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Document #2111964
USDOS – US Department of State (Author)
The constitution provides for freedom of religion. Both the constitution and the penal code prohibit discrimination based on religion. Any infringement may be brought before a court of justice. Religious groups seeking financial support from the government must register with the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Due to budget constraints affecting the entire government, the Ministry of Home Affairs continued to limit its financial support to religious groups. The Ministry of Education continued to subsidize wages for teachers and support staff of schools managed by religious groups, but it reduced support for operational costs and school supplies. According to two organizations, one representing Indigenous tribes and the other Maroon tribes, government policies for granting land titles in territories occupied by followers of these faiths hindered them from practicing their beliefs, of which worship of nature is a core component. In February, President Chandrikapersad Santokhi and a delegation of ministers consulted with the Interreligious Council (IRIS) on establishing a National Dialogue to address critical issues facing the country.
Members of IRIS, a body encompassing two Hindu groups, two Muslim groups, and the Roman Catholic Church, continued to meet to discuss interfaith activities as well as the impact of government policies on society. In February, IRIS and the Committee for Christian Churches issued statements condemning the violence and looting that broke out following antigovernment protests against austerity measures. In response to the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, the Ahmadiyya Muslim-associated Suriname Islamic Association and the Israelite Community of Suriname signed a joint statement in which they denounced all actions leading to divisiveness in the country.
During a May meeting with the Minister of Home Affairs, the Ambassador and a visiting senior Department of State official discussed U.S. government policy regarding the importance of protecting religious freedom. The senior Department of State official and U.S. embassy officials also met with organizations representing Indigenous and Maroon communities. During the meeting, the religious leaders discussed their ability to freely exercise their religious beliefs, and the Department of State official and embassy representatives reiterated U.S. government policy to promote religious freedom and tolerance. In April, the Ambassador hosted an iftar, during which he highlighted Suriname’s respect for religious diversity and freedom. Throughout the year, the Ambassador attended services at different religious places of worship as part of interfaith efforts to support religious freedom, diversity, and tolerance.
The U.S. government estimates the population at 640,000 (midyear 2023). According to the 2012 census, the most recent available, approximately half of the population is Christian (26 percent Protestant, 22 percent Catholic, and 3 percent other Christian). Christian groups include Catholic, Moravian, Lutheran, Dutch Reformed, Baptist, Methodist, Seventh-day Adventist, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Hindus are 22 percent of the population, including the Sanatan Dharm and the Arya Dewaker. Muslims, including Sunni and Ahmadi Muslims and the World Islamic Call Society, are 14 percent. The remaining 13 percent include Baha’is, Jews, Buddhists, Brahma Kumaris, followers of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, and Rastafarians.
Some Indigenous and Maroon persons, approximately 3 percent of the population, adhere to traditional religions. Certain Indigenous groups, concentrated principally in the interior and to a lesser extent in coastal areas, practice shamanism through a piaiman (medicine man). Many Maroons, descendants of Africans who fled Dutch colonial plantations, practice wintie, which includes worship of nature. Some Creoles in urban areas also practice wintie. Persons of Indigenous and Maroon origin who identify as Christian often combine Christian and Indigenous religious practices.
There is some overlap between ethnicity and religion. Hinduism is primarily linked to descendants of East Indian immigrants, while Islam is practiced by members of the same immigrant group, as well as by descendants of Javanese immigrants and Creoles. Christianity crosses all ethnic backgrounds.
The constitution states that everyone has freedom of religion, and individuals may not be discriminated against on the grounds of religion. Individuals may choose to change their religion. Any infringement of religious freedom may be brought before a court of justice.
The penal code provides punishment for those who instigate hate or discrimination against persons based on religion or creed in any way. Those found guilty may be sentenced to a prison term of no longer than one year and a fine of up to 25,000 Surinamese dollars (SRD) ($680). In cases where an insult or act of hatred is instigated by more than one person, as part of an organization, or by a person who makes such statements habitually or as part of work, the punishment may include imprisonment of up to two years and fines of up to SRD 50,000 ($1,400).
Religious groups must register with the Ministry of Home Affairs only if they seek financial support, including stipends for clergy, from the government. Registering with the ministry does not confer tax benefits. To register, religious groups must supply contact information, a history of their group, and addresses for houses of worship. Most religious groups are officially registered. Followers of some Indigenous religious practices, however, lack formal houses of worship and therefore are not able to register with the government.
The law does not permit religious instruction in public schools, and the government prohibits prayer groups in public schools. Private schools managed by religious groups include religious instruction in the curriculum. All students attending schools run by religious groups must take part in religious instruction, regardless of their religious background. Laws and government decrees do not permit parents to homeschool children for religious reasons.
Religious organizations administer approximately 50 percent of primary (ages four-12) and junior secondary (ages 12-16) schools in the country. Religious organizations do not administer higher secondary schools (ages 16-19). The Catholic Diocese of Paramaribo, Moravian Church, and Hindu community administer most private schools. Through the Ministries of Education and Finance, the government provides a fee per registered child and pays teacher salaries to the religious organizations administering these schools.
The country is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Budget constraints continued to hamper the government’s capacity to meet its payment obligations to homes for children as well as the elderly administered by religious organizations. According to religious organizations, the limited funding the government provided continued to arrive late and had to be supplemented by the organizations.
The government, through the Ministry of Education, subsidized the wages for teachers and all support staff, including for religious schools. It provided funding for water but not for other utilities. Religious organizations were responsible for funding all other expenses, including utilities, furniture, cleaning supplies, and educational material for students; they operated approximately 50 percent of primary and lower secondary schools. They reported government funds they received for maintenance of schools were far from sufficient and led to the continued deterioration of school buildings as they were unable to finance these expenses. The government prohibited schools receiving public funds from charging parents school fees. As recipients of public funds, religious schools had to provide additional funds to cover the gap between the cost of supplies and the amount they were allowed to charge in supply fees. The government allowed all schools, including religious ones, to charge a supply fee of SRD 75 per student ($2), while estimated total costs were SRD 900 ($25) per student for the school year.
According to the Association of Indigenous Village Leaders in Suriname and the Maroon organization Kampos, government policies concerning the granting of land titles in traditional Indigenous and Maroon territories infringed on the ability of these groups to fully experience their religious freedom because the worship of nature is a critical component of their religious beliefs.
The armed forces continued to maintain a staff chaplaincy with Hindu, Muslim, Protestant, and Catholic clergy available to military personnel.
The Religious Affairs Department of the Ministry of Home Affairs continued to support different religious groups by providing stipends to all registered clergy, which number several hundred from across all religions.
The government supported the hosting of events related to 37th World Religious Day in January, where members of the government in their respective speeches reiterated support for religious freedom and mutual respect for the beliefs of others. Rishma Kuldipsingh, the Minister of Economic Affairs, who represented the president, stated she was proud “to live and work in a country where people can sit together despite their different religious backgrounds.” She added that it was important for individuals to hold on to the “positivity” that each religion teaches its followers, and to leave the negative behind.
In February, the President and a delegation of ministers consulted with IRIS on establishing a National Dialogue to address critical issues in the country, including waning trust in government, the economic crisis, and issues regarding increasing crime. At the end of the year, talks regarding the National Dialogue were on hold.
In March, the Ministries of Home Affairs and Social Affairs reached out to different religious organizations requesting their assistance to register up to 5,000 persons for social support from the government. According to representatives of the religious organizations, their reaction to the initiative was positive because it allowed individuals in their neighborhoods to register for assistance, regardless of their religious background.
The government invited IRIS to participate in events welcoming Droupadi Murmu, the President of India, to the country in June. At one event, IRIS representatives provided Murmu an overview of the collaboration among different religious groups in Suriname.
The government continued to consult with different religious groups and organizations on proposed amendments to the country’s civil code, including on the topics of same sex-marriage and adoption, changes IRIS said its religious groups would not support. The Presidency returned the draft law to the National Assembly where at year’s end, it was pending placement on the agenda for discussion.
A program on standardizing and formally recognizing religious training launched in 2022 by the Religious Affairs Department of the Ministry of Home Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and religious leaders continued throughout the year.
In February, IRIS and the Committee for Christian Churches issued statements condemning the violence and looting that broke out following a protest against the government’s austerity measures. Both organizations denounced the violence that followed the protest, stating that what took place was nothing more than anarchy and a lack of norms. They called for calm and dialogue, adding that the violence and looting only contributed to the problems the country already faced.
In April, IRIS members took part in ceremonies celebrating Eid al-Fitr; non-Muslim members extended greetings to their Muslim brothers and sisters. In August, members of IRIS joined the government and others in celebrating the 65th anniversary of the Catholic Diocese in the country.
In response to the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, the Suriname Islamic Association and the Israelite Community of Suriname signed a joint statement in which they denounced statements causing division in the country. The statement said, “It is a fact that in the Surinamese community, Jews and the Muslims live together as true brothers. And that will aways be the case and will not be influenced by anything or anyone.” The two organizations, which represent the Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha’at Islam Mosque and the neighboring Neveh Shalom Synagogue, stated they have been neighbors since 1932 and would still be in 2032. They called on society to hold high its norms and values that allow different groups to live in harmony alongside each other.
U.S. embassy officials highlighted U.S. government policy on the importance of protection of religious freedom in meetings with government officials, including during a May meeting of the Ambassador and a senior official from the Department of State with the Minister of Home Affairs and his staff. During the meeting, Department of State officials invited the government to join the International Religious Freedom and Belief Alliance to share Suriname’s best practices in promoting religious freedom. The minister raised government support for different religious institutions, training for clergy, and government efforts seeking to promote religious tolerance, peace, and harmony. In meetings with the government, embassy officials discussed the importance of upholding agreements as written, including land titles, and predictable processes to obtain the titles.
The visiting senior Department of State official and embassy representatives also met with organizations representing Indigenous and Maroon populations. During the meeting, representatives of these groups discussed their ability to freely exercise their respective religions; Department of State and embassy officials discussed U.S. government policy to promote religious freedom and tolerance. The U.S. government officials also met with representatives of IRIS to discuss the country’s support for religious freedom and tolerance.
In April, the Ambassador hosted an iftar that included a visiting Department of State official and representatives of all major Muslim organizations along with representatives of other faith groups. In remarks, the Ambassador highlighted the country’s respect for religious diversity and religious freedom. Subsequently, the Ambassador took part in an Eid al Fitr ceremony with other non-Muslim members of IRIS as a demonstration of support for religious diversity.
In September, the Ambassador visited the Jodensavanne, a historic Jewish site supported by the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation, where he emphasized the site’s uniqueness as the first independent Jewish settlement in the Americas.
Throughout the year, the Ambassador attended services at different religious places of worship as part of interfaith efforts to support religious freedom, diversity, and tolerance. The visits included services at all major churches, Hindu temples, mosques, and Paramaribo’s synagogue.
The embassy posted messages of greetings on all religious holidays on Facebook, the country’s primary social media platform.
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