Editing Secular state (section)

==Ambiguous countries==
* {{flag|Bangladesh}}
** There is constitutional ambiguity whether Bangladesh is a secular country or an Islamic country. In 2010, the high court of Bangladesh reinstated secularism as a part of the Bangladesh constitution after terming the 1977 constitutional amendment done by then Bangladesh President [[Ziaur Rahman]] as illegal.<ref>{{cite web |date=29 July 2010 |title=Bangladesh's court restores 'secularism' in Constitution |url=https://zeenews.india.com/news/south-asia/bangladeshs-court-restores-secularism-in-constitution_644258.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231016024057/https://zeenews.india.com/news/south-asia/bangladeshs-court-restores-secularism-in-constitution_644258.html |archive-date=16 October 2023 |access-date=7 October 2023}}</ref> Political leaders and experts have expressed uncertainty if Bangladesh is a secular state or an Islamic state.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thediplomat.com/2020/09/bangladeshs-ambiguity-on-religion-has-been-expensive-for-the-country/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230309064856/https://thediplomat.com/2020/09/bangladeshs-ambiguity-on-religion-has-been-expensive-for-the-country/|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 March 2023|title=Bangladesh's Ambiguity on Religion Has Been Expensive for the Country|date=7 October 2023|access-date=7 October 2023}}</ref>Bangladesh regime changes often advocate for different type of religious freedom as in secularism or pluarism.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thediplomat.com/2025/02/ali-riaz-on-recommendations-of-bangladeshs-constitutional-reform-commission/|title=Ali Riaz on Recommendations of Bangladesh’s Constitutional Reform Commission|date=3 February 2025|access-date=15 February 2025}}</ref>

* {{flag|Malaysia|size=23px}}
** In Article 3 of the [[Constitution of Malaysia]], [[Islam in Malaysia|Islam]] is stated as the official religion of the country: "Islam is the religion of the Federation; but other religions may be practiced in peace and harmony in any part of the Federation." In 1956, the [[Alliance Party (Malaysia)|Alliance party]] submitted a memorandum to the [[Reid Commission]], which was responsible for drafting the Malayan constitution. The memorandum quoted: "The religion of Malaya shall be Islam. The observance of this principle shall not impose any disability on non-Muslim nationals professing and practicing their own religion and shall not imply that the state is not a <u>secular</u> state."<ref>Tan Sri Datuk Ahmad Ibrahim, [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UntPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YpADAAAAIBAJ&pg=5502,5419129&dq=shall-not-imply-that-the-state-is-not-a-secular-state&hl=en Our Constitution and Islamic Faith], p. 8, 25 August 1987, [[New Straits Times]]</ref> The full text of the Memorandum was inserted into paragraph 169 of the Commission Report.<ref>[http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/letters_others/islams_status_in_our_secular_charter.html Islam's status in our secular charter], Richard Y.W. Yeoh, Director, Institute of Research for Social Advancement, 20 July 2006, The Sun, Letters (Used by permission)</ref> This suggestion was later carried forward in the Federation of Malaya Constitutional Proposals 1957 ([[White Paper]]), specifically quoted in paragraph 57: "There has been included in the proposed Federal Constitution a declaration that Islam is the religion of the Federation. This will in no way affect the present position of the Federation as a <u>secular</u> State...."<ref>[http://www.cpps.org.my/upload/FedMalaya_Constitutional_Proposals_201957.pdf Federation of Malaya Constitutional Proposals Kuala Lumpur: Government Printer 1957–Articles 53-61] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303204426/http://www.cpps.org.my/upload/FedMalaya_Constitutional_Proposals_201957.pdf |date=3 March 2016 }} (PDF document) hosted by Centre for Public Policy Studies Malaysia, retrieved 8 February 2013</ref> The [[Cobbold Commission]] also made another similar quote in 1962: "....we are agreed that Islam should be the national religion for the Federation. We are satisfied that the proposal in no way jeopardises freedom of religion in the Federation, which in effect would be <u>secular</u>."<ref>The birth of Malaysia: A reprint of the Report of the Commission of Enquiry, North Borneo and Sarawak, 1962 (Cobbold report) and the Report of the Inter-governmental Committee, (1962–I.G.C. report), p. 58</ref> In December 1987, the [[Lord President of the Supreme Court]], [[Salleh Abas]] described Malaysia as governed by "secular law" in a court ruling.<ref>Wan Azhar Wan Ahmad, [https://web.archive.org/web/20090318061141/http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2009%2F3%2F17%2Ffocus%2F3487299&sec=focus Historical legal perspective], 17 March 2009, [[The Star (Malaysia)]]</ref>

* {{flag|Syria}}
**The [[2025 Interim Constitution of Syria]] carries much of the same context of religion as prior constitutions, albeit with a slight wording change regarding the influence of Islamic jurisprudence on legislation. The new constitution however does not explicitly designate a State Religion in the same way as various other Middle Eastern countries do. Article 3 states "The religion of the President of the Republic is Islam; [[Fiqh|Islamic jurisprudence]] is the principal source of legislation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sana.sy/?p=2198312|title=Constitutional Declaration of the Syrian Arab Republic|publisher=[[Syrian Arab News Agency]]|access-date=13 March 2025}}</ref>