7. Iran
Despite the fact that religious freedoms are enshrined in the country’s constitution, not all religions in Iran enjoy the same level of protection. While Jews and Christians aren’t outright persecuted or banned from practicing their faith, any proselytizing among Muslims is punishable. A conversion from Islam is punishable by death, according to the law. Members of the Baha’i faith are a different story though. The government doesn’t consider them a religious group, but rather a political organization and treats them accordingly. They are discriminated against when it comes to school enrollment as well as employment and are even excluded from Islamic Punishments Act blood money provisions, which details compensation for the death of a Muslim or non-Muslim. No blood money should be paid for the death of a Baha’i follower.
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