Iran
 
State Religion Islam
An Islamic state (The US Department of State)
Religious Breakdown 99% Muslims
90% Muslims - Shi’as 89%, Sunnis 10%. Non-Muslims - Baha'is 300,000 - 350,000, Christians 300,000, Jews 20,000 - 30,000, Zoroastrians 35,000, Mandaeans 5,000 - 10,000 (The US Department of State).
Conversion Banned
Conversion under the Islamic law is punishable by the death penalty. Although this has never been implemented, it adds to the culture of fear for converts. Proselytizers risk their lives. The authorities close evangelical churches, require members of evangelical congregations to carry membership cards, arrest Christian converts and demand that churches prohibit Muslims from attending. (The US Department of State).
Freedom to Practice Severly Limited
Christians and Baha’is do not have freedom to congregate. Church officials required to inform the Government before admitting new members. The government seized and destroyed some of the Baha’i holy places after the 1979 revolution. (The US Department of State)
Travel Restrictions Yes
Jews are not allowed to emigrate. (The US Department of State).
Political Representation Minimal concessions
Minority group members are not allowed to run for government positions. Of the 270 seats in the Majlis, 3 seats are reserved for Christians, 1 for Jews and 1 for Zoroastrians, but none for Sunni Muslims. All minority groups have the right to vote. (The US Department of State).
Freedom of Education No
Jewish schools are required to open on Saturdays, which is against their faith. University applicants must pass an exam in Islamic theology. Members of religious minorities (excluding Sunni Muslims) are prevented from becoming school principals. (The US Department of State).
Religion on ID Cards Unknown
 
Freedom In Theory… Limited
The constitution recognizes and guarantees the freedom of practice of Zoroastrians, Jews and Christians. However, government officials state that as individuals all Baha’is are entitled to their beliefs. (The US Department of State).
Freedom In Practice… None
Minority groups including Sunni and Sufi Muslims, Baha'is, Jews and Christians reported imprisonment, intimidation and social and legal discrimination based on their religious beliefs. (The US Department of State ).
Syria
 
State Religion Islam
Religious Breakdown 90% Muslims
90% Muslims - Sunnis 74%, Druzes, Alawis, Ismailis, Shi'as and Yazidis 16% Non-Muslims - Christians 10%, Jews small number (The US Department of State).
Conversion Tolerated
Those who proselytize can be prosecuted for "posing a threat to the relations among religious groups" and imprisoned. However, there have been no recent reported cases. (The US Department of State).
Freedom to Practice Limited
All religious groups must register with the government (a complicated and lengthy procedure), but they can operate informally while they are waiting for a response. Recognized religious group are entitled to tax benefits. The government monitors fundraising and religious extremists. (The US Department of State).
Travel Restrictions Yes
Jewish citizens must obtain the permission of the security services to travel abroad and are required to submit a list of possessions to ensure their return. (The US Department of State).
Political Representation Restricted
Jews are banned from running for parliament. Minority group members cannot run for presidency. (The US Department of State).
Freedom of Education Limited
Public school curriculums include compulsory religious classes from the 1st through 12th grade where students can choose either Christianity or Islam. When applying to university, a student’s grade point average is calculated without the inclusion of his religious high school class grade. (Syrian Education)."
Religion on ID Cards
Yes
Jews are the only religious minority group whose passports and identity cards state their religion (The US Department of State).
Freedom In Theory… Free
The constitution indicates that the state shall respect all religions and guarantees freedom of faith and religious rites, provided they do not disturb public order (Syria Constitution).
Freedom In Practice… Almost Free
The government generally respects religious freedom, but, for example, the government discourages proselytizing (although the law does not prohibit it).(The US Department of State).
Israel
 
State Religion Jewish
Religious Breakdown 81% Jewish
Jews 81% Non-Jews - Muslims 16% mostly Sunnis, Christians 2.0%, Druzes 2.0% (Jewish Virtual Library, Source: Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics)
Conversion Free
There are no restrictions on a person’s choice to convert (The US Department of State).
Freedom to Practice Free
The law allows recognized and unrecognized religious communities to practice their religion and safeguards holy places of all. Recognized communities receive government funding and tax exemption. (The US Department of State).
Travel Restrictions None
 
Political Representation Unlimited
There are no political restrictions due to religion and there are a significant number of Muslim members of parliament. (The US Department of State).
Freedom of Education Unlimited
There is free choice to study in a religious or secular public school. University enrolment is uncontrolled and there are no restrictions on minority faith schools nor compulsory religious studies.
Religion on ID Cards No
Religion is not mentioned on identification cards or passports.
Freedom In Theory… Free
Declaration of Independence provides for full social and political equality regardless of religion. Israeli Arabs and other non-Jews are free to practice (The US Department of State).
Freedom In Practice… Free
Due to regional tensions, travel restrictions sometimes limit access to places of worship e.g. the closure of the temple mount to men of certain ages during times of high tension. (The US Department of State).

Palestine
 
State Religion Islam
Religious Breakdown 89% Muslim
89% Muslims - predominantly Sunnis Non-Muslims - Jews 5.3%, Christians 5.4% (The US Department of State)
Conversion Free
There are no restrictions on conversion.(The US Department of State)
Freedom to Practice Limited
There were credible reports that PA security forces extort property illegally from Christian landowners. The PA Ministry of Waqf and Religious Affairs pays imam salaries and the construction and maintenance of mosques as well as limited financial support to some Christian clergymen and charitable organizations. The PA does not provide financial support to Jewish institutions. (The US Department of State).
Travel Restrictions Limited
The Palestinian government does not take sufficient actions to ensure the safety of Jewish and Christian travelers. For their own safety, Jews are advised to avoid the Palestinian territories. (The US Department of State).
Political Representation Minimal
6 seats in the 88-member Legislative Council are reserved for Christians and 1 for Samaritans and there is a department responsible for Christian affairs (The US Department of State)
Freedom of Education Limited
Public school curriculums include Christianity or Islamic religious classes from grade one through six (The US Department of State).
Religion on ID Cards Unknown
 
Freedom In Theory… Free
The Draft Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and religious practice and free access to holy places (Palestinian National Autrhority, Ministry Of Foreign Affairs).
Freedom In Practice… No Freedom
The government has taken insufficient action to ensure the basic physical protection of worshippers. (The US Department of State).
Egypt
 
State Religion Islam
Religious Breakdown 90% Muslim
90% Muslims - predominantly Sunnis, Shi’as less than 1% Non-Muslims - Christians 8-10%, Baha’is between several 100 to 2000, Jews approx 200 (The US Department of State).
Conversion Limited
There are reports of forced conversions of Coptic girls to Islam by Muslim men. Egyptian law provides no protection. The state does not recognize the conversion from Islam and there are occasional reports that police harass converts. (The US Department of State).
Freedom to Practice Limited
The government must give prior consent to any congregation. All mosques should be recognized and licensed. If a religious group does not follow this process their members could be detained, prosecuted and imprisoned.The government takes all means to combat Islamic extremism thus it controls most of the mosques. (The US Department of State).
Travel Restrictions  Unknown
 
Political Representation Minimal
Christians are underrepresented in the Parliament in comparison to their population. Extremist religious parties, such as the Muslim Brotherhood, are banned. (The US Department of State).
Freedom of Education Limited
Higher Education is severely restricted. One public funded university, for example, refuses to admit Christians. (The US Department of State).
Religion on ID Cards Yes
Citizens are required to report their religion as Muslim, Christian or Jew in order to receive ID documents. Baha'is and other religious groups who do not fit into one of these categories have been forced either to categorized themselves as members of one of these three religions or possess invalid identity documents.
Freedom In Theory… Free
The constitution indicates that the state shall guarantee the freedom of belief, religious practice and equal public rights and duties without discrimination based on religion (The US Department of State).
Freedom In Practice… Limited
Baha'i institutions and community activities are banned and all property has been seized. Religious practices that conflict with the official interpretation of Shari'a are prohibited (this does not include Christianity or Judaism). Christians do not serve in high level community, government or military positions. Although not prohibited, there were reports that police officially charged missionaries with ridiculing ‘heavenly religions’. Egypt took certain steps to improve, e.g. the creation of the NHRC - an organization to protect, support, and improve the status of human rights and religious freedom
Jordan
 
State Religion Islam
Religious Breakdown 95% Muslim
95% Muslims - predominantly Sunnis, a small number of Shi'a Muslims. Non- Muslims - Christians 3%-4%, Druzes around 20,000, Baha'is around 800 (The US Department of State).
Conversion Limited
Christians are allowed to convert to Islam. However, Muslims who convert to another religion are subject to social and legal discrimination and bureaucratic difficulties. Converts to Islam have no such problems. (The US Department of State).
Freedom to Practice Limited
The government limits the freedom to congregate by requiring churches to obtain legal recognition. However, some unrecognized minority groups are allowed to practice freely. Recognized non-Muslim religious institutions do not receive subsidies but are tax -exempt (The US Department of State).
Travel Restrictions Unknown
 
Political Representation Minimal
Out of 110 seats in the Lower House of Parliament 9 are reserved for Christians. There are no seats reserved for other religious minorities (The US Department of State).
Freedom of Education Limited
Religious lessons are mandatory for all Muslim students in public schools but Christian and Baha'i students are not forced to attend. The constitution provides congregations the right to establish schools for the education of their own members provided that they comply with some general legal provisions. The government does not permit Baha'is to open and register schools. (The US Department of State).
Religion on ID Cards Yes
Religion is mentioned on national identity cards unless it is officially unrecognised. (The US Department of State).
Freedom In Theory… Free
The constitution guarantees free worship as long as religious practices are in accordance with public order and morality (The US Department of State).
Freedom In Practice… Some
The government does not provide full freedom of religion. For example, the government does not recognize the Druze or Baha'i faiths. However, the government supports understanding between religions. There are two major government-sponsored institutions that promote interfaith understanding. (The US Department of State).
Lebanon
 
State Religion None
No state religion (The US Department of State)
Religious Breakdown 70% Muslim
70% Muslims Non-Muslims - 23% Christians, a small population of Jews Baha'is, Buddhists and Hindus (The US Department of State)
Conversion Unknown
 
Freedom to Practice Limited
Freedom to congregate is limited. Religious groups require state recognition for conducting services. Official recognition provides benefits such as tax-exemption. Baha'is, Buddhists, Hindus, and some evangelical denominations may own property and assemble for worship without government interference as they are considered ‘officially unrecognised’(The US Department of State).
Travel Restrictions Unknown
 
Political Representation Restricted
Unrecognized religious groups cannot run for parliament. Consequently they have no secured political, legal and social rights e.g. marriage, divorce, or inheritance. Baha'is cannot run for parliament, nor secure senior positions in the government. However, most Baha'is are registered under the Shi'a group, which gives them some secured rights. Similarly, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) is registered under the Greek Orthodox faith (The US Department of State).
Freedom of Education Minimal Limitations
The government allows publishing religious materials in different languages. Private religious education is allowed. (The US Department of State).
Religion on ID Cards Yes
Religion is mentioned on national identity cards but not passports (The US Department of State).
Freedom In Theory… Free
The constitution indicates that the state shall respect all religions and creeds and guarantees the free exercise of all religious rites provided that public order is not disturbed (Resdal). The law also permits proselytizing (The US Department of State).
Freedom In Practice… Almost Free
The government does not provide freedom of worship to all minority groups and discourages proselytizing. However, the government encourages interfaith understanding. (The US Department of State)
Suadi Arabia
 
State Religion Islam
Religious Breakdown 80% Islam
Population size is 24 million, Muslims - mostly Sunnis, Shi’as 2 million Non-Muslims - foreign communities 6-7 million include Christians 1 million, Indians 1.4 million, Bangladeshis 1 million, Pakistanis nearly 900,000, Filipinos 800,000, Egyptians 750,000, Palestinians 250,000, Lebanese 150,000, Sri Lankans 130,000, Eritreans 40,000 Americans 30,000. (Wikipedia).
Conversion Banned
Conversion is not accepted and considered a criminal act worthy of the death penalty. (The US Department of State).
Freedom to Practice Only Islam
The government only allows the public practice of Islam. Non-Muslim worshippers are under risk of arrest, imprisonment, torture, lashing or deportation. Shi'as do not have freedom to congregate. (The US Department of State).
Travel Restrictions Unknown
 
Political Representation Unknown
 
Freedom of Education Severely Limited
The government forbids public schools teaching anything that varies from the Salafi tradition of Islam. Private schools are not obligated to teach Islam (The US Department of State).
Religion on ID Cards Yes
Resident identity card indicates religion as Muslim or non-Muslim (The US Department of State).
Freedom In Theory… Not Free
The law does not allow freedom of religion.
Freedom In Practice… No Freedom
Shi'a members suffer political and economic discrimination. The government continues to detain Shi'a leaders. The only religion one can practice in public is Islam. Unclear guidelines about ‘private worship’ do little and just promote a culture of fear. In addition, strict standards of social behaviour are enforced including public dress and closure of commercial companies during holy days. There is, however, the country's first human rights organization to ensure that the government complies with international human rights agreements.(The US Department of State).
Kuwait
 
State Religion Islam
Religious Breakdown 85% Muslim
85% Muslims – Sunnis 70%, Shi'as 30% Non-Muslims - Christians, Hindus, Parsi and others 15% (Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook)
Conversion Banned
The regime and society neither accept nor protect converts. Muslims however, do convert to other religions quietly and discreetly. Police monitor activities of converts and carry out arbitrary arrests. Converts often lose their jobs and suffer verbal abuse by society. There is a strong economic and social pressure to convert to Islam.
Freedom to Practice Severly Limited
The government places restrictions on the operation of churches and on distribution of religious information and materials. In addition, police confiscate non-Islamic religious materials of private citizens upon their arrival at the airport (The US Department of State). Several Christian churches have some form of official recognition enabling them to operate openly. Churches do publish religious information for their congregations regardless and provide informal instruction to individuals who are interested in joining the clergy. Hindus, Sikhs, Baha'is and Buddhists may not build official places of worship because the Koran does not recognize these faiths. However, the authorities allow these religions to worship privately. Shi'a are free to worship (The US Department of State).
Travel Restrictions Unknown
 
Political Representation Unknown
 
Freedom of Education No
All students in public schools are obligated to take Islamic religious classes and no other religious instruction is permitted. Shi'as who are interested in serving as imams are forced to seek appropriate education abroad (The US Department of State).
Religion on ID Cards No
Religion is not mentioned on national identity cards or passports (The US Department of State).
Freedom In Theory… Free
The constitution indicates that the state shall protect the freedom of practise provided that it does not conflict with public policy or morals (The US Department of State).
Freedom In Practice… No Freedom
The government provides very little freedom of religion. It does not recognize all minority groups and it does not allow public worship. The government has not taken any reported steps to promote interfaith understanding (The US Department of State).
Yemen
 
State Religion Islam
Religious Breakdown 100% Islam
100% Muslims - Zaydi (order of Shi'a Islam) 30%, Shafa'i (order of Sunni Islam) 70%, a few thousand Ismaili Muslims, Non-Muslims - Hindus (small number), Jews 500 persons, almost all Christians are temporary foreign residents (The US Department of State).
Conversion Banned
There were no reports of forced religious conversion nor convert harrassment. However, there is no freedom of conversion and converting out of Islam is a crime worthy of death. However, this law has not been implemented. Christian missionaries operate but they are not allowed to proselytize. They provide medical services, education and social services (The US Department of State).
Freedom to Practice Severly Limited
Minority groups are allowed to congregate. There are several churches and Hindu places of worship in Aden. Christians hold services in private homes, schools or companies without government interference and Priests are issued residence visas to fulfill community needs. The government monitors mosques at risk from Muslim extremism.(The US Department of State). Public schools only teach Islam. However, private schools do not have to teach Islam and almost all Non-Muslim foreigners in the country register their children in these. The government combats religious extremists by requiring private schools licenses. It also requests national and private schools to follow the official educational curriculum and prohibits schools from other subjects. (The US Department of State).
Travel Restrictions Unknown
 
Political Representation Unknown
 
Freedom of Education Unknown
 
Religion on ID Cards Unknown
 
Freedom In Theory… Free
The constitution provides for freedom of religion (The US Department of State).
Freedom In Practice… No Freedom
There is no full freedom of religion. Occasionally there were unconfirmed reports that police harassed foreigners who possessed religious literature. In addition the security forces prevent proselytizing by censoring the mail of Christian clergy (The US Department of State)
Libya
 
State Religion Islam
Religious Breakdown 97% Muslim
97% Muslims - Mostly Sunnis Non- Muslims - Christians 100,000 (mostly foreigners), a small number of Hindus, Baha'is, Buddhists and Jews (The US Department of State)
Conversion Allowed 
There were no reports of forced religious conversion. Christian churches are not allowed to proselytize, although this restriction is not observed. (The US Department of State).
Freedom to Practice Restricted 
The government mainly restricts the freedom of Muslims by operating the Islamic Call Society to decide the teaching and interpretation of Islam in public and private Mosques. This organization places less restriction on Christians. Christians are allowed to assemble. The government regularly issues visas to priests. There are congregations throughout the country and there are churches in Tripoli and Benghazi. Catholic bishops, priests, and nuns wear religious dress freely and report virtually no discrimination. The government showed a positive attitude towards Jews when it renovated the large synagogue in Tripoli but the synagogue did not reopen. There are no known places of worship for Hinduism, Baha'i, and Buddhism but members of those faiths are allowed to practice in their private homes. (The US Department of State).
Travel Restrictions Unknown
 
Political Representation Unknown
 
Freedom of Education Unknown
 
Religion on ID Cards Unknown
 
Freedom In Theory… Free 
Although the country is a dictatorship, the government shows some degree of tolerance (The US Department of State).
Freedom In Practice… Minimally 
The government mainly restricts freedom of Islam by controlling and deciding the acceptable teaching and practice of Islam. Minority groups report that they do not face harassment by the authorities.(The US Department of State).
Morrocco
 
State Religion Islam
Religious Breakdown 99% Muslim
99% Muslims - Mostly Sunnis Non-Muslims - Jews approximately 5,000, Christians 25,000, Baha'is 350-400 persons (The US Department of State)
Conversion Limited
There were no reports of forced religious conversion and voluntary conversion is not a crime however, converts generally face societal ostracism. The government prohibits proselytizing by expelling foreign missionaries.
Freedom to Practice Almost Free
The government monitors mosques to identify Muslim extremists and security forces frequently close mosques to the public shortly after Friday services to prevent use of the premises for unauthorized political activity. Non-Muslim communities such as Jews and Christians openly practice their faiths. In the past the government prohibited the activities of the Baha’i. A small foreign Hindu community has some freedom to perform cremations and hold services. There are a few registered churches. Major religions are entitled to benefits such as tax, land and building grants and subsidies (The US Department of State).
Travel Restrictions Unknown
 
Political Representation Unknown
 
Freedom of Education Unlimited
Jewish and Muslim public schools provide religious classes. These classes are government funded. (The US Department of State).
Religion on ID Cards Unknown
 
Freedom In Theory… Free
The constitution indicates that the state shall guarantee freedom of worship for all. The king should ensure that the public respect Islam (The US Department of State).
Freedom In Practice… Almost Free
Distribution of religious information and proselytizing activities are restricted. However, the government takes steps to promote interfaith understanding. The government promotes and encourages tolerance, respect, and dialogue among religions. (The US Department of State).

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