Overview:

• Recognition and registration are amalgamated rather than ideally differentiated with a focus on the latter as legal registration; however, in the legislation, procedures for legal registration remain unclear or undetermined; although not explicitly stated, it is likely the that Presidency plays a central role in the authorisation or disapproval of applications for registration.

• The mandate that the president identify as Muslim politicise religion from the outset.

• The rule of mandatory registration directly violates the Bielefeldt provision.

• The widespread political instability, the ongoing civil war and the temporary takeover of ISIS in parts of the country have severely undermined the relative religious harmony that existed prior to 2011.

Positive elements:

• Nil.

Recommendations:

• Complete dismantlement of the apparatus of laws the government has set in place to restrict religious activity outside what the government deems as appropriate.

• Repeal all laws that impose nationwide bans on reasonable, non-violent groups whose activities do not contravene the basic tenets of religious freedom; repeal laws restricting both conversion from Islam and proselytism to Muslims.

• Revoke the rule of mandatory registration and removal from the registration of all state definitions and interpretations of religion used for the imposition of restrictions and the removal of subjective language in the legislation which is again broadly misused to restrict rather than protect religious freedoms.