COMOROS
Legal framework on freedom of religion and actual application
The Comoros is a chain of African islands in the Indian Ocean at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel. Three of the four main islands became independent from France in 1975, eventually taking the name of the Islamic Federal Republic of the Comoros. The fourth island, Mayotte, remained under French rule as an overseas department. Since then, the country has experienced several coups and attempted coups, changed its constitution a few times and struggled to achieve some degree of political stability.[1]
At present, the country’s official name is the Union of the Comoros and its current constitution[2] was adopted on 6 August 2018 in a referendum. It maintains the federal character of the State, with each major island exercising significant autonomy (Title IV of the constitution).
In Article 2, the constitution recognises “the equality of all citizens before the law, without distinction of race, sex, religion, political belief, and it assures all citizens the full enjoyment of fundamental freedoms”.
However, it also reserves a special place for Islam, the majority religion. Unlike the Preamble to the 2001 constitution, which described Islam as the source “for the principles and rules that govern the Union,”[3] Article 97 of the new constitution declares Islam to be the state religion, adding, “The State draws on this religion [Islam], the Sunni principles and rules of obedience and the Chafi’i rites that govern belief and social life.” Sunni Islam is identified as the basis of national identity in the Preamble.[4]
Under Article 98, “The Mufti of the republic is the highest religious authority of the State. He is appointed by decree of the President of the Union.” Hence, the Grand Mufti is not only the country’s senior Muslim cleric, but also a government official.[5] Given the status of Sunni Islam, the rights of other groups are restricted, including those of non-Sunni Muslims such as Shi‘as[6] and Ahmadis.[7] According to Comorian constitutional expert Mohamed Rafsandjani, under the 2018 constitution, “if you are not Sunni, you are not part of the national community”.[8]
The Union government exercises strict control over religious matters. In 2018, the Ministry of Internal Affairs started to work with the National Mufti Council (muftiate) to control more closely imams, preachers and Qur’anic school teachers. To this end, it introduced a “professional card” for those who had acquired the necessary qualifications to perform their duties.[9]
All forms of proselytising or religious propaganda by religions other than Sunni Islam are prohibited. Chapter 23 of the Penal Code of Comoros deals with the propagation of non-Islamic religions. Under Article 175, “Whoever discloses, spreads, and teaches Muslims a religion other than Islam will be punished with imprisonment of three months to one year and a fine of 50,000 to 500,000 Comorian francs” (US$110 to 1,100). That article also imposes the same penalties on anyone who sells to Muslims or offers them free, “books, brochures, magazines, records and cassettes or any other media disclosing a religion other than Islam”.[10] Foreigners involved in such activities may be deported.[11] Both blasphemy and apostasy are criminal offences.[12]
With respect to education, religious instruction is not mandatory; however, the Qur’an is used to teach Arabic in public primary schools, while Islamic beliefs are taught, sometimes along with Arabic, in public and private middle and high schools. The Comorian government also partially funds fee-based schools that provide Qur’anic instruction.[13]
With respect to employment and occupation, people are deemed equal before the law regardless of gender, creed, belief, origin, race, or religion and the authorities are said to enforce this principle effectively.[14] Nonetheless, Article 17 of the constitution provides for “restrictions on the exercise of the political rights and to the accession to certain public functions or employments for Comorian citizens of foreign origin”.[15]
The Ministry of Labour is responsible for dealing with discrimination cases and usually turns unresolved cases over to the courts.[16]
Comoros is one of three African countries without diplomatic relations with the Holy See (the other two are Mauritania and Somalia).[17] The Apostolic Vicariate of the Comoros Archipelago, which includes Mayotte, was established in 2010. Bishop Charles Mahuza Yava is the Vicar Apostolic.[18] The Apostolic Nuncio in Madagascar serves as apostolic delegate to the country. The current office holder is Archbishop Tomasz Grysa.[19]
Comoros has ratified several international human rights conventions that affect freedom of religion, such as the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).[20]
Yet, pressure to conform to orthodox Muslim practices and customs is also present in the country. Local Christians, mostly converts, are under constant pressure and suffer from acts of intimidation including bullying and harassment in the workplace and the streets, and they can be fined or jailed if they discuss religion in public or preach outside the church setting.[21] Non-Muslim foreigners are usually spared this.[22] In violation of the CRC, Christian parents are not free to raise their children as they wish.
The Catholic community represents less than 0.5 percent of the population.[23] There is a Roman Catholic church in Moroni, the capital city, on the island of Ngazidja (Grande Comore), and one in Mutsamudu, on Ndzuani Island (Anjouan).[24] There is also a Protestant church in Moroni.[25]
On 9 January 2024, the U.S. Department of State published its annual list of countries violating religious freedom under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. The Comoros was placed under special surveillance, alongside countries like the Central African Republic, Azerbaijan, and Vietnam.[26]
Incidents and developments
In January 2024, Comorian President Azali Assoumani was re-elected for a fourth term, raising concerns about continued challenges for the country’s small Christian minority. Assoumani, who first took power in 1999 in a coup d’état, served as president from 2002 to 2006 before returning to office in 2016. He later amended the constitution to extend his tenure.[27] The small Christian community – mostly foreign residents in Moroni – continues to face social marginalisation, bureaucratic obstacles, and restrictions on building places of worship.[28]
Following the announcement of Assoumani’s victory, clashes erupted between security forces and protesters in the capital, to the point where an overnight curfew had to be imposed, and the army resorted to firing tear gas to scatter protesters.[29] Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, urged government forces ensure “the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, and called on all to exercise restraint”.[30] Despite the tense atmosphere, international observers deemed the election largely free and fair. However, the low turnout, with only 55,259 voters out of 189,000 going to the polls, raised concerns about the legitimacy of the process. Assoumani denied the opposition’s claims of fraud.[31]
Since assuming power, Assoumani has faced increasing accusations of authoritarianism. Tensions escalated following a knife attack in mid-September 2024 in which his hand was injured before the assailant was subdued.[32] The next day, the attacker was found dead in his prison cell where he had been held in solitary confinement.[33]
According to Comores-Infos, an Islamic preacher, Abdallah Youssouf Chamda, was arrested and imprisoned on 24 April 2024 for questioning the requirement to fast while travelling five kilometres a day during Ramadan. This event caused protests and civil unrest, and the preacher’s incarceration raised questions about freedom of religious expression.[34]
In July 2024, 36 Shiʻa Muslims were arrested in a working-class district of Moroni for celebrating Ashura, one of the most important Shiʻa festivals. In the Comoros, only the practice of Sunni Islam of the Shafiʻi school is permitted.[35]
In November 2024, municipal police descended on a Malagasy church and temporarily banned worshippers from meeting.[36] The intervention, which involved agents forcibly closing the place of worship, outraged the Malagasy community. This also drew strong reactions within the Comorian Ministry of the Interior where officials accused the police of “seriously exceeding their powers” and condemning the police’s actions as “illegal” and inconsistent with the rule of law. The Ministry reaffirmed that national laws protect religious freedom, including for foreigners. The Interior Ministry launched an internal investigation into their actions.
The incident reignited debates on the place of non-Muslim religious communities in a predominantly Muslim nation and the balance between national identity and individual rights.[37] In a press release, the Ministry reassured religious communities of their right to worship freely within the law, addressing concerns within the Malagasy community. Interior Minister Fakridine Mahamoud Mradabi emphasised that while the Comoros has a Sunni Muslim identity, it upholds fundamental rights under international agreements.[38]
In November 2024, the Comorian Minister of Education pressured the local French high school in Moroni to revise its veil policy, challenging the school’s secularist charter. According to the Al Watwan newspaper a mother denounced the behavior of the school director who allegedly grabbed the teenage daughter's arm and threatened her with expulsion for wearing a veil. The case gained importance when the Comorian Minister of Education announced that the director could not ban the veil and requested that the school’s internal regulations be revised.[39]
In January 2025, parliamentary elections were boycotted by several opposition leaders who accused President Azali Assoumani and the ruling party of “adopting authoritarian measures and expressed significant concerns regarding the electoral integrity”.[40]
In February 2025, the Comorian National Commission for Human Rights and Freedoms held a workshop to raise awareness about child marriage, aiming to educate the qadis (Islamic judges) in Ngazidja on the harmful effects of this practice and its impact on society. In the Comoros, many girls are married before turning 18, violating children’s rights and hindering their academic, emotional and physical development.[41]
Prospects for freedom of religion
Since gaining independence from France in 1975, the island archipelago has experienced numerous military coups and continues to face political instability, economic underdevelopment, high poverty rates, inflation,[42] widespread corruption, [43] human trafficking and undocumented migration (particularly to Mayotte)[44] presenting significant challenges for the country’s future.
Although the 2018 constitution formally upholds equality assuring all citizens of the right to fundamental freedoms, and despite the Ministry of the Interior’s assurances that national laws safeguard religious freedom, the privileged status of Sunni Islam along with existing legal practices regarding blasphemy and apostasy, grants Sunni Muslims a higher legal and social standing de facto restricting religious freedom for minority faith groups and non-Sunni Muslims. Open hostility toward certain religious groups also persists.[45]
The combination of concerns to creeping authoritarianism as well cases during the reporting period highlighting violations to religious freedom, the prospects for this fundamental right in Comoros appear unfavourable.
Sources
Comoros