The constitution and other laws and policies protect religious freedom.
Although Islam is the state religion, the government imposes no sanctions on those who choose to ignore Islamic teachings or to practice other religious beliefs.
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs has authority over all Islamic matters and institutions, including mosques, private religious schools (with the Ministry of Education), religious events, as well as general Islamic guidelines of the state. The High Islamic Council within the ministry has the mandate to give advice on all religious concerns. The Council also is responsible for coordinating all Islamic non-governmental organizations in the country.
There are approximately 40 private Islamic schools nationwide. The public school system is secular and the Ministry of Islamic Affairs has no oversight in its operation or that of secular private schools, e.g., an international school.
The president and other government employees, including magistrates, are required to take religious oaths. While there is no penalty established by law for noncompliance, it remains an official custom. A small number of non-Muslims hold civil service positions without discrimination.
For matters such as marriage, divorce, and inheritance, Muslims are directed to family courts whose code includes elements of civil law and Islamic law. Civil courts address the same matters for non-Muslims.
The government allows civil marriage only for non-Muslim foreign residents. Muslims are required to marry in a religious ceremony.
The government requires that a religious group register by submitting an application to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which, along with the Ministry of the Interior, investigates the group. Once approved, the group signs an initial two-year bilateral agreement detailing the scope of the group’s activities.
Foreign clergy and missionaries perform charitable works and sell religious books. The government licenses foreign missionary groups to operate orphanages. Public schools do not teach religion. The constitution does not specifically prohibit proselytizing.
Several different Christian denominations maintain close informal ties to each other. The Minister of Islamic Affairs meets with the heads of other religious groups occasionally, including at government-organized ceremonies.
The government observes the following religious holidays as national holidays: the Birth of the Prophet Muhammad, the Ascension of the Prophet, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, and the Islamic New Year.