Religious segregation

Religious segregation is the segregation, or separation of people, based on their religion or religious beliefs.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

From education to sports, from municipalities to cantons and entities, from language policy to regional flags and coat of arms, the strict and sometimes unpeaceful separation between Muslim Bosniaks, Orthodox Serbs and Roman Catholic Croats is present in most of BiH’s territory.

Jonathan Steele of The Guardian has argued that Bosnia and Herzegovina is "a dependent, stifled, apartheid regime". In his view, the U.N. control of Bosnia under the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, which he described as "UN-sanctioned liberal imperialism", creates "dependency, stifles civil society, and produces a highly visible financial apartheid in which an international salariat lords it over a war-wounded and jobless local population."

India

Indian society is divided into several thousands of caste and sub-caste. In the Indian caste system, a Dalit, often called an untouchable, or an outcaste, is a person who according to traditional Hindu belief does not have any "varnas". In the context of traditional Hindu society, Dalit status has often been historically associated with occupations regarded as ritually impure, such as any occupation involving killing, handling of animal cadavers or night soil (human feces). As a result, Dalits were commonly banned and segregated from full participation in Hindu social life (they could not enter the premises of a temple), while elaborate precautions were observed to prevent incidental contact between Dalits and other Hindus.. Although generally identified with Hinduism, the caste system was also observed among followers of other religions in the Indian subcontinent, including some groups of Muslims and Christians. The Indian Constitution has outlawed caste-based discrimination, in keeping with the socialist, secular, democratic principles that founded the nation.. Caste barriers have mostly broken down in large cities, though persist in rural areas of the country. The caste system, in various forms, does continue to play a major role in the Indian society and politics.With the prominence of Hindu reform movements in the 19th century, as well as the rising political power of Dalits in Independent India, Constitutional Laws have been passed banning the practice of segregation of Dalits, and affirmative action has been implemented to equalize the historical imbalance and underrepresentation of Dalits in society.

Northern Ireland

Main article: Segregation in Northern Ireland

Many Irish nationalists and republicans have described Northern Ireland as being a gerrymandered or even apartheid state, on the grounds that it was created to ensure a built-in Protestant majority, resulting in discrimination against Catholics in government, education, housing and employment.

Between 1921 and 1972, Northern Ireland was governed by the Parliament of Northern Ireland, which was Protestant-dominated, while at local government level, electoral boundaries were devised to create Protestant majorities. The outbreak of the Troubles led to the imposition of direct rule by the British government, which has since sought to introduce power sharing between unionists and nationalists.

Muslim world

Road signs outside Mecca show the turnoff to the road nicknamed the "Christian Bypass" that non-Muslims must take. Non-Muslims are prohibited from entering Mecca, and therefore cannot drive on the road going through the city.

Religious segregation occurs throughout the Muslim world, where nations such as Saudi Arabia deny non-Muslims some of the civil rights and voting privileges they grant to Muslims. Many Muslim countries consign non-Muslim monotheists to the status of dhimmis, both officially and by custom. There have been reports of imprisonment, harassment, intimidation, and discrimination based on religious beliefs.In fact until March 1, 2004, the official Saudi government website stated that Jews were forbidden from even entering the country. Saudi Arabia in particular is notorious for very stringent religious laws banning the practice of non-Muslim religions, even prescribing imprisonment and the death penalty for attempting to convert Muslims to other religions. During the Conquest of Mecca, the local leader of Mecca was converted to Islam, and the idols of the native Quraysh gods were destroyed. Mohammad then declared the city to be a sanctuary for Muslims; since then to the present day, non-Muslims are not allowed to enter the city. Such practices are called a "religious apartheid" by the Coalition for the Defense of Human Rights.

See also

• Caste
• Devşirme system
• Dhimmi laws
• Ghetto
• Jim Crow laws
• Jizyah tax
• Judenhut
• Mellah
• Ottoman Millet system
• Minority religion
• Nuremberg laws
• Racial segregation
• Religious stratification
• Second-class citizen
• Yellow badge