Religious freedom in Libya amid increasing extremism
By Samira Arabi
Morocco News Tribune
Agadir, Morocco |As Libyans have been celebrating the second anniversary of their revolution against former ruler Muammar Gaddafi, three nuns are leaving after they have been received death threat four missionaries were arrested over the weekend for distributing religious literature, news agencies reported.
“What happened is that the sisters, the religious sisters, three communities thought it was better for them to go, to leave. Two communities left already and one is going to leave [soon]. They received some threats, you know, and they heard about, they saw some people going around and talking to them in a way that they could think maybe their life could eventually be endangered.” French-born priest Father Dominique told Voice of America.
According to The Associated Press, Benghazi police claim to have arrested four foreign missionaries in Benghazi, Libya, last week on charges of printing and distributing materials that preach Christianity.
The missionaries are from America, South Africa, Egypt, South Korea, and Sweden.
About 45,000 books were found with the missionaries, who are reported to have distributed 25,000 literatures.
The missionaries arrested on Tuesday when they were printing thousands of books that called for conversion to Christianity as police reported stated.
It is worth mentioning that proselytizing is punishable by death in Libya, where 100 percent pf its citizens are Muslims.
