Religious Freedom

Religious freedom in Sub-Saharan Africa includes the right to choose, change, or leave a religion, manifest beliefs, and be free from coercion and discrimination. Infringements on religious freedom are assessed by looking at both pressure and violence in different spheres of life. Several persecution dynamics include Islamic extremism, religious nationalism, tribal antagonism, denominational protectionism, communist and post-communist oppression, secularist intolerance, dictatorial paranoia, and organized corruption. It identifies trends and future concerns, including ethnic cleansing, the stratification of societies along religious lines, and the impact of Islamic NGOs and secularist movements.