REPUBLIC OF BENINTopicArea : A (The Protection of ThreatenedReligious Minority Groups) Benin is a religiously free country. The problem ofreligious discrimination is still there, just like any other country, but onlyin a bare minimum with peace continually being preserved by all stakeholders,from the Government, religious leaders, law enforcement, and the people.
As adiverse nation, Benin’s population of 10.8 Million (2016)1 isdivided to different religions such as 48.5% Christian (with Roman Catholicbeing the majority, alongside Celestial Christian, and other denominations),27.75 Muslim (mostly Sunni), 11.6% Voodoo, 2.6% indigenous religious groups,and 2.6% other religious groups.
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2 The Census also highlighted the5.8% of the population that declare no religious affiliation (legallyrecognized by the country). It is important to highlight that many individualsidentifying themselves as Christian or Muslim also practice Voodoo or othertraditional religions. Report of discrimination came from the voodoo religion,such as the inability of individuals to leave or convert from the religiousgroup; as noted by UNICEF and NGOs such as Plan International3.Discrimination to particular religious groups are not common, butinter-religious conflict often occurs between Voodoo (Vodun) and the Catholic Church, such as the vandalism in theCatholic Prayer Center of Notre Dame de Lanta. Land disputes between religiousgroups also occur, for example when the residents of Savé destroyed one of the mosques belonging to the Benin Chapterof the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association. The voodoo religion and the Catholicsmostly have an ideological debate rather than aphysical conflict.
4Benin is a party of theInternational Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and religious freedomis enshrined in the constitution5, establishing a secular state6,prohibiting religious discrimination, and providing for freedom of religiousthought, expression, and practice, consistent with public order as establishedby law and regulations. The government committed to preserve religioustolerance by creating annual forums (the most notable is the African Initiativeon Education for Peace and Development through Interreligious and InterculturalDialogue (2015)), petitioning for the UN Secretary-General to create anappropriate structure for interreligious and intercultural dialogue for peace(2016). Interfaith dialogue occurred regularly. On May 14, the EcumenicalFoundation for Peace in Africa (EFPA) gathered religious and traditionalleaders from Benin, Togo, Ghana, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, France, and Asia inthe city of Azove. Participants made a pledge to advance peace in the countryand in Africa by fostering interreligious dialogue. As an open-minded country,Benin’s Ministry of Interior allowed for the registration to form a religiousgroup, Persons who wish to form a religious group must register with theMinistry of Interior. Registration requirements include submission ofadministrative materials (including the applicant’s birth certificate, policerecord, request letter, copy of identification, and the group’s internal rules)and payment of a registration fee of 50, 000 CFA francs ($80).
The Ministry ofDefense through its gendarmes (peacekeepingforce), generally in rural areas, and the Ministry of Interior through thepolice, generally in cities, have the authority to intervene in conflictsbetween religious groups to ensure public order and social peace, provided theintervention complies with the principle of state neutrality in religiousaffairs.7 Benin has a rigorous stance against islamicextremism. Its commitment to religioustolerance and harmonious coexistence is shown by sending soldiers toneighboring Nigeria to join the fight against Boko Haram.8 Thisshows that Benin is committed to establish international peace and justicethrough ensuring equality between religious groups. With thecommitment that we have for religious freedom, we would like to provide a setof comprehensive solutions (GLEAM: Guideline, Enforcement, and Advocacy forReligious Minorities’) that will help all Member State to ensure legalprotection of all religious groups in the world. This will encompass: The Creation of Universal Guideline for Religious Minorities’ Protection for Belief Groups and Ethno-Religious Groups that includes a codified Personal and Collective Rights to be ensured by Member States in Peace time and in Conflict with the help of the International Law Commission and The Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief. Tasking the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of religion or belief with the Religious Minorities’ Rights Enforcement Mechanism to help states implement guideline to national legislation, also to make an annual Protect Religious Freedom Report with a tiering system of basic protection of religious rights (Religiously Free(Green), Countries of Particular Concern (Yellow), Special Watch List Countries (Countries with Severe Violations-Red) Implementation and Advocacy Measures by Member States to ensure full application of the guideline which include: a) mutual collaboration between state and religious communities and, b) inter-faith education 1 Datataken from “Benin: Country Profile”, https://data.
worldbank.org/country/benin (29/12/2017)2Based on a 2013 Census, cited in the International Religious Freedom Report ofBenin for 2016, US Department of State (Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, andLabor).3Executive Summary, Benin 2016 International Religious Freedom Report, p.14Canada: Immigration and RefugeeBoard of Canada, Bénin : information sur les conflits entre les adeptes duvaudou et les chrétiens; information sur le groupe connu sous le nom de «sakpata », leurs rites d’initiation, ainsi que la protection offerte par l’Étataux personnes qui refusent de se soumettre à ces rites (2012-octobre 2013), 11 October 2013, BEN104596.EF ,available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/52eb86514.
html accessed 29December 20175Article 23 of the Constitution6Article 2 of the Constitution 7Ibid, p. 2 8http://religion-freedom-report.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/country-reports/benin.pdf REPUBLIC OF BENINTopicArea : A (The Protection of ThreatenedReligious Minority Groups) Benin is a religiously free country.
The problem ofreligious discrimination is still there, just like any other country, but onlyin a bare minimum with peace continually being preserved by all stakeholders,from the Government, religious leaders, law enforcement, and the people. As adiverse nation, Benin’s population of 10.8 Million (2016)1 isdivided to different religions such as 48.5% Christian (with Roman Catholicbeing the majority, alongside Celestial Christian, and other denominations),27.75 Muslim (mostly Sunni), 11.6% Voodoo, 2.
6% indigenous religious groups,and 2.6% other religious groups.2 The Census also highlighted the5.
8% of the population that declare no religious affiliation (legallyrecognized by the country). It is important to highlight that many individualsidentifying themselves as Christian or Muslim also practice Voodoo or othertraditional religions. Report of discrimination came from the voodoo religion,such as the inability of individuals to leave or convert from the religiousgroup; as noted by UNICEF and NGOs such as Plan International3.Discrimination to particular religious groups are not common, butinter-religious conflict often occurs between Voodoo (Vodun) and the Catholic Church, such as the vandalism in theCatholic Prayer Center of Notre Dame de Lanta. Land disputes between religiousgroups also occur, for example when the residents of Savé destroyed one of the mosques belonging to the Benin Chapterof the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association. The voodoo religion and the Catholicsmostly have an ideological debate rather than aphysical conflict.
4Benin is a party of theInternational Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and religious freedomis enshrined in the constitution5, establishing a secular state6,prohibiting religious discrimination, and providing for freedom of religiousthought, expression, and practice, consistent with public order as establishedby law and regulations. The government committed to preserve religioustolerance by creating annual forums (the most notable is the African Initiativeon Education for Peace and Development through Interreligious and InterculturalDialogue (2015)), petitioning for the UN Secretary-General to create anappropriate structure for interreligious and intercultural dialogue for peace(2016). Interfaith dialogue occurred regularly.
On May 14, the EcumenicalFoundation for Peace in Africa (EFPA) gathered religious and traditionalleaders from Benin, Togo, Ghana, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, France, and Asia inthe city of Azove. Participants made a pledge to advance peace in the countryand in Africa by fostering interreligious dialogue. As an open-minded country,Benin’s Ministry of Interior allowed for the registration to form a religiousgroup, Persons who wish to form a religious group must register with theMinistry of Interior. Registration requirements include submission ofadministrative materials (including the applicant’s birth certificate, policerecord, request letter, copy of identification, and the group’s internal rules)and payment of a registration fee of 50, 000 CFA francs ($80).
The Ministry ofDefense through its gendarmes (peacekeepingforce), generally in rural areas, and the Ministry of Interior through thepolice, generally in cities, have the authority to intervene in conflictsbetween religious groups to ensure public order and social peace, provided theintervention complies with the principle of state neutrality in religiousaffairs.7 Benin has a rigorous stance against islamicextremism. Its commitment to religioustolerance and harmonious coexistence is shown by sending soldiers toneighboring Nigeria to join the fight against Boko Haram.8 Thisshows that Benin is committed to establish international peace and justicethrough ensuring equality between religious groups. With thecommitment that we have for religious freedom, we would like to provide a setof comprehensive solutions (GLEAM: Guideline, Enforcement, and Advocacy forReligious Minorities’) that will help all Member State to ensure legalprotection of all religious groups in the world. This will encompass: The Creation of Universal Guideline for Religious Minorities’ Protection for Belief Groups and Ethno-Religious Groups that includes a codified Personal and Collective Rights to be ensured by Member States in Peace time and in Conflict with the help of the International Law Commission and The Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief. Tasking the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of religion or belief with the Religious Minorities’ Rights Enforcement Mechanism to help states implement guideline to national legislation, also to make an annual Protect Religious Freedom Report with a tiering system of basic protection of religious rights (Religiously Free(Green), Countries of Particular Concern (Yellow), Special Watch List Countries (Countries with Severe Violations-Red) Implementation and Advocacy Measures by Member States to ensure full application of the guideline which include: a) mutual collaboration between state and religious communities and, b) inter-faith education 1 Datataken from “Benin: Country Profile”, https://data.
worldbank.org/country/benin (29/12/2017)2Based on a 2013 Census, cited in the International Religious Freedom Report ofBenin for 2016, US Department of State (Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, andLabor).3Executive Summary, Benin 2016 International Religious Freedom Report, p.14Canada: Immigration and RefugeeBoard of Canada, Bénin : information sur les conflits entre les adeptes duvaudou et les chrétiens; information sur le groupe connu sous le nom de «sakpata », leurs rites d’initiation, ainsi que la protection offerte par l’Étataux personnes qui refusent de se soumettre à ces rites (2012-octobre 2013), 11 October 2013, BEN104596.EF ,available at: http://www.
refworld.org/docid/52eb86514.html accessed 29December 20175Article 23 of the Constitution6Article 2 of the Constitution 7Ibid, p. 2 8http://religion-freedom-report.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/country-reports/benin.pdf