Qatar Has More Than Earned U.S. Condemnation for Persecuting Religious Minorities at Home

It should not be surprising that a government that provides sanctuary to Hamas and avidly supports the Muslim Brotherhood has a record of infringing its own citizens’ religious liberty. Finally, it has earned a formal reprimand from a key religious persecution watchdog.

Recognizing Qatar’s record of “ongoing” and “systemic” restrictions on religious freedom, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) — which released its 2026 annual report on March 4 — recommended that the Trump administration place Qatar on the State Department’s Special Watch List (SWL) “for engaging in or toleration of severe violations of religious freedom.” Notably, Saudi Arabia, another Gulf ally, has carried the stronger Country of Particular Concern (CPC) designation since 2004, setting a clear precedent for holding regional partners to account.

The USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan commission established under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA). IRFA empowers the executive branch to designate states engaging in severe religious freedom abuses as Countries of Particular Concern, which can result in diplomatic or economic consequences. Countries that do not meet all the criteria for CPC designation but merit scrutiny are placed on the SWL.

Qatar’s Record of Abuse

On paper, Qatar’s constitution provides for freedom of religion and freedom of worship. However, the commission noted in its report that Qatari authorities “continued to limit freedom of worship for non-Muslim religious minorities.”

Qatar’s Baha’i community, in particular, faces systemic discrimination. Last summer, authorities sentenced 71-year-old Baha’i leader Remy Rowhani to five years in prison for posting content on social media that allegedly “cast doubt on the foundations of Islam.” The United Nations had previously warned that Rowhani’s case was “part of a broader and disturbing pattern of discrimination” in Qatar “against individuals based on their religion or belief.”

An appeals court acquitted Rowhani in September, but abuses against religious minorities did not abate. Non-Muslim communities in Qatar face arbitrary arrests, interrogation, and increased surveillance. In addition to Rowhani’s case, the United Nations has called attention to Wahid Bahji, a Qatari-born Baha’i whom Qatari authorities reportedly deported in 2025. The United Nations claims that Doha blacklisted Bahji “based merely on his adherence to a minority religion” and that “his case follows a series of deportations and blacklisting of Baha’is” over the last two decades.

Conversion Is a Punishable Crime

Under Qatar’s Penal Code, conversion from Islam to another religion constitutes apostasy, a capital offense. While no execution for apostasy has been recorded since Qatar’s independence from Britain in 1971, the threat of severe punishment is codified.

Article 259 of the Penal Code separately criminalizes questioning or opposing Islamic tenets or promoting other religions, with a prison sentence of up to five years. Proselytizing for any faith other than Islam is likewise prohibited, punishable by up to five years for individuals and up to 10 years for organizers.

The practical consequences for converts are severe. Qatari nationals and migrant workers who leave Islam face harassment, surveillance, and monitoring. Conversion is not legally recognized, meaning converts have no formal standing to claim a change in religious identity. According to Open Doors USA, a Christian persecution watchdog, Christians from Muslim backgrounds in Qatar are “heavily persecuted.”

Non-Qatari converts also face deportation and loss of employment. Non-Qatari Christian residents enjoy comparatively greater latitude to practice their faith privately, but the government monitors worship activities.

Washington Should Heed USCIRF’s Special Watch List Recommendation

The United States has long made human rights and religious freedom central to its foreign policy, and partners who benefit from American security guarantees and diplomatic backing should uphold those values. Qatar must not be exempt.

A SWL designation does not impose sanctions, sever defense ties, or remove security guarantees. It is a watch-and-engage mechanism: a formal signal that the United States is paying attention and expects progress. Placing Qatar on the SWL would preserve the bilateral relationship while making clear that Washington’s commitment to freedom of religion or belief applies across the board.

The credibility of the U.S. commitment to religious freedom globally depends on applying consistent standards, even to close allies.

Natalie Ecanow is a senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), where Mariam Wahba is a research analyst. For more analysis from Natalie, Mariam, and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow Natalie on X @NatalieEcanow. Follow Mariam on X @themariamwahba. Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on foreign policy and national security.