Police enforce religious rules in 17 countries, study finds

March 19, 2014

Police in at least 17 of the world’s nations are given responsibility for enforcing religious norms, the Pew Research Center reports.

Citing several different sources, the Pew study provided a list of countries that includes Saudi Arabia, Iran, Algeria, Pakistan, Morocco, and Indonesia. Of the 17 nations on the list, 15 are Islamic. In India, police enforce some Hindu norms; in Vietnam the police monitor “extremist” religious groups, including Catholics.

 

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Further information:

• Religious police found in nearly one-in-ten countries worldwide (Pew)