Muslims returning to ethnically-cleansed areas of western CAR have been forced to abandon their religion
Muslims returning to ethnically-cleansed areas of western CAR have been forced to abandon their religion, said Amnesty International in a report published.
The report, “Erased identity: Muslims in ethnically cleansed areas of the Central African Republic”, reveals how Muslims who have returned to their homes in large parts of western CAR following the 2014 killing spree and mass forced displacement are barred by armed anti-balaka militia from practicing or manifesting their religion in public. Some have been forcibly converted to Christianity on the threat of death.
Prayers are effectively banned, traditional Muslim clothing cannot be freely worn, and the reconstruction of mosques, an estimated 400 of which were destroyed across the country, is not allowed. Elsewhere in CAR, in Bangui and Carnot, only a handful of mosques have been rebuilt.
