Source: Wikipedia

The 1997 Constitution of the Maldives designates Islam as the official state religion.

The Government interprets this provision to impose a requirement that all citizens must be Muslims. Freedom of religion is restricted significantly. The law prohibits the practice by Maldivian citizens of any religion other than Islam, and the Constitution precludes non-Muslims from voting, obtaining citizenship, and holding public positions. The president, who is required to be a Sunni Muslim, is the “supreme authority to propagate the tenets of Islam.” Government regulations are based on Islamic law (Shari’a). Non-Muslim foreigners are prohibited from worshiping publicly, or from encouraging local citizens to participate in any religion other than Islam.

There was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom during the period covered by this report, with freedom of religion remaining severely restricted. There were some individual reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice. According to many officials and interlocutors, most citizens regarded Islam as one of their society’s most distinctive characteristics and believed that it promotes harmony and national identity.^[1]

The country has an area of 500 square miles (1,300 km²) distributed across 1,200 coral atolls and islands, with a population of 350,000.

The population is a distinct ethnic group with historical roots in South Indian, Sinhalese, and Arab communities. The vast majority of the Muslim population practices Sunni Islam. Non-Muslim foreigners, including more than 500,000 tourists who visit annually (predominantly Europeans andJapanese) and approximately 54,000 foreign workers (mainly Pakistanis, Sri Lankans, Indians, and Bangladeshis), are in general allowed to practice their religions only in private. Although Muslim tourists and Muslim foreign workers are allowed to attend local mosque services, most practice Islam in private or at mosques located at the resorts where they work and live.

Freedom of religion is significantly restricted. The 1997 Constitution designates Islam as the official state religion, and the Government interprets this provision to impose a requirement that all citizens must be Muslims. In addition, many citizens, at all levels, understand the Constitution as requiring all Maldivians to be Muslim. The Constitution also stipulates that the President must be Sunni Muslim and has the “supreme authority to propagate the tenets of Islam.”

Chapter II of the Constitution relating to the fundamental rights and duties of citizens does not provide for the right to freedom of religion or belief. Furthermore, the Constitution precludes non-Muslims from voting, obtaining citizenship, and holding public positions.

The “Law on the Protection of the Religious Unity” states that both the Government and the people must protect religious unity. Any statement or action contrary to this law is subject to criminal penalty; if found guilty, sentences range from a fine to imprisonment. The Government follows civil law based on Shari’a, in such a way that civil law is subordinate to Shari’a. Thus, in the event that a situation is not covered by civil law, as well as in certain cases such as divorce and adultery, Shari’a is applied.

Non-Muslim foreign residents are allowed to practice their religions only if they do so privately, and provided that they do not encourage local citizens to participate. Foreigners were not allowed to import any items deemed “contrary to Islam,” including alcohol, pork products, or idols for worship. Alcoholic beverages were available to tourists on resort islands, but it remains against the law to offer alcohol to a local citizen.

Mosques were not required to register with the Government. The Government maintained and funded most mosques and Muslim holidays are generally national holidays. The primary responsibility of imams was to present Friday sermons. They used a set of government-approved sermons on a variety of topics and were not legally empowered to write sermons independently. No one, not even an imam, may publicly discuss Islam unless invited to do so by the Government. According to government officials, this rule was in place to maintain a moderate Islamic environment rather than a fundamentalist one. Men who wish to act as imams must sit for public exams and present their scores and credentials to the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, chaired by the Chief Justice. The Supreme Council is empowered to certify imams. However, if the Supreme Council denies certification, the petitioner can appeal to the Board of Education.

Islamic instruction was a mandatory part of the school curriculum, and the Government funded the salaries of instructors of Islam. While Islamic instruction was only one component of the curriculum used in the majority of schools, there was one school which used Arabic as its medium of instruction and focused primarily on Islam. Many people who sought further religious education obtained it in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, or other Islamic countries. Schools offered religious education for women; however, there were no female imams.

Reference:  Wikipedia