US Report details non-adherence to some religious freedoms in Malawi

Although the Constitution prohibits discrimination based on religion and provides for freedom of conscience, religion, belief, and thought, Muslim organizations continued to request the Ministry of Education to discontinue use of the mandatory Christian-oriented “Bible knowledge” course and use only the broader based “moral and religious education” curriculum in primary schools.

They want this particularly done in areas inhabited predominantly by Muslims; however, the Bible knowledge course continued to be taught in most publicly funded primary schools and in the first two years in secondary schools.

This is contained in a 2023 Report on International Religious Freedom on the United States Department of State website.

By year’s end, the Ministry had still not acted on a proposal, contained in its 2021 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Christian and Muslim leaders, for a blanket policy allowing the wearing of hijabs in all schools.

During the year, Muslim Association of Malawi (MAM) met twice with the Ministry of Education to reiterate this request.

The Education Ministry cited lack of resources and capacity to make the requested change and at year’s end, there was no resolution of the issue but discussions between MAM and MOE were ongoing.

The Public Affairs Committee (PAC), an umbrella organization comprising the major faith communities in the country, helped disseminate information on the MOU concerning wearing of hijabs in schools.

“The MOU allowed female students to wear hijabs in their school colors as a part of their uniform, but implementation of the hijab policy was uneven, with some schools allowing the practice and others requiring permission from school management.

“The MOE also did not act on a separate proposal in the MOU to include members of religious minorities on the board of the Malawi Institute of Education.” U.S. embassy officials engaged with government officials, including the President’s advisor on religious affairs as well as the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament Aisha Adams, to discuss interreligious relations in the country and the U.S. commitment to promoting religious inclusion.

High Court Judge Zione Ntaba ruled on May 8 that Rastafarian children with dreadlocks should be enrolled in government schools without hindrance.

The de facto ban against dreadlocks in schools had been in force for a decade. The court ruling was based on two cases.

Despite the High Court injunction, there was at least one report from Rastafarian community leaders of a student being denied enrollment in school due to religious affiliation.

“In her final ruling, Judge Ntaba determined that the unwritten or written policy of the government requiring all students, including children of the Rastafarian community, to cut their hair before admission into government schools was unlawful, constituted a violation of the right to education and freedom of religion, and amounted to discrimination on grounds of religious affiliation. Ntaba ordered the MOE to release a letter to all schools across the country by June 30 allowing Rastafarian children to attain an education. The MOE complied with the Court Order and released the letter to all schools”. Reads the report. MAM described the implementation of the provision of the MOU as inconsistent, with some community schools allowing students to wear hijabs and others requiring specific permission from school management.

Despite MAM engaging with the government to resolve the issue, there were still reports of students having to request special permission to wear the hijab.

In 2022, the Malawi Defense Force introduced a policy allowing female soldiers to wear hijabs while on duty.

Rastafarians continued to object to laws making the possession and use of cannabis a criminal offense, arguing its use was a part of their religious doctrine.

The meetings with Embassy officials comprised representatives of religious groups from Christian, Muslim, and other faiths to discuss religious freedom, interreligious relations, and community engagement.

On April 18, former Ambassador David Young hosted an iftar attended by a cross section of religious leaders, where he noted the importance of religious tolerance and also visited the City Center Mosque in Lilongwe and met with Muslim clergy there.