Religious freedom in the world
Report2021
INTRODUCTION
“In a world where various forms of modern tyranny seek to suppress religious freedom, or try to reduce it to a
subculture without right to a voice in the public square, or to use religion as a pretext for hatred and
brutality, it is imperative that the followers of the various religions join their voices in calling for peace,
tolerance, and respect for the dignity and rights of others.”
Pope Francis
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FOREWORD
Indeed, this Religious Freedom in the World report could not be more timely. The more the world knows about acts of religious hatred and neglect, the more the world will be able to do something about it. In a complex and hurting world, the best safeguard against knee-jerk responses as well as ineffectual virtue-signalling is clear and comprehensive reportage, complemented by insightful and balanced analysis. This is what ACN’s report is committed to providing.
Father Emmanuel (Mani) Yousaf
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MAIN FINDINGS
Religious freedom is violated in almost one third of the world’s countries (31.6 percent) where two thirds of
the world’s population lives.
GLOBAL ANALYSIS
“Hints at religious freedom violations observed in our 2018 report accelerated and expanded to the current situation, where systematic and egregious attacks are coming from governments, lynching mobs, as well as international terror groups, such as Boko Haram or the so-called Islamic State and other fundamentalist groups. These problems have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
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REGIONAL ANALYSIS
COUNTRIES WITH SIGNIFICANT VIOLATIONS OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
Click on a country to see the report
SEARCH REPORT BY ALPHABETICAL ORDER
BACKGROUNDERS
“A Precious Asset”: the right to freedom of religion or belief
Ethno-religious nationalism: manipulating a search for a common identity
“Polite Persecution”: persecution disguised as progress
Africa: a continent at risk from transnational jihadism
Is there one Islam? A fact box on branches of Islam
COVID-19: the impact on religious freedom world-wide
A window into the soul: China’s threat to religious freedom
CASE STUDIES
