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 federal Constitution designates Islam as the official religion, and
Islam is also the official religion of all seven of the constituent emirates
of the federal union. The federal Constitution also provides for the freedom
to exercise religious worship in accordance with established customs provided
that it does not conflict with public policy or violate public morals,
and the Government generally respects this right in practice and does not
interfere with the private practice of religion; however, it limits the
number of officially recognized religions, controls virtually all Sunni
mosques, grants only a small number of Christian denominations recognition,
prohibits proselytizing, and restricts the ability of nonrecognized religions
to conduct business as organized groups.
BAHA'I COMMUNITY
All of the country's citizens are Muslims, with approximately 85 percent
followers of Sunni Islam and the remaining 15 percent followers of Shi'a
Islam....
Although no official figures are available, local observers estimate
that approximately 55 percent of the foreign population are Muslim, 25
percent are Hindu, 10 percent are Christian, 5 percent are Buddhist, and
5 percent are a mixture of other faiths, including Ismailis, Parsis, Baha'is,
and Sikhs (most of whom reside in the Dubai and Abu Dhabi).
Other religious communities (mostly expatriates residing in Dubai and Abu
Dhabi) include Ismailis, Parsis, and Iranian Baha'is....
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HRP 1999-2001
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IRF 1999-2001
In 1998 Abu Dhabi emirate donated land for the establishment of the country's
first Baha'i cemetery.