Categories: christianity
Date: 20 March 2009 23:46:16
The Maldives
Language: Divehi
The Maldives are known as a holiday paradise but it is apparently one of the most restrictive countries in terms of religious freedom. Under the constitution prior to August 2008, non-Muslim Maldavians were excluded from voting in elections. The new constitution denies them freedom of speech, freedom of movement and habeas corpus.
All adherents of other faiths are closely watched and there was recently a case of a young boy betraying his mother, a practising Christian, to the authorities after he had been encouraged at school to report anyone he knew whose belief was different from what he had been taught.