Religion
96% of the popluation of the UAE are Muslim. The majority are Sunni and about 16% are Shia. Most of the citizens of the UAE are Sunni Muslims who adhere to the Maliki legal tradition. Some Sunnis of the Wahhabi sect (followers of a strict interpretation of the Hanbali legal school) live in the Al Buraymi Oasis, and some who follow the Shafii legal school live along the Al Batinah coast. The foreign population includes Sunni and Shia Muslims, Hindus, and Christians.
A central federal regulatory authority distributes weekly guidance to both Sunni imams and Shia sheikhs regarding the content of religious sermons. The UAE’s constitution declares that Islam is the official religion of all seven of the constituent emirates of the federal union. Muslims are expressly prohibited from converting to other religions, but conversion by non-Muslims to Islam is viewed favorably. During Ramadan, all residents and visitors are required to abide by restrictions imposed on Muslims. Islamic studies are mandatory for citizen children attending public schools and for Muslim children attending private schools. Religious instruction in non-Muslim religions is not permitted in public schools.
According to the U.S. Department of State, non-Muslim religious leaders within the UAE and outside the country refer to it as one of the most liberal and broad-minded countries in the region in terms of governmental and societal attitudes toward allowing the unfettered practice of other faiths. The UAE government generally follows a policy of tolerance toward non-Muslim religions and, in practice, does not interfere very much with their religious activities. However, the government does prohibit non-Muslims from proselytizing or distributing religious literature under penalty of criminal prosecution, imprisonment, or deportation, deeming such behavior to be offensive to Islam.
In August 2003, in keeping with the government’s adherence to principles of “interfaith tolerance,” an Abu Dhabi-based think tank affiliated with the Arab League was closed. The center was accused of providing a forum for anti-Semitic themes. In that same year, the Dubai Evangelical Church Center opened in a large compound of Christian churches outside of Dubai, and Indian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, and Roman Catholic churches were opened, with others given authorization for future construction.
