Christians in Libya uneasy about move to Shari‘a law
Church leaders in Libya remain hopeful that Christians in the mostly Muslim country will be allowed to practice their faith, even as the country appears to be moving toward Shari‘a law.
In December, Libya’s General National Congress voted to make Shari‘a the source of all legislation and institutions. The vote came amid international concerns over the diminishing Christian populations in North Africa and the Middle East and increased Islamist influence in countries engulfed by the Arab Spring revolution.
Libya has undergone a two-year transition since 2011, when demonstrations toppled Muammar Qaddafi. Before the revolution, Christians were granted religious freedom, but with the change of power, they have been arbitrarily arrested, attacked, killed and forced by Islamist groups to convert to Islam.
