US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO1303

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001303 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, DRL/IRF(BARNES) 
 
E.O. 12958:   N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, KIRF, MV, LTTE - Peace Process, Religious Freedom 
SUBJECT:  IRF report:  Draft 2003 Maldives submission 
 
Refs:  (A) State 194330 
-      (B) Colombo-IRF 05/23/03 class email 
 
1.  (U) This message is Sensitive but Unclassified -- 
Please handle accordingly. 
 
2.  (SBU) Per the request in Ref A, Mission submits the 
draft 2003 International Religious Freedom report for 
the Maldives.  As also requested in Ref A, a Word 
document with tracked changes based on the 2002 report 
has already been forwarded to the Department (see 
Ref B). 
 
3.  (SBU) The draft 2003 Maldivian IRF report follows: 
 
Begin text: 
 
MALDIVES 
 
The 1997 constitution designates Islam as the official 
state religion and the practice of other religions is 
prohibited by law.  Foreigners are allowed to practice 
their religion only if they do so in private and do not 
encourage Maldivian citizens to participate. 
 
There was no change in the status of respect for 
religious freedom during the period covered by this 
report, and freedom of religion remains severely 
restricted.  The president is the ``supreme authority to 
propagate the tenets of Islam.''  The government 
observes Shari'a (Islamic law), and severely restricts 
the practice of other faiths. 
 
Citizens regard Islam as one of their society's most 
distinctive characteristics and believe that it promotes 
harmony and national identity. 
 
The U.S. Government does not maintain a resident Embassy 
in the Maldives; the U.S. Ambassador in Colombo, Sri 
Lanka, is also accredited to the government in Male. 
The U.S. Government discusses religious freedom issues 
with the government in the context of its overall dialog 
and policy of promoting human rights. 
 
SECTION I. RELIGIOUS DEMOGRAPHY 
 
The Maldives is an archipelago consisting of 
approximately 1,200 coral atolls and islands scattered 
over 500 miles in the Indian Ocean southeast from India, 
and its population is approximately 280,000. 
 
It is believed that the entire indigenous population is 
Muslim, the majority of which adhere to the Sunni branch 
of Islam.  Foreigners in the Maldives -- more than 
300,000 tourists annually (predominantly Europeans and 
Japanese) and about 20,000 foreign workers 
(predominantly Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Indian, and 
Bangladeshi) -- are allowed to practice their religion 
privately only. 
 
SECTION II. STATUS OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM 
 
Freedom of religion is restricted significantly.  The 
1997 constitution designates Islam as the official state 
religion, and the government interprets this provision 
to impose a requirement that citizens be Muslims. 
 
Foreign residents are allowed to practice their 
religion, if they do so privately, and can not encourage 
Maldivian citizens to participate. 
 
- Restrictions on Religious Freedom 
 
In July 2000, the president stated that no other 
religion will be allowed in the country, and the Home 
Affairs Ministry announced special programs to safeguard 
and strengthen religious unity.  The government has 
established a Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs to 
provide guidance on religious matters.  The government 
also has set standards for individuals who conduct 
Friday services at mosques to ensure adequate 
theological qualifications. 
 
The president must be a Sunni Muslim and under the 
constitution is the ``supreme authority to propagate the 
tenets of Islam.''  Cabinet ministers also are required 
to be Sunni Muslims.  Members of the People's Majlis 
(Parliament) must be Muslim.  The government observes 
Shari'a (Islamic law). 
 
There are no places of worship for adherents of other 
religions.  The government prohibits the importation of 
icons and religious statues but generally permits the 
importation of religious tracts, such as Bibles, for 
personal use. 
 
The government prohibits non-Muslim clergy and 
missionaries from proselytizing and conducting public 
worship services.  Conversion of a Muslim to another 
faith is a violation of Shari'a and may result in a loss 
of the convert's citizenship. 
 
Islamic instruction is a mandatory part of the school 
curriculum, and the government funds the salaries of 
instructors of Islam. 
 
- Abuses of Religious Freedom 
 
The law severely restricts a citizen's right to freedom 
of expression in order to protect ``the basic tenets of 
Islam.'' 
 
There were no reports of religious detainees or 
prisoners during the period covered by this report. 
 
- 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 
government's refusal to allow such citizens to be 
returned to the United States. 
 
SECTION III. SOCIETAL ATTITUDES 
 
Most citizens regard Islam as one of their society's 
most distinctive characteristics and believe that it 
promotes harmony and national identity. 
 
SECTION IV. U.S. GOVERNMENT POLICY 
 
The U.S. Government does not maintain a resident embassy 
in the Maldives; the U.S. Ambassador in Colombo, Sri 
Lanka also is accredited to the government in Male.  The 
U.S. Government discusses religious freedom issues with 
the government in the context of its overall dialog and 
policy of promoting human rights. 
 
End text. 
 
4.  (SBU) Mission confirms the statement in Section II 
of the above draft that there are no reports of 
religious prisoners or detainees. 
 
ENTWISTLE