Christianity In Brunei: A Faith Under Pressure

Brunei is a small, oil-rich nation with a population of around 450,000 people, the majority of whom are Muslim. While the constitution of Brunei states that the official religion is the Shafi'i school of Sunni Islam, it also guarantees freedom of religion, allowing other religions to be practised in peace and harmony. However, in practice, the country's Christians—who make up around 8% of the population—face restrictions on their religious freedom.

Christians in Brunei face restrictions on their religious freedom

Brunei is a small state in Southeast Asia with a population of around 450,000 people, the majority of whom (80%) are Muslim. The constitution of Brunei states that the official religion is the Shafi'i school of Sunni Islam, but it also guarantees freedom of religion, allowing all other religions to be practised "in peace and harmony".

However, in practice, Christians in Brunei face restrictions on their religious freedom. While there are a handful of historic church buildings in the country, no new churches can be built. Christians are permitted to practise their faith, but only in private; public expressions of Christianity are forbidden. This includes a ban on public Christmas celebrations, which were prohibited by the Sultan of Brunei in 2015. Christians are also prohibited from proselytising and are unable to teach Christianity in schools.

All organisations in Brunei, including religious groups, must register with the authorities and provide a list of members. Failure to do so can result in charges of unlawful assembly, fines, and imprisonment. Christian groups are believed to be regularly monitored by the state's intelligence agency. The import of Bibles is also tightly controlled and rarely permitted outside of personal use.

Under Brunei's Sharia law, apostasy is a crime punishable by death. This makes it illegal for Muslims to convert to Christianity, and those who do face intense pressure from their families, communities, and the government. Women who do not wear the Islamic headscarf may be pressured to do so, and Bibles may be banned in public places such as schools if the majority of the community is Muslim. Overall, Christians in Brunei face discrimination and restrictions on how they can live out their faith in public.

The country's constitution guarantees freedom of religion, but with limitations

The constitution of Brunei states that the official religion of the country is the Shafi'i school of Sunni Islam. However, it also guarantees freedom of religion for individuals, allowing all other religions to be practised "in peace and harmony".

Despite this, the Government of Brunei has imposed restrictions on the practice of non-Islamic beliefs. For instance, the Government has banned the importation of religious teaching materials such as the Bible, and refused permission to establish or build churches, temples, or shrines. The Government only allows the practice of Sunni Islam and has banned several other religious groups that it considers "deviant", such as the Islamic Al-Arqam movement and the Baháʼí Faith.

The Government also restricts religious education, controlling it even in Chinese, Christian, and private schools. Non-Islamic religious materials are gazetted as illegal and forbidden, with severe punishments for those caught in possession of them. The 2014 Shariah Penal Code Ordinance states that those caught with such materials will be punished with immediate death without judgment, and the materials will be confiscated.

The Government also prohibits proselytising by faiths other than the officially sanctioned branch of Islam. Non-Muslims are often coerced to follow Islamic guidelines by social pressure, and there is a national ideology, Melayu Islam Beraja (MIB), or Malay Islamic Monarchy, which discourages open-mindedness to religions other than Islam. Islamic authorities organise a range of activities to explain and propagate Islam and offer incentives to prospective converts, such as financial assistance and housing.

While Brunei's constitution guarantees freedom of religion, the Government has imposed limitations on the practice of non-Islamic faiths, controlling how, when, and where they are practised.

Brunei enforces strict laws on the import and distribution of Bibles

While the constitution of Brunei states that the official religion is the Shafi'i school of Sunni Islam, it also guarantees freedom of religion for individuals, stating that "all other religions may be practised in peace and harmony by the persons professing them". However, the government has placed certain restrictions on the practice of non-Islamic beliefs, including the freedom to proselytise non-Islamic faiths.

One such restriction is the ban on the import of Bibles. According to a decree, the import of Bibles into Brunei is prohibited. This ban is part of a wider restriction on religious freedom, which also includes a ban on contact with Christians in other countries and a prohibition on the public celebration of Christmas.

The distribution of Bibles in Brunei is also tightly controlled. Under the 2014 Shariah Penal Code Ordinance, the distribution of any non-Islamic religious materials is illegal and punishable by immediate death without judgment. This law is enforced by the government, which actively discourages proselytising of non-Islamic faiths.

The government has also banned the establishment or construction of churches, temples, or shrines for non-Islamic religions. Only the practice of Sunni Islam is permitted, and the government has banned several other religious groups that it considers "deviant", including the Islamic Al-Arqam movement and the Baháʼí Faith.

These restrictions on the import and distribution of Bibles in Brunei are part of a broader context of limited religious freedom for non-Muslims in the country. While the constitution guarantees freedom of religion, the government's interpretation and enforcement of this freedom is restricted, particularly for those practising religions other than Sunni Islam.

The government heavily regulates and monitors Christian groups

Brunei's constitution states that the official religion is the Shafi'i school of Sunni Islam, but it also guarantees freedom of religion, allowing all other religions to be practised "in peace and harmony". However, the government heavily regulates and monitors Christian groups, imposing restrictions on their activities and limiting their freedom to practise their faith publicly.

All organisations, including religious groups, must register with the authorities and list their members. The process of registration is complex and subject to the discretion of the Registrar of Societies, who can refuse approval without providing a reason. Failure to register can result in charges of unlawful assembly, fines, and imprisonment. Christian groups, in particular, face challenges in obtaining registration as churches. Many Protestant churches are forced to register as businesses or secular organisations, submitting financial and organisational reports to the government annually. This bureaucratic hurdle allows the government to control the activities of Christian groups and restrict their growth.

The government enforces strict regulations on the import of Bibles and other non-Islamic religious texts. Importing Bibles is rarely permitted, and religious literature is tightly controlled within the country. The distribution of non-Islamic religious materials is prohibited and can result in severe punishments, including immediate death sentences without judgment, according to the 2014 Shariah Penal Code Ordinance. This restriction limits Christians' access to religious texts and hinders their ability to practise their faith.

Christian groups in Brunei are believed to be under regular surveillance by the state's intelligence agency. Church activities are monitored, and any sharing of faith with Muslims is illegal. The government's strict regulations aim to prevent proselytising of non-Islamic faiths, particularly targeting Christian evangelists. This monitoring creates an environment of caution and self-censorship for Christians, who must be cautious in expressing their faith publicly to avoid legal repercussions.

Additionally, public Christmas celebrations are banned, and Christians are instructed to keep their festivities private and out of view of Muslims. This restriction further limits the ability of Christians to openly practise their religious traditions and celebrations.

The heavy government regulation and monitoring of Christian groups in Brunei significantly impact their freedom to practise their religion. Christians in Brunei face ongoing restrictions on how they can live out their faith in public, with their activities closely scrutinised by the authorities.

Brunei's laws and social customs pressure citizens to conform to Islamic behavioural guidelines

The government has banned the importation of religious teaching materials such as the Bible, and prohibited the construction of new churches, temples, and shrines. Only the practice of Sunni Islam is allowed, and the government has banned several other religious groups it considers "deviant", such as the Baháʼí Faith and Jehovah's Witnesses. Non-Muslims face social pressure to follow Islamic guidelines, and there are incentives for prospective converts to Islam, such as financial assistance and housing.

The government actively promotes adherence to Islamic values and traditions among its Muslim residents. All meetings and ceremonies commence with a Muslim prayer, and at citizenship ceremonies, non-Muslims must wear national dress, including Muslim head coverings for both men and women. While there is no legal requirement for women to wear head coverings in public, there is social pressure for them to do so.

The government also enforces strict customs controls on the import of non-Islamic religious texts, and authorities generally ban the import of non-Islamic religious texts. Customs officials check personal packages entering the country to ensure they do not contain anything of a non-Shafi'i Islamic or perceived sexual nature. The distribution and sale of items featuring photographs of undesirable or religious symbols are also guarded against by government officials.

The government's national philosophy, the Melayu Islam Beraja (MIB) or Malay Islamic Monarchy, discourages open-mindedness to religions other than Islam, and there are no programs to promote understanding of other religions. The MIB is taught as a compulsory subject in schools and universities, and it is said to be essential to the country's way of life and a defence against "extremism".

The Syariah Penal Code (SPC), which came into effect in 2019, poses grave threats to the fundamental human rights of religious minorities. The code includes provisions that discriminate against and pose threats to sexual and gender minorities, with punishments such as stoning, whipping, and imprisonment. It also bans most non-Sunni forms of Islam and any practice or display of "black magic".

The SPC incorporates longstanding Sharia-based domestic laws that prohibit drinking alcohol, propagating religions other than Islam, eating in public during the fasting hours of Ramadan, cross-dressing, and close physical proximity between unmarried persons of the opposite sex. It also prohibits "indecent behaviour", including pregnancies out of wedlock, and any act that "tends to tarnish the image of Islam".

Under the SPC, Muslims are not permitted to renounce or change their religion. Non-Muslims must be at least 14 years and seven months old to convert or renounce their religion. If either parent converts to Islam, their children automatically become Muslim if they are younger than 14 years and seven months.

The law also requires all organisations, including religious groups, to register and provide the names of their members. Registered organisations must furnish information on leadership, elections, members, assets, activities, and any other information requested by the Registrar of Societies. Unregistered organisations may face charges of unlawful assembly and be subject to fines, and individuals who participate in or influence others to join unregistered organisations may be fined, arrested, and imprisoned.

The government also enforces restrictions requiring all businesses to close for the two hours of Friday prayers.

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