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The Bektashi community, which had fewer staff members than the others, continued to use part of these funds for new places of worship. The VUSH continued to state that, although the organization still was unable to obtain a formal written agreement with the government on receiving financial support, in the State Committee on Religion provided a written commitment to advocate for extending financial support to evangelical Christian churches.
Although the committee submitted a request for financial support to the government in , the VUSH reported it had not received any funds. The VUSH, however, also expressed concern that the government and some media outlets showed indifference towards it in comparison with other faith communities, stating the government sent officials to attend iftars during election years but did not attend non-Islamic holy day ceremonies. The Council of Ministers again did not finish adopting regulations to implement a law providing additional protection for minority rights, including freedom of religion.
A State Committee on Religion census of religious organizations conducted during the year counted groups, including foundations, religiously related nongovernmental organizations NGOs , and 40 centers. In June the Office of the President and the Embassy of the Netherlands held an international conference on interfaith dialogue in Tirana that addressed interreligious harmony as a factor in social stability and policies for managing religious diversity. On November 18 and 19, the Office of the President held a regional conference on advancing religious freedom, following through on a commitment to hold a follow-on, regional event after the July Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom.
During antigovernment protests in the spring and summer, religious leaders from all five groups issued statements jointly and separately condemning violence and calling for calm and dialogue. On October 11, the Interreligious Council, established as a forum for leaders of the Catholic, Sunni Muslim, Orthodox, VUSH, and Bektashi communities to discuss shared concerns, held its first meeting of the year, during which it established a section of the council focused on women and another on youth.
He declared in his acceptance address his priority would be to preserve and strengthen interfaith harmony in the country. The run-up to the election spurred speculation in the media that third countries sought to sway the outcome. Some members of the political opposition stated the government sought to manipulate the election. International representatives, including from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, observed the election.
At the November regional conference on advancing religious freedom, the U. Embassy officials promoted religious tolerance in meetings with the Sunni Muslim, Bektashi, Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant communities, and in visits to religious sites. The embassy continued its youth education programs and work with religious communities to decrease the potential appeal of violent religious extremism.
As part of these programs, students at Islamic, Catholic, and Orthodox religious schools and students from public schools planned and carried out projects highlighting religious diversity and tolerance, focusing on youth activism and common civic values. The success of the program led to its expansion into six additional municipalities by the end of the year.
The constitution provides for freedom of conscience and worship. The constitution declares Islam to be the state religion and prohibits state institutions from behaving in a manner incompatible with Islam. The law grants all individuals the right to practice their religion if they respect public order and regulations.
Offending or insulting any religion is a criminal offense. Proselytizing Muslims by non-Muslims is a crime. During the year, the government closed nine Christian churches.
The then-minister of interior, after speaking of churches he ordered closed in disparaging terms, stated that the churches were unlicensed to hold Christian services. On March 17, the Ministry of Religious Affairs MRA informed clerics they would no longer be required to submit texts of their sermons to authorities for approval; however, MRA officials said the government sometimes monitored sermons delivered in mosques for inappropriate content, such as advocating violent extremism. The government continued to regulate the importation of all books, including religious materials.
Senior government officials continued to oppose calls by extremist groups for violence in the name of Islam.

Some Christian leaders and congregants spoke of family members abusing Muslims who converted to or expressed an interest in Christianity. Individuals engaged in religious practice other than Sunni Islam reported they had experienced threats and intolerance, including in the media. The Ambassador and other embassy officers frequently encouraged senior government officials in the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Religious Affairs, Justice, and Interior to promote religious tolerance and discussed the difficulties Ahmadis, Christians, and other religious minority groups faced in registering as associations, importing religious materials, and obtaining visas.
Embassy officers in meetings and programs with religious leaders from both Sunni Muslim and minority religious groups, as well as with other members of the public, focused on pluralism and religious moderation.
Religious groups together constituting less than 1 percent of the population include Christians, Jews, Ahmadi Muslims, Shia Muslims, and a community of Ibadi Muslims residing principally in the province of Ghardaia. Some religious leaders estimate there are fewer than Jews. According to government officials and religious leaders, foreign residents make up most of the Christian population. Among the Christian population, the proportion of students and immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa without legal status has also increased in recent years.
Christian leaders say citizens who are Christians predominantly belong to Protestant groups. The constitution declares Islam to be the state religion and prohibits state institutions from engaging in behavior incompatible with Islamic values.
The constitution provides for freedom of worship in accordance with the law and states freedom of conscience and freedom of opinion are inviolable. The law does not prohibit conversion from Islam, but proselytizing Muslims by non-Muslims is a criminal offense. The law also criminalizes insults directed at any other religion, with the same penalties. The law grants all individuals the right to practice their religion as long as they respect public order and regulations.
The constitution establishes a High Islamic Council and states the council shall encourage and promote ijtihad the use of independent reasoning as a source of Islamic law for issues not precisely addressed in the Quran and express opinions on religious questions presented for its review. The president appoints the members of the council and oversees its work. The constitution requires the council to submit regular reports to the president on its activities. The council may issue fatwas at the request of the president.
The law requires any group, religious or otherwise, to register with the government as an association prior to conducting any activities. Under the Associations Law passed in , all organizations previously registered were required to reregister with the government.
The Ministry of Interior MOI grants association status to religious groups; only registered associations are officially recognized. The law requires the ministry to provide a receipt for the application once it has received all the required documentation and to respond within 60 days of submission of the completed application. The law states applicants are de facto approved if the ministry does not decide within the day limit. The law grants the government full discretion in making registration decisions but provides applicants an opportunity to appeal a denial to an administrative tribunal.
An association registered at the wilaya provincial level is confined to that specific wilaya province. The MRA has the right to review registration applications of religious associations, but the MOI makes the final decision. The National Committee for Non-Muslim Worship, a government entity, is responsible by law for facilitating the registration process for all non-Muslim groups. The constitution requires a presidential candidate to be Muslim. Individuals of other faiths than Islam may hold other public offices and work within the government.
The law prohibits religious associations from receiving funding from political parties or foreign entities. The constitution prohibits the establishment of political parties based on religion. Membership in the Islamic Salvation Front, a political party banned since , remains illegal. The law specifies the manner and conditions under which religious services, Muslim or otherwise, must take place.
The law states religious demonstrations are subject to regulation and the government may shut down any religious service taking place in private homes or in outdoor settings without official approval. With the exception of daily prayers, which are permissible anywhere, Islamic services may take place only in state-sanctioned mosques. Friday prayers are further limited to certain specified mosques. Non-Islamic religious services must take place only in buildings registered with the state for the exclusive purpose of religious practice, be run by a registered religious association, open to the public, and marked as such on the exterior.
A request for permission to observe special non-Islamic religious events must be submitted to the relevant wali governor at least five days before the event, and the event must occur in buildings accessible to the public.
Requests must include information on three principal organizers of the event, its purpose, the number of attendees anticipated, a schedule of events, and its planned location. Individuals who fail to disperse at the behest of police are subject to arrest and a prison term of two to 12 months under the penal code. By law, the MRA provides financial support to mosques and pays the salaries of imams and other religious personnel, as well as for health care and retirement benefits.
The law also provides for the payment of salaries and benefits to non-Muslim religious leaders who are citizens. The Ministries of Religious Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Interior, and Commerce must approve the importation of all religious texts and items, except those intended for personal use. This decree requires all applications to include a full copy of the text and other detailed information about the applicant and text. The ministry has three to six months to review the text, with the absence of a response after that time constituting a rejection of the importation application.
A nonresponse after this period is considered a rejection.