Religious minorities, especially Christians, are subjected to extreme constraints when it comes to openly practicing or even discussing their faith. For Christian families, particularly converts from Islam, the challenges are even more acute. They have to send their children to Madrasas or they face alienation. Public worship or even conversing about Christianity in public spaces can be construed as proselytizing, which is a punishable offense. Reports continue to emerge of local communities alienating individuals suspected of converting to Christianity, thereby creating an environment that is antagonistic to religious freedom. Female converts may find themselves under house arrest as a form of social and familial penalty. Given these conditions, Christians, and especially those who have converted from Islam, are compelled to practice their faith clandestinely. Such a restrictive religious landscape significantly undermines the freedom of religion and poses severe challenges to religious minorities in Comoros.
