There were no reports of abuses of religious freedom.
Despite the requirement that all groups register with the government, there were no reports that the government refused to register any religious group during the year. There were 749 religious denominations and 182 religious organizations registered with the Directorate of Religious Affairs of the Ministry of Justice. During the year, 19 denominations and six religious organizations were registered.
The government does not officially favor a particular religion; however, Muslim leaders and journalists claimed discrimination against the Muslim community. They cited the example of National Family Day, a holiday observed on December 25. Officially, there are no national holidays that are religious in nature, but some Muslims believe that the two Eid festivals, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Udha (Eid al-Adha), should be made national holidays if Christmas is observed under the rubric of family unification. The Ministry of Labor commonly declares a day's leave for Muslims to celebrate those two festivals, although it is not required by law.
While followers of all major religious groups in the country are members of the National Assembly and hold senior cabinet and media jobs, Muslims believed they held proportionally fewer of those positions than non-Muslims.
The Catholic Church and some Muslim organizations continued discussions with the government regarding land seized from religious groups after independence. While the final responsibility for establishing a process for property restitution lies with the provincial governments, the Directorate of Religious Affairs has a mandate to address the general issue. The papal nunciature reported that the government continued to occupy properties in Inhambane, Maputo, Niassa, and Zambezia provinces that the Catholic Church had used for schools, seminaries, and residences, and that the church continued its discussions with the government for their return.
In May teachers at the community-run Fraternidade Secondary School in Pemba refused to teach classes because a student was wearing a burqa. The school suspended the student, which generated a countrywide discussion. The ministers of education and justice entered into the debate, expressing approval for the teachers' actions. While some educational authorities initially commented that wearing overtly religious symbols was not allowed in state-run schools, the Ministry of Justice later argued that the burqa is not a religious symbol, a position supported by most mainstream Muslim communities in the country. No official policy has resulted and the legality of the wearing of burqas in schools remains uncertain.