Bahá'í
Academics Resource Library
HRP: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
IRF: Annual Reports to Congress on International Religious Freedom
FREEDOM OF RELIGION
The July 1999 Constitution provides for "the right of the free development
of each individual in their spiritual, cultural, and religious dimensions,"
and the Government supports the freedom to practice one's religious beliefs,
as long as persons respect public order, social peace, and national unity.
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HRP 1998-99
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IRF 1999-2000
Christians (including Jehovah's Witnesses) and Baha'is practice freely.
On December 3, the Baha'i Faith was granted full legal status. Until then,
it was practiced despite a 1984 law prohibiting it.
BAHA'I COMMUNITY
Numbering only a few thousand, the Baha'is
are located primarily in Niamey and in communities on the west side of
the Niger River, bordering Burkina Faso....
There have been some efforts made
to promote interfaith understanding. For example, the Baha'is have sponsored
religious tolerance campaigns which have garnered local press coverage.
US GOVERNMENT POLICY
The Embassy maintains good relationships with minority religious groups,
most of which are long-term resident missionaries and well-known members
of the American community. Embassy personnel also have contact with the
Catholic mission, the Baha'i community, and Islamic organizations.