The constitution provides for freedom of conscience and religious worship and prohibits religious discrimination. It establishes Roman Catholicism as the state religion and mandates Catholic religious education in state schools, but allows students to opt out of such classes. Through an amendment to the criminal code, the government decriminalized vilification of religion while expanding the scope of the crime of incitement to racial hatred to include religious hatred. According to media reports, the government’s Planning Board denied permits to a Muslim community to convert several buildings to prayer rooms. In January government authorities provided temporary premises to a Muslim community that did not worship at the mosque in Paola, and had been praying publicly after reportedly failing to obtain permits for their makeshift prayer rooms. The opposition Nationalist Party commemorated Ramadan with the Muslim community at the party’s headquarters.
In September and October members of two self-styled patriotic groups publicly opposed a Muslim community’s attempts to obtain permits to legalize a makeshift prayer room. The Dominican Friars opened their school for Friday prayers to the Muslim community as an alternative venue to the prayer room. In January the Maltese Patriots (Patrijotti Maltin) protested and handed out pork sandwiches to passersby at a seafront venue where Muslims had gathered earlier for prayer. Religious leaders celebrated World Refugee Day with an interfaith service and prayers for refugees and war victims.
In meetings with the president, prime minister, and government officials in several ministries, civil society, and religious leaders, the U.S. Ambassador and other embassy officials discussed shared values of religious freedom and tolerance.