Moderate Algeria, Jordan New Spots of Islamic Fundamentalism

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080922/moderate-algeria-jordan-new-spots-of-islamic-fundamentalism.htm

[The Christian Post] 22 Sep 2008--Two Muslim-majority countries that traditionally have been respectful of minority faiths were highlighted by the U.S. State Department for their growing religious intolerance.

Sunni-dominated Algeria in northern Africa and Jordan in the Middle East had several reported cases of government imposed restriction on religious freedom, said U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, John Hanford, last Friday at the release of the 10th Annual State Department Report on International Religious Freedom.

In Algeria, there were several arrests and sentences of converts to Christianity, according to Hanford. Also, the government began enforcing a 2006 law that required non-Muslim congregations to hold a permit in order to operate, resulting in a series of forced church closure.

Meanwhile in Jordan this past year, a Shari’a court found a convert to Christianity from Islam guilty of apostasy. The judge then annulled his marriage and declared him to have no religious identity.

The Jordanian government also was reported to harass individuals and organizations because of their religious affiliation.