Overview:

• Islam is the state religion.

• Existential recognition is bestowed only to Islam; no other belief system has the opportunity to gain any semblance of existential recognition or legal registration from the Libyan state; this means that there are no legal protections for non-Muslims in Libya which is likely to be the cause of ongoing persecutions of not only Christians, but also Sufi Muslims.

• Essentially, all non-Islamic groups are not allowed to exist in the country.

• Government involvement in the internal affairs of even Islamic organisations is widespread.

Positive elements:

• Nil.

Recommendations:

• Dismantlement of the current apparatus for terminally restricting religious activity is essential before for improvements can be made to Libya’s approach to religious freedom; dismantlement entails the fundamental reshaping of the government and whole society’s approach to religion and belief in accepting one fundamental principle, that human beings have the valid right to choose and change their belief identity, to have no none, or to be open to exploring different belief systems.