religious discrimination; however, the Catholic Church enjoys a privileged status and occasionally receives preferential treatment. Government officials attend Catholic events and also major Protestant and Jewish ceremonies.

In addition to Christmas and Good Friday, four Catholic holy days are celebrated as national holidays: the Feast of the Virgin of Carmen, the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, the Feast of the Assumption, and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

The law allows any religious group to apply for legal public right status (comprehensive religious nonprofit status). The Ministry of Justice may not refuse to accept a registration petition, although it may object to the petition within 90 days on the grounds that all legal prerequisites for registration have not been satisfied. The petitioner then has 60 days to address objections raised by the Ministry or challenge the Ministry in court. Once a religious entity is registered, the state cannot dissolve it by decree. The semiautonomous Council for the Defense of the State may initiate a judicial review; however, no organization that has registered under the 1999 law has subsequently been deregistered.

In addition the law allows religious entities to adopt a charter and by-laws suited to a religious organization rather than a private corporation. They may establish affiliates (schools, clubs, and sports organizations) without registering them as separate corporations.

Seventy-five religious organizations registered under the 1999 law and gained legal public right status during the period covered by this report, bringing the total to 1,143 religious groups and related organizations registered. This number includes the Catholic Church, Greek and Ukrainian Orthodox churches, a wide range of Protestant churches (evangelical, Lutheran, Methodist, Pentecostal, Anglican, Presbyterian, Baptist, Episcopalian, and Seventh-day Adventist), Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, several Buddhist temples, Jewish congregations, and mosques.

Schools are required to offer religious education twice a week through middle school; participation is optional (with parental waiver). Religious instruction in public schools is almost exclusively Catholic. Teaching the creed requested by parents is mandatory; however, enforcement is sometimes lax, and religious education in faiths other than Catholicism is often provided privately through Sunday schools and at other venues. Local school administrations decide how funds are spent on religious instruction. Although the Ministry of Education has approved curriculums for 14 other denominations, 92 percent of public schools and 81 percent of private schools offered instruction based only on the Catholic faith.

Restrictions on Religious Freedom

Government policy and practice contributed to the generally free practice of religion.

The 1999 law on religion grants other religions and denominations the same right that the Catholic Church possesses to have chaplains in public hospitals, prisons, and military units. Hospital regulations continue specifically to permit Catholic chaplains in hospitals, and if requested by a patient, to provide access to chaplains and lay practitioners of other religions. There were 35 Catholic chapels, 40 paid Catholic chaplains, 25 volunteer Catholic chaplains, and 1,200 religious or lay volunteers authorized to conduct Catholic religious activities in the prison system. There were 9 paid evangelical Christian chaplain positions at the national level, 88 volunteer chaplains, and over 1,200 evangelical Christian volunteers representing 82 evangelical denominations conducting religious activities in the prison system. Non-Catholic pastors reported that their access to prisons and hospitals continued to improve over the period covered by this report.

The celebration of a Catholic Mass frequently marks official and public events. If the event is of a military nature, all members of the participating units are obliged to attend. The armed forces unofficially integrated a number of Protestant and evangelical Christian chaplains but continued to block efforts by non-Christian religious groups to provide military chaplains. Military regulations implementing the 1999 law were under discussion but had not been promulgated. Military recruits, whatever their religion, are required at times to attend Catholic events involving their unit. Membership in the Catholic Church is considered beneficial to a military career; in the Navy it is allegedly almost a requirement for advancement to the highest posts.

In 2005 the Government denied full religious nonprofit status to the Unification Church, which continued to operate and worship under a more limited nonprofit organization status during the period covered by this report.

There were no reports of religious prisoners or detainees in the country.

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 refusal to allow such citizens to be returned to the United States.

Anti-Semitism

There were several reports of anti-Semitic incidents, including spray-painted graffiti of swastikas and derogatory comments directed at Jewish individuals and institutions. Stores with Jewish proprietors in Chill醤 were painted with swastikas; anti-Semitic reading material was placed in the vicinity of a Jewish home for the elderly; anti-Semitic messages were sent to the Santiago office of a Jewish organization; and the Sephardic website was hacked and defaced. In addition street gangs identifying themselves as neo-Nazis or "skinheads" and often utilizing swastikas and other anti-Semitic symbols were involved in violence against non-Jewish victims in Santiago and other urban areas. There were no reports that these groups were involved in gang-related violence directed at the Jewish community.

Section III. Societal Abuses and Discrimination

There were no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice.

Section IV. U.S. Government Policy

The U.S. Government discusses religious freedom issues with the Government as part of its overall policy to promote human rights. U.S. embassy representatives met with a wide range of religious leaders, including Santiago's Catholic Archbishop and key representatives of evangelical and Jewish organizations. The Embassy also continued to maintain informal contact with representatives and leaders of several other religious groups.



Released on September 14, 2007

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Colombia
International Religious Freedom Report 2007
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor

The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respected this right in practice. There is no state religion; however, the Roman Catholic Church retains a de facto privileged status.

There was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom by the Government during the period covered by this report, and government policy continued to contribute to the generally free practice of religion. Terrorist organizations, especially the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), killed, kidnapped, and extorted religious leaders and practitioners, inhibiting free religious expression. Terrorist organizations generally targeted religious leaders and practitioners for political rather than religious reasons. The National Liberation Army (ELN) continued threatening members of religious organizations but generally adhered to its agreement to cease killing religious leaders. Paramilitary organizations, including the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), also targeted representatives and members of religious organizations. Some indigenous leaders reportedly were intolerant of nonsyncretic forms of worship.

There were some reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice.

The U.S. Government discusses religious freedom issues with the Government as part of its overall policy to promote human rights.

Section I. Religious Demography

The country has an area of 439,735 square miles and a population of 41.2 million. The Government does not keep official statistics on religious affiliation, and religious leaders cited different numbers. According to the Colombian Evangelical Council (CEDECOL), for example, approximately 12 percent of the population was Protestant, while the Catholic Bishops' Conference estimated that 90 percent of the population was Catholic. A March 22, 2007, article in the daily newspaper El Tiempo said that 80 percent of the population was Catholic (with the footnote that not all are active practitioners), 13.5 percent belonged to non-Catholic forms of Christianity, 2 percent were agnostic, and the remaining 4.5 percent belonged to other religious groups, such as Islam and Judaism. The Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Methodist Church had 261,000, and 1,500 members respectively. The Anglican Church and the Presbyterian Church had approximately 10,000 members each. Other Protestant and Evangelical Churches had an estimated 5 million followers. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) claimed less than 1,000 members. Other religious groups with a significant number of adherents included Judaism, estimated at between 7,000 and 8,000 families, Islam, with an estimated 10,000 followers, animism, and various syncretic belief systems.

Adherents of some religious groups are concentrated in specific geographical regions. For example, the vast majority of practitioners of syncretic beliefs that blend Catholicism with elements of African animism are Afro-Colombian residents in the western department of Choco. Jews are concentrated in major cities, Muslims on the Caribbean coast, and adherents of indigenous animistic religions in remote, rural areas. A small Taoist commune exists in a mountainous region of Santander Department.

Section II. Status of Religious Freedom

Legal/Policy Framework

The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respected this right in practice. The Government at all levels sought to protect this right in full and did not tolerate its abuse, either by governmental or private actors. The Constitution specifically prohibits discrimination based on religion.

The following Christian holy days are national holidays: Epiphany, Saint Joseph Day, Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, the Ascension, Corpus Christi, Sacred Heart Day, Saints Peter and Paul Day, Feast of the Assumption, All Saints' Day, the Immaculate Conception, and Christmas.

The Constitution states that there is no official church or religion but adds that the state "is not atheist or agnostic, nor indifferent to Colombians' religious sentiment." Some interpret this to mean that the state unofficially sanctions a privileged position for Catholicism, which was the official religion until the adoption of the 1991 Constitution. A 1973 concordat between the Vatican and the Government remains in effect, although some of its articles are unenforceable because of constitutional provisions on freedom of religion. A 1994 constitutional court decision declared unconstitutional any official government reference to a religious characterization of the country.

The Government extends two different kinds of recognition to religious organizations: recognition as a legal entity (personeria juridica) and special public recognition as a religious entity. Although the application process is often lengthy, the Ministry of Interior and Justice (MOIJ) readily grants the former recognition; the only legal requirements are submission of a formal request and basic organizational information. In addition, any foreign religious group that wishes to establish a presence must document official recognition by authorities in its home country. The MOIJ may reject requests that do not comply fully with established requirements or that violate fundamental constitutional rights. Some non-Catholic religious leaders complained that their applications were unnecessarily delayed and that their petitions for recognition as a legal entity were denied for trivial reasons. They stated that for this reason, many non-Catholic religious groups chose not to apply for legal recognition and instead operated as nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) or as informal religious entities.

Since 1995 the MOIJ has approved 1,170 applications for special public recognition as a religious entity; an estimated 90 percent of the approvals were for evangelical churches. An April 2, 2007, article in El Tiempo quoted Bogot?s mayor as stating that there were now 700 non-Catholic places of worship in the capital city, compared to 450 Catholic churches. According to the MOIJ, 1,775 applications failed to meet constitutionally established requirements and thus were not approved. In cases in which individual churches or schools affiliated with a nationally registered church applied separately for special public recognition, the Government granted those organizations affiliate or associate status. More than 40 churches asked the Government to sponsor legislation establishing less exacting standards for special public recognition, formally codifying religious freedoms provided in the Constitution, and creating a special office for religious affairs. Although the MOIJ has statutory authority over recognizing religious entities, there is no government agency to monitor or enforce laws governing religious freedom.

Accession to a 1997 public law agreement between the state and non-Catholic religious groups is required for such organizations to minister to their adherents in public institutions such as hospitals or prisons, provide chaplaincy services and religious instruction in public schools, and perform marriages recognized by the state. When deciding whether to grant accession to the 1997 agreement, the Government considers a religious group's total membership, its degree of popular acceptance within society, and other relevant factors, such as the content of the organization's statutes and its required behavioral norms. At the end of the period covered by this report, 13 non-Catholic churches had been granted accession. No non-Christian religious group was a signatory to the 1997 public law agreement. Some prominent non-Christian religious groups, such as the Jewish community, sought not to accede to the 1997 public law, declaring that the agreement was designed for Protestant groups. Many churches that are signatories reported that some local authorities failed to comply with the accord.

The Ministry of Foreign Relations issues visas to foreign missionaries and religious administrators of the denominations that have received special public recognition. Foreign missionaries are required to possess a special visa, valid up to 2 years. Applicants must have a certificate from the MOIJ confirming that the religion is registered with the Ministry or a certificate issued by the Catholic archdioceses. Alternatively, they may produce a certificate issued by the religious organization itself confirming the applicant's membership and his mission in the country as well as a letter issued by a legal representative of the religious organization stating that the organization accepts full financial responsibility for the expenses of the applicant and his family, including his return to the country of origin or last country of residence. In both cases, applicants must explain the purpose of the proposed sojourn and provide proof of economic means. The Government generally permits missionaries to proselytize among the indigenous population, provided that the indigenous group welcomes proselytization and visitors do not induce members of indigenous communities to adopt changes that endanger their survival on traditional lands. A recent Supreme Court case stipulated that no group may force religious conversion on members of indigenous communities. Evangelical leaders said this decision was interpreted by local authorities as prohibiting proselytizing on indigenous lands. They claimed that local authorities forcefully removed missionaries from indigenous areas.

The Constitution recognizes parents' right to choose the type of education their children receive, including religious instruction. It also states that no student shall be forced to receive religious education in public schools. Religious groups that have not acceded to the public law agreement may establish their own schools, provided they comply with Ministry of Education requirements. For example, the Jewish community operates its own schools. The Catholic Church has an agreement with the Government to provide education in rural areas that have no state-operated schools. These schools are tax-exempt. Leaders of non-Catholic religious groups claimed that local authorities in many municipalities did not grant their schools the same tax-exempt status enjoyed by the Catholic schools. These leaders also claimed that a decree by the Minister of Education to include education about religion in public schools was interpreted in many municipalities as a mandate to teach about Catholicism only, while offering no alternative instruction to students of other religious groups.

Restrictions on Religious Freedom

Government policy and practice contributed to the generally free practice of religion.

Although the 1991 Constitution mandates the separation of church and state, the Catholic Church retains a de facto privileged status. Accession to the 1997 public law agreement is required for non-Catholic groups to minister to soldiers, public hospital patients, and prisoners and to provide religious instruction in public schools. However, Muslim and Protestant leaders claimed they faced difficulties in gaining military chaplain positions and access to prisoners. The state recognizes as legally binding only those religious marriages celebrated by the Catholic Church and the 13 non-Catholic religious organizations that are signatories to the 1997 public law agreement, as well as religious groups with an associated status to one of those signatories. Members of religious groups that are not signatories to the agreement must marry in a civil ceremony in order for the state to recognize the marriage. Some signatories to the agreement complained of discrimination at the local level, such as refusal by municipal authorities to recognize marriages performed by these groups. In addition, CEDECOL claimed that two state-operated television channels refused to allow evangelical groups to buy or receive airtime, while the Catholic Church received 2 minutes daily without cost.

All legally recognized churches, seminaries, monasteries, and convents are exempt from national and local taxes and customs duties. However, some non-Catholic religious groups reported that municipal governments required them to pay property and other local taxes on their places of worship and schools. The Colombian Evangelical Council claimed this tax-free status was not respected in practice. According to an April 2006 article in the daily newspaper El Espectador, the Treasury Department issued a decree requiring all non-Catholic places of worship to pay a tax of 4 percent on all tithes, offerings, and charitable contributions they received. According to CEDECOL, non-Catholic missionaries and religious leaders must also pay a tax of 35 percent on all financial assistance received from outside the country.

In October 2006 the Bogot?municipal government passed a city planning ordinance that restricted the number of churches in residential areas and placed stringent building codes on church facilities. CEDECOL claimed that if this ordinance is implemented in late 2007, it could result in the closure of 70 percent of the Protestant churches in the capital. Evangelical, Muslim, and Anglican leaders complained that the plan showed favoritism toward Catholicism, since many Catholic churches were historic monuments in central locations and were thus exempt from the proposal's requirements.

There were no developments in the case against the leaders of a small Taoist commune in Santander Department, who were accused of multiple killings, rape, extortion, kidnapping, and aiding paramilitary organizations from December 1998 to mid-2004.

There were no reports of religious prisoners or detainees in the country.

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 refusal to allow such citizens to be returned to the United States.

Anti-Semitism

There were isolated reports of anti-Semitism, including inflammatory statements in the media during the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel in the summer of 2006. On August 6, 2006, anti-Semitic graffiti was painted in the area around the Israeli Embassy in Bogot?

Persecution by Terrorist Organizations

Religious leaders and practitioners were the targets of threats and kidnappings by guerrilla groups and former paramilitaries. The FARC, the AUC, and the ELN generally targeted religious leaders and practitioners for political or financial rather than religious reasons. These groups were responsible for the majority of such attacks and threats, killing, kidnapping, extorting, and inhibiting free religious expression. The Human Rights Unit of the Prosecutor General's Office continued to investigate the killings in past years of 14 members of the clergy believed to have been slain because they were outspoken critics of terrorist organizations.

The Presidential Program for Human Rights reported that nearly all killings of priests by terrorist groups could be attributed to leftist guerrillas, particularly the FARC. In the period since January 1, 2006, a human rights organization affiliated with the Mennonite church, Justicia, Paz y Acci髇 Noviolenta (or Justapaz), registered 63 death threats from the FARC against members of religious communities. During the same period, Justapaz reported 47 such threats from the AUC. The same report indicated that the FARC was responsible for eight killings of religious leaders. Former paramilitaries were responsible for six such killings, and the ELN was responsible for one. In addition, the group documented 10 attempted killings, 8 of which were attributable to former paramilitaries. Justapaz recorded 103 religious community members as victims of forced displacement, 68 of which they attributed to former paramilitaries. Most of the remaining forced displacements were attributed to the FARC. The group documented the cases of six religious community members who were victims of torture, three of which they attributed to former paramilitaries.

Since July 1, 2004, according to the Catholic Bishops' Conference, terrorist groups have killed seven priests. Catholic and Protestant church leaders stated that killings of religious leaders in rural communities were generally underreported because of the communities' isolation and fear of retribution. Religious leaders generally chose not to seek government protection because of their pacifist beliefs and fear of retribution from terrorist groups. Justapaz and CEDECOL claimed that former paramilitaries and guerrillas equally committed violence against evangelical church leaders.

According to a March 11, 2007, article in El Tiempo, a Catholic priest, Yimy Torres, and a seminary student, Ramiro Prieto, were killed in their home in South Bogot? Both were found bound with plastic bags tied over their heads and died of asphyxiation. Members of Torres' church commented that his sermons were very frank about problems in the country and this put him in danger. He reportedly told a member of his congregation that he had been threatened. The investigation by the Government was in the preliminary stages.

There was no information regarding the March 2006 killing of evangelical pastor Oscar Munoz Perea in Buenaventura, Valle de Cauca Department. Witnesses identified the killers as belonging to the AUC.

In September 2005 authorities captured FARC intelligence operative Omar Segundo Contreras Chamorro in Sucre Department. Contreras was wanted for his participation in the 2002 killing of Catholic priest Jose Luis Cardenas Fernandez. At the end of the period covered by this report, the trial was still in the preliminary investigative stage.

The body of Catholic priest Cesar Dario Pena had not been recovered at the end of the period covered by this report. In 2004 the FARC kidnapped him and in 2005 killed him, according to a captured FARC leader.

There were no developments regarding the 2005 killing of Catholic priest Jesus Adrian Sanchez in Tolima Department. According to the Catholic Bishops' Conference, the FARC killed Sanchez for his activism against the group's recruitment of child soldiers.

According to the Inter-Religious Task Force on Central America, in January 2006 the Reverend Milton Mejia and Mauricio Avilez of the Ecumenical Church Network of Colombia were threatened with death, apparently by former paramilitary personnel, because of their work defending the democratic and constitutional rights of victims of violence.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference reported that 64 Catholic churches were seriously damaged or destroyed in the last decade. Catholic churches generally were not attacked intentionally, but were often affected by nearby guerrilla attacks.

According to the Christian Union Movement, advances by government security forces against the FARC resulted in the reopening of approximately 350 of the more than 450 evangelical churches closed since 2002. All religious groups reported that due to threats from guerrillas or former paramilitaries, many religious authorities were forced to refrain from publicly discussing the country's internal conflict. Illegal armed groups, especially the FARC, threatened or attacked religious officials for opposing the forced recruitment of minors, promoting human rights, assisting internally displaced persons, and discouraging coca cultivation. The Catholic Bishops' Conference also reported that former paramilitaries and guerrillas issued death threats against rural priests who spoke out against them. In response to such threats, some religious leaders relocated to other communities.

Guerrillas or former paramilitaries harassed some indigenous groups that practiced animistic or syncretic religions. However, such harassment appeared generally motivated by political or economic differences (whether real or perceived) or by questions of land ownership rather than by religious concerns.

Section III. Societal Abuses and Discrimination

There were some reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice. The Catholic Church and some evangelical churches reported that some indigenous leaders were intolerant of nonsyncretic forms of worship. According to CEDECOL, indigenous groups set fire to some Christian missionary churches on or near indigenous lands while people were inside the structures.

A number of faith-based nongovernmental organizations promoted human rights, social and economic development, and a negotiated settlement to the country's armed conflict. The most influential of these organizations were either affiliated with the Catholic Church or founded by Church officials. The Catholic Church continued to be the only institutional presence in many rural areas and conducted important social work through its Social Pastoral Agency.

Section IV. U.S. Government Policy

The U.S. Government discusses religious freedom issues with the Government as part of its overall policy to promote human rights. The U.S. Embassy maintained regular communication with representatives of the Catholic Church and other religious groups.



Released on September 14, 2007

令狐药师

Costa Rica
International Religious Freedom Report 2007
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor

The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respected this right in practice.

There was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom by the Government during the period covered by this report, and government policy continued to contribute to the generally free practice of religion.

There were no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice.

The U.S. Government discusses religious freedom issues with the Government as part of its overall policy to promote human rights.

Section I. Religious Demography

The country has an area of 19,730 square miles and a population of 4.3 million, according to the National Institute of Census and Statistics. The most recent nationwide survey of religion, conducted in 2006 by the University of Costa Rica, found that 47.2 percent of the population identify themselves as practicing Roman Catholics, 27.3 percent consider themselves nonpracticing Roman Catholics, 12.8 percent state they are evangelical Protestants, 9.2 percent report that they do not have a religion, and 3.3 percent declare that they belong to "another religion."

Apart from the dominant Catholic religion, there are several other religious groups in the country. Methodist, Lutheran, Episcopal, Baptist, and other Protestant groups have significant membership. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) has a temple in San Jose that served as a regional worship center for Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua, and Honduras. Although they represent less than 1 percent of the population, Jehovah's Witnesses have a strong presence on the Caribbean coast. Seventh-day Adventists operate a university that attracts students from throughout the Caribbean Basin. The Unification Church maintains its continental headquarters for Latin America in San Jose. Non-Christian religious groups, including followers of Judaism, Islam, Taoism, Hare Krishna, Scientology, Tenrikyo, and the Baha'i Faith, claim membership throughout the country, with the majority of worshippers residing in the Central Valley (the area of the capital). While there is no general correlation between religion and ethnicity, indigenous peoples are more likely to practice animism than other religions.

Foreign missionaries and clergy of all denominations work and proselytize freely.

Section II. Status of Religious Freedom

Legal/Policy Framework

The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respected this right in practice. The Government at all levels sought to protect this right in full and did not tolerate its abuse, either by governmental or private actors.

The Constitution provides the right to practice the religion of one's choice, and the Government generally observed and enforced this provision. In the event of a violation of religious freedom, a victim may file a lawsuit with the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court. A victim may also file a motion before the Constitutional Chamber to have a statute or regulation declared unconstitutional. Additionally, a victim may appeal to the Government's administrative court for permission to sue the Government for alleged discriminatory acts. Laws are generally applied and enforced in a rigorous and nondiscriminatory fashion.

While the Constitution establishes Catholicism as the state religion and requires that the state contribute to its maintenance, it also prohibits the state from impeding the free exercise of other religions that do not impugn universal morality or proper behavior. The Constitutional Chamber rejected periodic challenges to the state religion article of the Constitution. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for managing the Government's relationship with the Catholic Church and other religious groups.

The law allows for the Government to provide land to the Catholic Church. This practice was established in part to restore the Church's land seized by the Government during the 19th century. Land conveyance takes two forms: right of development grants, with ownership retained by the state, and outright title grants, a method commonly used to provide land for the construction of local churches. These methods did not meet all the needs of the Church, which also buys some land outright. Government-to-church land transfers are not covered under any blanket legislation but rather by specific legislative action once or twice per year.

Besides notaries public, only officials of the Catholic Church can perform marriages that are automatically recognized by the state. Other religious groups can perform wedding ceremonies, but the marriage must then be legalized via a civil union. Couples may also choose to have only a civil ceremony.

Various Christian holy days are considered national holidays, including Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Our Lady of Los Angeles (August 2). Christmas is also a national holiday. However, if an individual wishes to observe another holy day, the labor code provides the necessary flexibility for that observance upon the employer's approval.

The Government does not require religious groups to register, nor does it inhibit the establishment of religious groups through taxation or special licensing requirements. Such groups may incorporate to acquire legal status and must have a minimum of 12 members to do so. As stipulated in the law governing associations, religious groups must register to be eligible for residence permits for their missionaries and employees and to petition for legal recognition of religious holidays. Also, religious groups, as any other association, must register with the Public Registry of the Justice Department if they are involved in any type of fundraising activity. At the end of the period covered by this report, there were 3,000 registered religious associations representing 200 religious groups.

In August 2006 a new immigration law went into effect that changed certain procedures for missionaries and resident religious workers seeking residency. The exact operating procedures and bylaws were not yet available at the time of this report, as the bill providing for implementation was still to be considered at the national legislature; however, certain interim guidelines have been developed. Under these guidelines, missionaries must apply for a residency permit in their country of origin and can no longer enter as tourists and then change status. The new law also stipulates that all foreign missionaries must be a part of a religious organization accredited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Religion. Applications by foreign missionaries seeking permission to work are studied on a case-by-case basis. They may be given a temporary permit that is granted for a term of at least 90 days but not more than 2 years at the discretion of the General Directorate of Immigration. Foreign missionaries already working in the country must still apply for an annually renewable temporary residence permit. The General Directorate of Immigration office grants this status.

In September 2006 the Ministry of Security, which oversees the General Directorate of Immigration, and the Catholic Bishops' Conference signed an agreement that would allow the Catholic Bishops' Conference to present applications for visas or residency for Church personnel directly to Immigration and so avoid the lengthy delays for these services. This allows for Catholic priests, nuns, and other religious personnel to apply for the religious visas once they arrive in the country, rather than in the country of origin.

The Government, through the Ministry of Public Education (MEP), provides subsidies to Catholic schools, although the national legislature was considering some proposed laws to shift part of this subsidy to the students, rather than to the schools. These projects have met resistance and several challenges in the Constitutional Court, yet to be decided.

Catholic religious instruction is provided in the public schools; however, it is not mandatory. Students may obtain exemptions from this instruction with the permission of their parents, and the Ministry of Education estimates that 10 percent of students choose this option. The school director, the student's parents, and the student's teacher must agree on an alternative course of instruction for the exempted student during instruction time. Religious education teachers in public schools must be certified by the Catholic Bishops' Conference, which does not certify teachers from other religious groups.

According to the education code, the Catholic Church has the sole authority to select teachers of religion for the public school system. The Church maintained an office within the Ministry of Education expressly for this function. According to the Department of Religious Education, only Catholic university graduates are eligible to teach religion in public school.

In January 2007 the Supreme Court rejected an argument from an individual plaintiff that the law requiring religious education teachers in public schools to be certified by the Catholic Church was contrary to the Constitution's protection of work as an individual right.

Private schools are free to offer any religious instruction they chose. Parents do not have the option of homeschooling their children.

Restrictions on Religious Freedom

Government policy and practice contributed to the generally free practice of religion.

Religious organizations must submit applications to establish a place of worship to the local municipality and must comply with safety and noise regulations as established by the general health law. In the past, several evangelical churches were closed for alleged noise violations. At the end of the period covered by this report, the President's Office was working with the Health and the Housing Ministries to draft regulations regarding the building codes for places of worship that would apply to all places of worship, regardless of their religious affiliation. The Human Rights Ombudsman reported that adequate regulations were already in place but stated that the Government must work on equitable enforcement of the regulations so as not to appear to favor any particular religion.

Despite the official status of the Catholic Church, the Constitution prohibits clergymen or secular individuals from engaging in political propaganda motivated by religion. There is no prohibition on clergymen or other religious individuals serving in political office; however, the Constitution establishes that the president, vice president, cabinet members, and Supreme Court justices may not be members of the clergy.

There were no reports of religious prisoners or detainees in the country.

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 refusal to allow such citizens to be returned to the United States.

Section III. Societal Abuses and Discrimination

There were no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice.

In July 2006 the director of the largest public hospital gave evangelical pastors the right to enter the hospital and minister to their followers. This action came after a legislator accused the hospital of discrimination since only Catholic priests had been allowed entry to minister previously.

Section IV. U.S. Government Policy

The U.S. Government discusses religious freedom issues with the Government as part of its overall policy to promote human rights. Embassy representatives had regular contact with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Director of Religion. The Embassy also maintained contact with the Catholic archbishop and dioceses to discuss specific issues.



Released on September 14, 2007

令狐药师

Cuba
International Religious Freedom Report 2007
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor

The Constitution recognizes the right of citizens to profess and practice any religious belief within the framework of respect for the law; however, in law and in practice the Government continued to place restrictions on freedom of religion.

There was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom by the Government during the reporting period, which included the transmission of authority from Fidel Castro to his brother Raul Castro as a result of the former's incapacitation. Overall human rights conditions remained poor. Some religious figures who criticized the Government's totalitarian system in sermons were subjected to intense harassment. In general, unregistered religious groups continued to experience varying degrees of official interference, harassment, and repression. The Government maintained its policy of permitting apolitical religious activity to take place in government-approved sites. However, state security forces continued to subject to surveillance citizens worshipping in officially sanctioned churches, and the Government continued its efforts to maintain a strong degree of control over religion. In 2005 the Government implemented new regulations that restricted the operation of house churches but eased its policy on issuing work permits to foreign clergy.

There were no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice.

Visiting U.S. Members of Congress raised human rights in a general way with the Government and were rebuffed. Overall the Government refused to discuss human rights or religious freedom with the U.S. Government, although it claimed to be an international model of respect for human rights. The U.S. Government continued to urge international pressure on the Government to cease its repressive practices. In Havana, officers assigned to the U.S. Interests Section engaged a broad range of religious leaders in discourse and on many occasions invited them to representational events.

Section I. Religious Demography

The country has an area of 68,888 square miles and a population of 11.2 million. There is no independent authoritative source on the size or composition of religious institutions and their membership. According to the U.S.-based Puebla Institute, 40 to 45 percent of the population identify themselves, at least nominally, with the Catholic Church. Some sources estimated that as much as 70 percent of the population practices Santeria, which has its roots in West African traditional religions.

The Baptists, represented in four different conventions, were possibly the largest Protestant denomination, followed closely by the Pentecostal churches, particularly the Assemblies of God. In March 2006 membership in the Cuban Council of Churches (CCC) increased to 23 groups when World Wide Missions, a Pentecostal church, joined. Other members include Presbyterian, Episcopalian, and Methodist groups, but not the Catholic Church. The CCC is structured into five "zones" across the island and, according to the CCC's leadership, represented approximately 100,000 Christians. Most CCC members are officially recognized by the state, although several, including the Evangelical Lutheran Church, lacked legal status and were recognized through their membership in the CCC. Other officially recognized groups, including Jehovah's Witnesses and the small Jewish and Muslim communities, did not belong to the CCC.

Catholic Church officials estimated that 10 percent of baptized Catholics attend Mass regularly. Membership in Protestant churches increased and was estimated at 530,000 persons. No statistics on Pentecostal membership are available, but members of the church indicated that membership has risen sharply in recent years. Jehovah's Witnesses claim more than 86,000 active members, and the Seventh-day Adventists report 30,000 persons. There are 22,000 Anglicans, and 14,000 Presbyterians. Methodists claim that since 1999 their clergy has grown from 330 to 1,100, and overall membership is now 18,000. The Jewish community has 1,200 members, approximately half residing in Havana. The Muslim population was estimated at no less than 300. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) has an estimated 15 members.

There are 344 Catholic priests, 61 permanent deacons, and 628 religious sisters in the country, many fewer than the total prior to 1960. These numbers remained essentially constant during the reporting period. Fewer than half of all Catholic "religious" priests, as opposed to "diocesan" priests, are of Cuban origin; most of the others were from Spain or Mexico. Most new arrivals replaced retiring priests or those whose time of service in the country had ended. The replacements came from the same religious orders.

Foreign missionary groups operate in the country through registered churches. Visits by religious figures, including that of Rabbi Arthur Schneier, President of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, are handled by the Religious Affairs Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party. In November 2006 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Havana's Jewish Community, Rabbi Schneier, accompanied by Seton Hall University President Monsignor Robert Sheeran, visited Havana.

Section II. Status of Religious Freedom

Legal/Policy Framework

The Constitution recognizes the right of citizens to profess and practice any religious belief within the framework of respect for the law; however, in law and in practice, the Government placed restrictions on freedom of religion. The Constitution has provided for the separation of church and state since the early 20th century. In 1992 the Constitution was changed, and references to scientific materialism or atheism were removed. The Government does not officially favor any particular religion or church, but it appears to be most tolerant of those churches that maintained close relations with the state through the CCC.

The Government requires churches and other religious groups to register with the provincial Registry of Associations within the Ministry of Justice to obtain official recognition. Registration procedures require groups to identify where they will conduct their activities, demonstrate their funding for these activities, and obtain certification from the Registry of Associations that they are not duplicating the activities of a previously registered organization. Registration allows church officials to obtain official permission to travel abroad and receive foreign visitors, accept imported religious literature through the CCC, and meet in officially recognized places of worship. Conversely, members of unregistered religious groups must request exit permits on an individual basis, obtain religious materials through extralegal means, and risk closure of their technically illegal meeting places. In March 2007 Yoruba and other Santeria religious groups, Greek and Russian Orthodox, some Baptist, Buddhist, and Islamic religious groups were granted full legal recognition.

The Government tolerates some religions, such as the Baha'i Faith and a small group of Mormons, that were relatively new to the country. Proselytizing in general is permitted on a selective basis. Members of Jehovah's Witnesses were allowed to proselytize quietly door-to-door and generally were not subject to overt government harassment; however, there continued to be reports of discrimination in schools. A Protestant pastor reported that state security warned him not to proselytize in a poor Havana neighborhood or his actions would be interpreted as political agitation.

Religious literature and materials must be imported through a registered religious group and can be distributed only to officially recognized religious groups. The CCC controls distribution of Bibles to its members and to other officially recognized denominations. On some occasions, churches or church groups distributed Bibles without government permission and without incident.

Since 1992 the Communist Party has admitted as members persons who openly declared their religious faith; however, such persons rarely ascended to senior positions in the Government.

The Government does not permit religious education in public schools nor the operation of private schools of any kind, including religious schools, although several international schools in Havana are given considerable leeway in setting their curricula. The Government allows the Catholic Church and the Havana Jewish community center to administer small charities and to offer religious education classes and self-improvement courses on subjects such as computers and foreign languages.

Restrictions on Religious Freedom

The Government's main interaction with religious denominations is through the Office of Religious Affairs of the Cuban Communist Party. The Office is intended to encourage dialogue between churches and the Government, but many religious figures believed that its real role is to assert the Government's power. The Ministry of Interior, through its state security apparatus, continues to engage in efforts to control and monitor the country's religious institutions, including surveillance, infiltration, and harassment of religious professionals and laypersons. In 2004 an independent journalist interviewed a former Ministry of Interior official who reported widespread government infiltration of religious organizations, especially targeting Afro-Caribbean religious groups due to their high rates of participation and grassroots threat to the Government.

The law allows for the construction of new churches once the required permits are obtained; however, the Government rarely authorized construction permits, forcing many churches to resort to expanding existing houses of worship. According to CCC President Rhode Gonzalez, none of the group's member churches or church confederations received government permission to construct a new church building during the reporting period. However, the CCC President said many churches were expanded during this period. The process of obtaining a permit for an expansion or repair project and purchasing construction materials from government outlets remained lengthy and expensive.

Most registered religious groups are able to hold services in private homes. The numbers have increased in recent years, and many religious leaders attributed this to the Government's refusal to authorize the construction of new churches. In September 2005 the Government implemented a controversial directive that many religious groups viewed as restricting the operation of house churches. Directive 43 and Resolution 46 require house church operators to register with the Government, thus "legalizing" their existence. To register a house church, an operator must meet several requirements, some of which infringe on religious freedom: the house church cannot host more than three meetings per week; it must not be located within 2 kilometers of another house church; and it may be open only between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. on workdays, and between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. on other days. The new regulations also state that the use of a sound system requires permission from neighbors and that no house church can operate in a multifamily residence.

The vast majority of house churches were unregistered and thus technically illegal. All religious groups complained that the registration process was arduous. House churches were difficult to quantify, but Christian Solidarity Worldwide estimated that there are at least 10,000 nationwide. According to a leading Baptist Church official, of the 1,500 Baptist house churches in the western region, no more than 20 had been "legalized" by the time the directive was issued in April 2005. Methodists claim 750 house churches.

Church officials from several denominations said that the Government had made the new regulations widely known but had not undertaken sweeping action to implement the new rules. Some Pentecostal church officials considered themselves singled out by the directive, and a Baptist church leader also judged it a threat. The Pentecostals said that, unlike members of other denominations who seldom meet in a house church more than once or twice a week, many Pentecostals attend such meetings three or four times a week. They also noted that Pentecostal church membership rose sharply in recent years. At least one Baptist church leader criticized the requirement that a house church not be located within 2 kilometers of another house church, arguing that the directive would be difficult to obey in a congested city.

The Government continued to allow foreign Catholic priests and religious workers into the country, generally to replace foreign priests and nuns who had died or whose residence permits had expired. Previously, the Government adhered to a policy of approving new applicants only to the extent that they replaced clergy who had departed. However, in June 2005 the Government eased this policy and granted work permits to several foreign priests and nuns who entered as nonreplacements. The Government also communicated to the Catholic Church that it would not allow priests who visited as tourists to be involved in active ministry. Non-Catholic religious groups reported that foreign clergy generally visited for short periods, not exceeding 6 months.

Government officials criticized the Catholic Church for refusing to register church and lay group publications with the Ministry of Culture, as required by law of all publications. The Cuban Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) indicated that the Church has declined to register because registration would force it to cede control to the state regarding the content and format of church publications. The Government did not block the printing or distribution of Catholic magazines; however, the state impedes access to printing by making equipment costly or placing restrictions on its sale. Several Catholic dioceses and lay groups published magazines, including Palabra Nueva of the Havana Archdiocese and the free-thinking Vitral of the Pinar del Rio Diocese. However, in April 2007 Vitral's editor announced that he was ceasing publication due to a lack of paper and ink. The Vitral editorial board also lost their Internet access at that time. The new Bishop of Pinar del Rio Diocese disputed the claim that Vitral was forced to close; however, without necessary supplies the magazine would not be able to continue production. Vitral resumed publication under new editorial management in June 2007.

Catholic priests and other clergy were able to deliver sermons without advance screening by government censors, and some made pointed references to the totalitarian state. However, those who did were sometimes subjected to intense harassment. State security closely watched outspoken Santiago priest Jose Conrado Rodriguez Alegre, who has called attention to the country's human rights record, throughout the reporting period.

The Government generally did not allow the Catholic Church access to public media, but Church officials revealed in February 2006 that the Government had offered it the opportunity to broadcast a radio program on the FM band, via a small, low-power radio station. The Church rejected the offer because the transmitter and the proposed hour of use were "inconvenient." In April 2006 authorities allowed the Catholic bishops in Holguin and Bayamo to broadcast a 12-minute Holy Week radio message, which was the first such message in Holguin in 46 years. In 2007 an educational channel aired the Good Friday portion of the Pope's Easter "Via Crucis" and film footage of Easter Sunday was shown on the country's nightly TV news show.

In July 2006 Fidel Castro's incapacitation took him out of the public eye. There were no reports that acting leader Raul Castro met with senior Church officials during the reporting period. In April 2007 the Secretary General of the Cuban Bishops Conference, Monsignor Juan de Dios Hernandez Ruiz, issued a statement that the Church and the Government had "entered a process of better understanding."

The Jewish community had a modus vivendi with the regime that allowed the main synagogue and community center to function with the support of foreign charities based mostly in the United States and Canada. Jews were permitted to emigrate to Israel through a liaison office in the Canadian Embassy.

Religious officials were allowed to visit prisoners; however, prison officials sometimes refused visits to certain political prisoners. For a religious visit to take place, the prisoner had to submit a written request, and the prison director had to grant approval. Some prisoners reported that prison officials ignored repeated written requests for religious visits. In punishment cells, prisoners were denied access to reading materials, including Bibles.

Churches found it exceedingly difficult to purchase computers, fax machines, photocopiers, and other equipment, since the Government required a special permit for such purchases. Government decisions were officially made on a case-by-case basis, but in practice very few churches received permits.

The Government controlled the Internet, and any group seeking legal access was subject to its controls. The Government denied Internet access to some religious groups that it deemed unreliable. Following a November 2005 meeting with Fidel Castro, the country's 13 bishops were allowed access at the CCCB's Havana headquarters; however, the clergy had only tightly restricted access at their offices.

Members of the Armed Forces do not attend religious services in uniform, probably to avoid possible reprimand by superiors.

Education is secular, and no religious educational institutions are allowed. Religious instruction in public schools is not permitted. Churches provided religious education classes to their members, as well as seminars to wider audiences. Catholic Church officials reported that the number of children attending catechism classes continued to drop, mostly because of other activities, usually scheduled by local school authorities. There were no reports of parents being restricted from teaching religion to their children.

Officials of various groups reported cases of religious persons experiencing discrimination because of ignorance or personal prejudice by a local official. Religious persons encountered employment problems in certain professions, such as education.

Religious groups are required to submit a request to the local ruling official of the Communist Party before being allowed to hold processions or events outside of religious buildings. The Catholic Church decided to stop requesting permits for processions in areas where they historically have not been permitted. There were smaller, local processions throughout the provinces during the reporting period. In 2007 larger processions for Easter were permitted in Camaguey and Santa Clara provinces. Eight hundred youth participated in a special Easter observance just outside of Havana.

Abuses of Religious Freedom

The Government monitored all religious groups, including registered and established institutions. The authorities also monitored church-run publications. Government harassment of private houses of worship continued.

The Ministry of the Interior continued to engage in efforts to control and monitor religious activities and to use surveillance, infiltration, and harassment against religious groups, religious professionals, and laypersons. There were continued reports that local Communist Party and government officials harassed Jehovah's Witnesses.

State security agents or their Communist militant proxies warned the wives of several political prisoners that they would be arrested if they joined other wives of political prisoners for Mass at Havana's Santa Rita Catholic Church. In March 2007 government-directed mobs physically prevented some wives from traveling to Havana for the Mass, although others evaded state security detection and were able to attend. At Santa Rita Church, state security officers sat near the spouses of political prisoners during Mass in an attempt to intimidate them. Many of the women belonged to the Ladies in White organization (joint winner of the European Parliament's 2006 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought). Many of the group members expressed concern about government retaliation against them or their jailed husbands. The Government also impeded access by political prisoners' spouses to Mass at Santa Rita Church by scheduling phone calls and prisoner visits at inconvenient times.

In February 2006 prison authorities broke up a prayer group of more than 15 inmates at Havana's Combinado del Este prison. The Government continued to deny access to the country's prisons to international groups focused on fundamental rights, including religious rights.

The Government gave Santeria advantages and privileges not available to other religions, on the grounds that Santeria represented the country's culture. As a result, unlike other religious groups, Santeria is a regular feature of television programming and is given wide coverage in the media.

There were reports of discrimination against members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. For the Adventists, Saturdays are days of observance and therefore their children do not participate in school activities. Some Adventist children were subjected to humiliation and maltreatment by school teachers for their nonattendance on Saturdays. According to reports, one child who was mistreated at school developed anxiety and depression and was diagnosed by a psychologist with "unfavorable development."

Denial of religious assistance to prisoners was not uncommon. At the end of the reporting period, human rights activist Diosdado Gonzalez Marrero remained unable to receive religious assistance. In the past year he submitted at least 67 written requests to prison authorities to allow for a Catholic priest to visit him at the Kilo 5 ?prison facility in Pinar del Rio. Ministry of Interior officials denied having received such requests.

Jehovah's Witnesses are also subject to discrimination and harassment by the Government for refusing to serve in the military and pledging allegiance to the flag. On March 24, 2007, Ray Luciano Lopez Moreno was detained for 3 days before being taken to a civil court for refusing to fulfill the compulsory military service requirement. Lopez Moreno was sanctioned and fined by the court.

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 refusal to allow such citizens to be returned to the United States.

Section III. Societal Abuses and Discrimination

There were no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice.

Section IV. U.S. Government Policy

U.S. Government policy toward the country is to promote a rapid, peaceful transition to democracy and respect for human rights, including religious freedom, and the U.S. Government encourages the development of civil society, which includes the strengthening of religious institutions.

The U.S. Government was not granted access to the Government to be able to raise religious freedom or other human rights matters. In December 2006 a visiting Congressional Delegation raised human rights in a general way and was rebuffed. The U.S. Interests Section in Havana continued to maintain regular contact with the various religious leaders and communities and to support nongovernmental organization initiatives that aided religious groups. The U.S. Government regularly sought to facilitate travel to and from the country by religious persons as well as the delivery of donated material that in some cases was provided to religious institutions. As in the past, the U.S. Government continuously urged international pressure on the Government to cease its repressive practices, including religious discrimination and harassment.



Released on September 14, 2007

令狐药师

Dominica
International Religious Freedom Report 2007
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor

The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respected this right in practice.

There was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom by the Government during the period covered by this report, and government policy continued to contribute to the generally free practice of religion.

There were no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice.

The U.S. Government discusses religious freedom issues with the Government as part of its overall policy to promote human rights.

Section I. Religious Demography

The country has an area of 291 square miles and a population of 72,400. According to the 2001 population and housing census, approximately 61 percent of the population adhered to the Roman Catholic faith. Followers of evangelical churches represented 18 percent of the population, Seventh-day Adventists 6 percent, and Methodists 3.7 percent. Minority religious groups and denominations, whose members ranged in number from 1.6 percent to 0.2 percent of the population, included Rastafarians, Jehovah's Witnesses, Anglicans, and Muslims. According to the census, 1.4 percent of the population belonged to "other" religious groups, including Baptist, Nazarene, Church of Christ, Brethren Christian, and the Baha'i Faith; 6 percent of the population claimed no religious affiliation.

Section II. Status of Religious Freedom

Legal/Policy Framework

The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respected this right in practice. The Government at all levels sought to protect this right in full and did not tolerate its abuse, either by governmental or private actors.

The Government is secular and does not interfere with an individual's right to worship; however, the Government maintains a close relationship with the Christian churches.

The Christian holy days of Good Friday, Whit Monday, and Christmas are national holidays.

The Government requires all religious organizations to register. Organizations must register as nonprofit organizations with the Attorney General's office and also register their buildings through the government registrar. Such recognition affects the religious group's nonprofit organization status, its ability to hold public meetings, and the work status of its missionaries. Any organization denied permission to register has the right to apply for judicial review.

The public school curriculum includes Christian education, and students are led in prayer during morning assembly. Non-Christian students are not required to participate. There are Catholic, Methodist, and Seventh-day Adventist schools, and the Government subsidizes teacher salaries at religiously affiliated schools.

Restrictions on Religious Freedom

Government policy and practice contributed to the generally free practice of religion.

Rastafarians complained that the use of marijuana, employed in their religious rituals, was illegal.

There were no reports of religious prisoners or detainees in the country.

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 refusal to allow such citizens to be returned to the United States.

Section III. Societal Abuses and Discrimination

There were no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice. The Dominica Christian Council and the Dominica Association of Evangelical Churches conducted activities to promote peace, greater mutual understanding, and tolerance among adherents of different denominations within the Christian faith.

Although intolerance is gradually decreasing, Rastafarians complained that discrimination against their members still exists, especially in hiring and in schools.

Section IV. U.S. Government Policy

The U.S. Government discusses religious freedom issues with the Government as part of its overall policy to promote human rights.



Released on September 14, 2007

令狐药师

Dominican Republic
International Religious Freedom Report 2007
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor

The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respected this right in practice.

There was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom by the Government during the period covered by this report, and government policy continued to contribute to the generally free practice of religion.

There were no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice.

The U.S. Government discusses religious freedom issues with the Government as part of its overall policy to promote human rights.

Section I. Religious Demography

The country, which occupies two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, has an area of 18,815 square miles and a population of 9.2 million. The largest religious denomination is the Roman Catholic Church. Traditional Protestants, evangelical Christians (particularly Assemblies of God, Church of God, Baptists, and Pentecostals), Seventh-day Adventists, members of Jehovah's Witnesses, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) have a much smaller but generally growing presence. According to a population survey taken in 2006 by the Gallup Organization, the population is 39.8 percent Catholic (practicing), 29.1 percent Catholic (nonpracticing), and 18.2 percent evangelical Protestant. In the same study, 10.6 percent state they have no religion. The Dominican Confederation of Evangelical Unity (CODUE) assert that evangelicals represent 16 to 20 percent of the population.

There are approximately 300 Jews, of whom very few are observant. Most live in Santo Domingo, which has a synagogue and a community leader but no ordained rabbi. There is a synagogue for the small Jewish community in Sosua. Both synagogues were led by the same individual.

Various government sources estimate that there are between 5,000 and 10,000 Muslims, a figure that includes many foreign students. There is an active Sunni mosque in Santo Domingo, with approximately 300 regular worshippers. There is a small number of Buddhists and Hindus. Many Catholics practice a combination of Catholicism and Afro-Caribbean beliefs (santer韆), witchcraft (brujer韆), or voodoo (vodou), but because these practices are usually concealed, the number of adherents is unknown.

There are organized missionary groups in the country.

Section II. Status of Religious Freedom

Legal/Policy Framework

The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respected this right in practice. The Government at all levels sought to protect this right in full and did not tolerate its abuse, either by governmental or private actors.

The Constitution specifies that there is no state religion. The Government signed a concordat in 1954 with the Vatican, making Catholicism the official religion and extending to the Catholic Church special privileges not granted to other religious groups. These include the use of public funds to underwrite some church expenses, such as rehabilitation of church facilities, and exoneration from all customs duties. The Cardinal has the rank of a military general officer, and there is a Catholic chapel at the presidential palace.

Religious groups are required to register with the Government. Religious groups other than the Catholic Church may request exonerations from customs duties from the Office of the Presidency. This process can be lengthy; however, no requests for tax exoneration were denied during the period covered by this report. Evangelical Protestant leaders regularly urged the Government to provide their churches privileges equivalent to those granted to the Catholic Church. Catholic weddings are the only religious wedding ceremonies that the Government recognizes.

On July 11, 2006, the Ministerio Jes鷖 es Sanidad y Vida Eterna (Jesus is Health and Life Eternal Ministries), an evangelical Christian organization, challenged the constitutionality of the concordat in place between the state and the Vatican before the Supreme Court of Justice. Twelve days later the Supreme Court solicited an advisory opinion from the Office of the Attorney General on the case, to which the Office of the Attorney General responded in August 2006 with a recommendation that the constitutional challenge be denied. At the end of the reporting period, the Supreme Court had not taken further action.

The law requires that the Bible be read in public schools, but the law was not enforced. Private schools are not obliged to include Bible reading among their activities.

Restrictions on Religious Freedom

Government policy and practice contributed to the generally free practice of religion.

There were no reports of religious prisoners or detainees in the country.

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 refusal to allow such citizens to be returned to the United States.

Section III. Societal Abuses and Discrimination

There were no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice.

Section IV. U.S. Government Policy

The U.S. Government discusses religious freedom issues with the Government as part of its overall policy to promote human rights. Representatives of the U.S. Embassy met with leaders of various religious communities, including those of minority groups.



Released on September 14, 2007

令狐药师

Ecuador
International Religious Freedom Report 2007
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor

The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respected this right in practice.

There was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom by the Government during the period covered by this report, and government policy continued to contribute to the generally free practice of religion.

There were no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice.

The U.S. Government discusses religious freedom issues with the Government as part of its overall policy to promote human rights.

Section I. Religious Demography

The country has an area of 109,483 square miles and a population of 12.2 million (in 2001). The Catholic Episcopal Conference estimates that 85 percent of the population is Roman Catholic, with 35 percent of Catholics actively practicing. Although no scientific survey has been undertaken, the Episcopal Conference estimates that attendance at Mass increased slightly during the period of this report. Some groups, particularly indigenous people who live in the mountains, follow a syncretic form of Catholicism that combines indigenous beliefs with orthodox Catholic doctrine. Saints often are venerated in ways similar to indigenous deities. In the Amazonian jungle region, Catholic practices are often combined with elements of shamanism.

The Evangelical Missionary Union estimates that there are one million Protestants. While Protestant conversions traditionally have been among the lower classes, there are growing numbers of professionals converting to Protestantism. Southern Baptists, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Jehovah's Witnesses, Presbyterians, and Pentecostals successfully find converts in different regions, particularly among indigenous people in the Sierra provinces of Chimborazo, Bolivar, Cotopaxi, Imbabura, and Pichincha, especially among persons who practiced syncretic religions, as well as in groups marginalized by society. Other popular evangelical groups include the Assembly of God in urban areas and the Church of the Word of God, which is growing rapidly in indigenous areas. In general, rural indigenous areas tend to be either entirely Catholic or entirely Protestant.

Hundreds of evangelical churches exist, and many of them are not affiliated with a particular denomination. Some multidenominational Christian groups, such as the Gospel Missionary Union, the Christian and Missionary Alliance, and Hoy Cristo Jesus Bendice, have been active for more than 60 years.

Many of the religious groups registered with the Government have very small numbers; these include Anglicans, Baha'is, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Presbyterians, and the Unification Church. Other groups present in small numbers are Muslims, Jews, and adherents of Eastern Orthodox religions. There are also followers of Inti, the traditional Inca sun god, and some atheists, but there were no reliable statistics on the size of these smaller groups.

In large cities, Protestant megachurches, with more than 10 thousand members, continued to grow substantially. There is a high percentage of mestizo Protestants in the Guayaquil area.

Protestant organizations were usually divided between predominantly indigenous organizations, such as the Council of Evangelical Indigenous People and Organizations (FEINE), and mestizo organizations.

Organized missionary groups and missionaries affiliated with independent churches are present.

Section II. Status of Religious Freedom

Legal/Policy Framework

The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respected this right in practice. The Government at all levels sought to protect this right in full and did not tolerate its abuse, either by governmental or private actors.

The Constitution grants all citizens and foreigners the right to practice publicly and freely the religion of their choice. The only limits imposed by the Government are "those proscribed by law to protect and respect the diversity, plurality, security, and rights of others." The Constitution prohibits discrimination based on religion.

The Government requires religious groups to be licensed or registered if they engage in proselytizing activity. Religious organizations that do not engage in such activity may still choose to register to obtain a legal identity, which is desirable when entering into contracts. Any religious organization wishing to register with the Government must posses a charter, have nonprofit status, include all names used by the group (to ensure that names of previously registered groups are not used without their permission), and provide signatures of at least 15 members. In addition, groups must file a petition with the Ministry of Government, using a licensed attorney, and pay a $100 registration fee. During the period covered by this report, the Government continued to streamline the registration process for religious groups.

The Government permits missionary activity and public religious expression by all religious groups.

The Government does not generally permit religious instruction in public schools. Private schools have complete liberty to provide religious instruction, as do parents in the home.

Restrictions on Religious Freedom

Government policy and practice contributed to the generally free practice of religion.

Catholics reportedly complained that the Government restricted access for ecological reasons to the Galapagos Islands to the extent that foreign missionaries had difficulty ministering to the 14,500 resident Catholics.

There were no reports of religious prisoners or detainees in the country.

Abuses of Religious Freedom

On August 27, 2006, two military officers (Ivan Santi Mucushigua and Cervantes Santamar韆 Cuji) and a civilian (Lucio Cirilo Dahua) allegedly killed Balti Cadena, a traditional healer (yachak), and injured one of his sons, near the Amazonas Military Fort in Puyo, Pastaza Province. The Public Prosecutor, in a civilian court, charged the two military officers with murder. At the end of the reporting period, the officers were held at the Amazonas Military Fort and had appealed to the Superior Court of Puyo. Press reports added that at least four traditional healers have been killed in the past 10 years in the same area.

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 refusal to allow such citizens to be returned to the United States.

Section III. Societal Abuses and Discrimination

There were no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice. Many religious groups increased their outreach efforts to their counterparts during the period covered by this report.

Section IV. U.S. Government Policy

The U.S. Government discusses religious freedom issues with the Government as part of its overall policy to promote human rights. U.S. embassy staff met with leaders of numerous religious communities, including representatives of the Catholic Church, the Jewish community, the Muslim community, and various Protestant groups to monitor the status of religious freedom.



Released on September 14, 2007

令狐药师

El Salvador
International Religious Freedom Report 2007
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor

The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respected this right in practice.

There was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom by the Government during the period covered by this report, and government policy continued to contribute to the generally free practice of religion.

There were no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice.

The U.S. Government discusses religious freedom issues with the Government as part of its overall policy to promote human rights.

Section I. Religious Demography

The country has an area of 8,108 square miles; preliminary data from the 2007 census indicates that the population is 5.8 million. The country is predominantly Roman Catholic, with a sizeable Protestant minority, plus small communities of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Hare Krishna, Muslims, and Jews, among others. A very small segment of the population observes indigenous religious practices.

According to an October 2006 survey by the Technological University Public Opinion Center, 48 percent of the population was Roman Catholic. (There are diverse religious views among Catholics groups, including a Charismatic Renewal group that, according to press reports, constitutes more than 6 percent of Catholics.) Some 28.2 percent are members of Protestant churches. (Among Protestants, informal church estimates suggest that approximately 35 percent are Baptists and members of Assemblies of God.) Groups that constitute less than 5 percent of the population include Jehovah's Witnesses, and Mormons; 14.6 percent are not affiliated with any religious group.

Several missionary groups are active.

Section II. Status of Religious Freedom

Legal/Policy Framework

The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respected this right in practice. The Government at all levels sought to protect this right in full and did not tolerate its abuse, either by governmental or private actors. The Constitution states that all persons are equal before the law and prohibits discrimination based on nationality, race, sex, or religion.

In March 2007 the Government denied entry to Jose Luis Miranda, who claimed to be the antichrist and whose church is not registered with the Government. In 2006 Miranda created a public disturbance when he carried out public rituals in front of the National Cathedral, destroying Catholic images and burning Bibles. On April 26, 2007, the Legislative Assembly voted unanimously to amend article 296 of the Penal Code to impose criminal sentences (6 months to 2 years) on those who publicly offend or insult the religious beliefs of others, or who damage or destroy religious objects. If such acts are carried out with and for the purpose of publicity, sentences increase to 1 to 3 years in prison. Repeat offenders face prison sentences of 3 to 6 years, and in cases where further infractions are repeated "with publicity," a maximum penalty of 8 years in prison can be imposed.

The Constitution requires the president, cabinet ministers and vice ministers, Supreme Court justices, judges, governors, attorney general, public defender, and other senior government officials to be laypersons. In addition the electoral code requires judges of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal and members of municipal councils to be laypersons.

A 1940 law established Holy Week holidays for public employees, and each year the Legislative Assembly issues a decree establishing Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday as official holidays for the private sector.

The Constitution explicitly recognizes the Roman Catholic Church and grants it special legal status. In addition the law governing nonprofit organizations and foundations states that such groups may register for official status; although not required to register with the Government, a group must do so if it wants to incorporate formally. The civil code gives equal status to churches as nonprofit foundations. For formal recognition, they must apply through the Office of the Director General for Nonprofit Associations and Foundations (DGFASFL) within the Ministry of Governance. Each group must present a constitution and bylaws that describe, among other things, the type of organization, location of offices, goals and principles, requirements for membership, type and function of ruling bodies, and assessments or dues. Before the DGFASFL can grant registration, it must determine that the group's constitution and bylaws do not violate the law. Once a group is registered, notice of DGFASFL approval and the group's constitution and bylaws must be published in the official gazette.

The law for nonprofit organizations and foundations charges the Ministry of Governance with registering, regulating, and overseeing the finances of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), non-Catholic churches, and other religious groups. The law specifically exempts unions, cooperatives, and the Catholic Church from this registration requirement. During the period covered by this report, there were 130 requests for new registration, of which 56 were approved, 72 were pending, and 2 lacked the necessary documentation for approval.

Regulations implementing the tax law grant tax-exempt status to recognized non-Catholic churches and other religious groups. The regulations also make donations to recognized churches tax-deductible.

Noncitizens who are in the country primarily to proselytize must obtain a special residence visa for religious activities and are not allowed to proselytize while on a visitor or tourist visa.

Public education is secular. Private religious schools operate freely. All private schools, whether religious or secular, must meet the same standards to achieve Ministry of Education approval.

The President attends different religious ceremonies to promote interfaith understanding.

Restrictions on Religious Freedom

Government policy and practice contributed to the generally free practice of religion.

There were no reports of religious prisoners or detainees in the country.

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 refusal to allow such citizens to be returned to the United States.

Section III. Societal Abuses and Discrimination

There were no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice. In 2006 Christian, Jewish, and Muslim leaders founded the Council of Religions for Peace. Leaders of the Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, Baptist, evangelical, Islamic, Jewish, and Buddhist religious groups participated.

Section IV. U.S. Government Policy

The U.S. Government discusses religious freedom issues with the Government as part of its overall policy to promote human rights. The U.S. Embassy continued to maintain a regular dialogue with principal religious leaders, church officers, church-sponsored universities, and NGOs.



Released on September 14, 2007