Algeria
Kuwait
Libya
Egypt
Saudi Arabia
Niger
Mali
Sudan
Chad
Dji
Nigeria
Eritrea
Ethiopia
na Faso
Somalia
Cameroon
Democratic Republic of Congo
Tanzania 2. Religion Christians make up around 46.2% of the population. Roman Catholicism is practiced by 12.4% (other sources speak of 14%) and other Christian beliefs by 33.8%. Islam is the religion of 45.8% of Nigerians. Most of them adhere to the Sunni branch of Islam. The remaining population (7%) holds traditional religious beliefs. Christianity is the majority religion in the south, and Islam in the north.
Comoros
2.1 Religious Freedom 3 Nigeria guarantees religious freedom. Under Article 15 of the Ni- gerian Constitution, no person may be discriminated against on grounds of his or her religious affiliation. Article 10 stipulates that neither Nigeria as a Federal Republic, nor any of its individual sta- tes, may adopt a state religion. Beyond this, Article 38 (I) of the Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of thought and religion, including the right to freely practice one’s faith, propagate it through religious instruction, and convert to another faith. Article 38 (II) says that no one may be compelled to participate in religious instruction against his or her will if the instruction is not in accordance with that person’s faith. This guarantee also extends to religious observances. In the effort to promote social inclusion, Article 15 (3, c and d) of the Constitution places the state under an obligation to foster in- ter-religious marriages and to promote the establishment of as- sociations and groups for members of different religions. Article 222 (e) also prohibits political parties from identifying with any particular religion or region. Nigeria has a mixed legal system with four separate sources, na- mely English law, common law, customary law, and, in a num- ber of states, Islamic law (Sharia). Pursuant to Article 275 of the Nigerian Constitution, states are entitled to empanel a Sharia Court of Appeal.
2.2. Sharia Law Sharia is Islamic canonical law, based on the teachings of the Koran and the traditions of Mohammed (Hadith and Sunna), prescribing both religious and secular duties and sometimes retributive penalties for lawbreaking. Sharia Law is a system of duties and obligations that rule all fa- cets of Muslim life, and includes personal and public behavior, the observance of religious life, but also family and business issues. Islamic laws are based on Sharia interpretations. Islamic law emerged in Nigeria toward the beginning of the 19th century and remained applicable until the arrival of the British Colonial regime in Northern Nigeria in 1903. The British regime abolished Sharia. In October 1999 Gusau, the capital of Zamfara State, readopted Sharia-based legal codes which operate in parallel with secular courts. Prior to that, Sharia law in northern Nigeria was limited to civil matters and excluded criminal matters. By the end of 2001, 11 other states had joined Zamfara and re-introduced ‘full’ Sharia. Many of these Sharia laws include heavy penalties for blasphemy, including death. In Kaduna and Niger, which are included in the 12 states, Sharia does not apply to the whole state. African nations with Islamic law rarely use this as a basis for
Mozambique
Persecution, hate crimes and religiously-motivated violence.
Discrimination, hate crimes and religiously-motivated violence.
Improved since 2018
Worsened since 2018
No change since 2018
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