Religious Freedom in Libya

Since Gaddafi’s overthrow in 2011, the status of religious freedom in Libya has been difficult to assess. Reports of desecrations of Sufi and Catholic graves surfaced in early 2012. Emerging leaders’ calls for Libya to strengthen its adherence to Islamic principles, including the NTC chairman’s calls for Sharia to form the basis of the legal system, have also raised concerns among some advocates of religious freedom. Even before the revolution, issues of religious freedom in Libya were complex. Libya is 97 percent Sunni Muslim, though religious minority groups exist. These include Sufi and Ibadi Muslims, Coptic Christians, Roman Catholics, and Anglicans. A small Jewish population largely left Libya in the 1950s. Libya has no formal constitution and no official policies regarding religious freedom, though the 1988 Great Green Charter on Human Rights guaranteed freedom of conscience and stated the personal nature of religious belief. Under Gaddafi, the state required all religious groups to support official doctrine and outlawed groups that criticized the regime, including Islamist groups and the once-influential Senussi order. The government closely monitored the activity of Islamic organizations and censored the content of sermons and religious teachings in an effort to minimize political opposition. Christians were permitted to worship freely as long as they refrained from political activity and proselytism, though the state did limit Christian denominations to one church per city. Under Gaddafi, the government also maintained high-level dialogues with several Christian denominations, including the Church of England, the Catholic Church, and the Greek Orthodox Church.