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Religious Students in the UAE

Posted on October 14, 2020

Abstract

The official religion of the United Arab Emirates is Islam, so those students who are practicing Muslims should have no problem finding a place of worship. While individuals are free to worship as they choose, the government prohibits proselytizing by followers of any religion other than Islam and prohibits the distribution of non-Islamic religious literature under penalty of criminal prosecution, imprisonment, and deportation. The government also sometimes threatens to revoke the residence permits of non-citizens suspected of proselytizing for a religion other than Islam. The government favors Islam but promotes religious tolerance. Despite this, internet service providers often blocked access to certain websites on non-Sunni Muslim beliefs or those that criticized Islam. Churches and temples are able to operate on land donated by the ruling families, however, overcrowding remains a problem.

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