Pew Research Center: Russia is the Country with the Greatest Restrictions on Religious Freedom
The American research organization Pew Research Center released another report last Thursday on the state of religious freedom around the world. It notes that about 75% of the global population faces various restrictions on freedom in this area.
Among the countries where religious freedom is subject to the greatest restrictions are Egypt, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Russia, Belarus, and several others. “Since the countries with the most restrictions are also the most populous, three-quarters of the world’s population, or roughly seven billion people, live in countries with high levels of government restrictions on religious freedom and high levels of social tensions,” the report states, as cited today by the Interfax news agency.
It is reported that the share of countries and territories with high or very high levels of religious restrictions rose to 37% in mid‑2010, up from 31% in mid‑2009. According to the report, adherents of five of the seven major religions—specifically Jews, Christians, Buddhists, as well as followers of various folk and traditional faiths—face harassment by governments, individuals, or social groups.
Even in countries such as the United States and Switzerland, the number of government-imposed restrictions has increased, the report says. The United States has moved from the category of countries with few religious restrictions into the category of those with moderate restrictions. One such religious restriction is the ban on wearing religious symbols, including beards, in places such as courtrooms or prisons.
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