Comoros’s Constitution grounds all public policy in Islamic beliefs. Propagating any religion except Islam is illegal; converts to Christianity can be prosecuted and face intense social backlash, leaving them little option but to practise their faith underground. Despite a trend towards democracy, the influence of radical Islam is growing. Radical scholars, many of whom are trained in other Muslim nations, are pushing for stricter Islamic laws.
Religious minorities fear backlash as Sunni Islam declared state religion of Comoros
On Monday 30 July, the “Yes” vote recorded an overwhelming victory in the referendum on constitutional reforms in the southeast African island nation of Comoros, declaring Sunni Islam the “religion of the state”. “The state draws from this religion the principles and rules of Sunnite observance,” the amended constitution reads. […]