Qatar has aspired to project an image of religious inclusivity and dialogue, particularly through its National Vision 2030, which pledges to foster social cohesion and respect for diversity. Even Qatar’s constitution guarantees the freedom to practice religious rites. However, behind these public declarations lies a conflicting reality in which members of the Baha’i faith continue to face targeted discrimination in administrative and legal matters solely based on their religion. Although Baha’i community leaders have repeatedly sought to engage the Qatari government in dialogue and seek redress, their efforts have been persistently ignored.
The Baha’i religion, founded in 19th-century Iran, preaches the spiritual unity of all humankind, believing that the prophets of all major faiths come from the same one God. Baha’is have lived in Qatar since before its official independence, contributing to the country’s social, cultural, and economic make-up. Yet, since the 1980s, Baha’i individuals have faced increased repression. Qatar’s refusal to recognize and register their community has left them vulnerable to deportation and blacklisting which often results in family separations and loss of employment. Qatari authorities have further marginalized Baha’is from society by denying them certificates of good conduct, a document necessary for job changes and employment in key sectors. In a 2023 report, the United Nations’ Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights concluded that these policies effectively prevent the Baha’i community from accessing their fundamental rights and services.
One case that exemplifies these abuses is that of Remy Rowhani, the chair of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Qatar. After serving a one-month sentence in January 2025, Rowhani was re-arrested in April. He was initially charged in absentia under a 2014 law regulating charitable activities, even though his donations were collected as part of his religious obligations to the Baha’i community and took place before the law was enacted. This retroactive application violates both the Qatari constitution and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). More recently, Rowhani was detained under Qatar’s Cybercrime Prevention Law for content shared on an X account representing the Baha’i community. However, a Human Rights Watch (HRW) review found the content to be non-political and solely centered around religious values and national holidays. Regardless, Rowthani now risks facing a sentence of up to three years in prison and/or a fine of QR 100,000 ($27,465).
Beyond these unlawful arrests, deportation has become another central strategy employed by the Qatari authorities to target Baha’i individuals. Between 2003 and 2024, at least 14 Baha’is have been expelled from the country. One man, a lifelong resident of Qatar born to Iranian parents, had spent decades building a career and raising a family in the country. Yet, without any formal explanation or official documentation, he was suddenly informed that he was being deported for “disrupting public order.” Following his departure from Qatar, he was warned he had been blacklisted and barred from re-entry. It is clear that these deportation decisions are rooted in religious discrimination, as evidenced by a Qatari religious figure’s testimony to HRW, in which he reportedly told a Baha’i individual that converting to Islam could prevent their deportation.
Qatar’s actions toward the Baha’i community starkly oppose its commitments under international law. Article 18 of the ICCPR guarantees the right to freedom of religion and belief, as does the Universal Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief. By systematically denying Baha’is legal recognition, subjecting them to arbitrary detention and deportation, and limiting their social and economic rights, Qatar is in clear violation of these principles. Despite its refined rhetoric, the lived experience of Baha’is in Qatar is one of fear, uncertainty, and exclusion.