02/26/2019 UAE (International Christian Concern) –  On Sunday, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) opened a conference marketed to promote religious freedom under the title of “Interfaith Tolerance Education to Combat Extremism.” This regional conference is intended to promote the government’s perspective on international good practice as well as how to incorporate religious tolerance into educational textbooks.

This event follows a historic move by the UAE earlier this month, as the country hosted the pope for the first papal visit to the Arabian Peninsula. The UAE is home to over a million Christians, but few are actually citizens as expat workers significantly outnumber those who are from the UAE.  As a result, Christians can experience more freedoms in the UAE than in other places in the Middle East.

However, challenges still persist. Islam remains the official religion of the UAE, and citizens who convert to Christianity can potentially face apostasy charges as well as community ostracization. The law provides for 5-years imprisonment for anyone caught proselytizing to Muslims. The law also requires Christians to observe the Ramadan fast, and churches cannot erect bell towers nor display religious symbols outside of their church.

While Christians may not experience violent persecution as is normal through the rest of the Middle East, the UAE’s policies reinforce the concept that Christians are not equal to Muslims and must be kept separate. These issues must be addressed for religious freedom to truly prosper in the UAE.

For interviews with Claire Evans, ICC’s Regional Manager, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: [email protected].