Countries with State Religion

Some countries where religion is declared in its constitution.

Israel

Founded like the State for the Jews, it became the Jewish State, following an agreement between David Ben Gourion and the orthodox minority with the aim of obtaining support in the war of independence against Great Britain. Today, the Israeli situation is complex:
The civil status is governed by the religious law (for all citizens, even if not Jewish), the conversions obtained abroad from liberal rabbis were not recognized until February 20, 2002, date where the Supreme Court gave a verdict obliging the Interior ministry to register as Jewish 24 people converted by rabbis massortis and liberals; weddings in Israel must be carried out by orthodox rabbis, but the massortis weddings are allowed if the ceremony takes place abroad.
Two consistories represent the religious authority: Ashkenaze and Sefarade; those which do not claim themselves in either ones, like the Falashas, are thus underprivileged.
The divorce can be required by women as by men, only through the religious authority (or civil authority for foreigner’s resident); unfortunately, for women asking for a religious divorce, according to the orthodoxe version of Judaism, their husbands can refuse it without incurring sanction.
Only Jewish citizens and Druses citizens are called upon for military service. The mention “Jew”, “Druze”, “Arab” is specified on the indentity card.
 
Theocratic Countries

Governments in which clerks or their representatives rule in the name of God.


Islamist countries

By nature, the Islamist countries apply the “sharia”, law and interpretations of Koran and may not design a policy excluding religion. This created sharp tension between resident non-Moslems and their Moslem majority (for example Egypt, for 9% of the population is Coptic). The opposite effect is felt when the country follows an anti-religious policy (for example, Tunisia* and Algeria). For all these countries, secularism, or any specific religious separation adapted for the Moslem countries would stabilize the Middle East region.
The entire region is in turmoil due to the interference of Western countries. Terrorism is considered by a majority of Moslems as a fight against the aggressive occident, and although it is condemned publicly, it mainly remains approved privately.
 *Tunisia is still in process of changes and status is yet to be defined


A particular case: European Union

The European Union gathers States having different conceptions of secularity. To try to erase these divergences, the Draft treaty instituting a Constitution for Europe (June 2003) devotes article 51 in its first part to the statute of the Churches and the non-denominational organizations:
 
51-1: The Union respects and does not prejudge as concerns the religious Churches and associations or communities in the Member States, under the terms of national law.

51-2: The Union also respects the statute of the philosophical and nondenominational organizations.
51-3: Recognizing their identity and their specific contribution, the Union maintains an open, transparent and regular dialogue, with these Churches and organizations.

Many in France protested against subparagraph 3, which they estimate grants Churches privileges incompatible with a laic constitution. They propose its suppression, stating that it repeats article 46 (- 2): “The institutions of the Union maintain an open, transparent and regular dialogue with representative associations and the civil society.”
 
On the other hand, others considered it is regrettable that it does not refer to the Christian culture, common faith of the European people. But that would imply that the entry of The Balkans and Turkey, countries of Moslem tradition, would be impossible.