Editing Secular state (section)

==Formerly secular states==
* {{flag|Bangladesh|1972|size=23px}} (1972–1977)
** The current [[Constitution of Bangladesh]] declares Islam as the state religion,<ref>[https://en.m.wikisource.org/wiki/Constitution_of_the_People%27s_Republic_of_Bangladesh/Part_1 Article 2A]:<br />The state religion of the Republic is Islam, but the State shall ensure equal status and equal right in the practice of the Hindu, Buddhist, Christian and other religions.</ref> but also accepts the secularism as one of the fundamental principles of state policy.<ref>[https://en.m.wikisource.org/wiki/Constitution_of_the_People%27s_Republic_of_Bangladesh/Part_2 Article 8]:<br />(1) The principles of nationalism, socialism, democracy and secularism, together with the principles derived from those as set out in this Part, shall constitute the fundamental principles of state policy.<br />(2) The principles set out in this Part shall be fundamental to the governance of Bangladesh, shall be applied by the State in the making of laws, shall be a guide to the interpretation of the Constitution and of the other laws of Bangladesh, and shall form the basis of the work of the State and of its citizens, but shall not be judicially enforceable.</ref>
** In 1977, secularism was removed from the constitution by a [[martial law]] directive during the military dictatorship of [[Ziaur Rahman]]. In 1988, the [[Parliament of Bangladesh]] declared [[Islam]] as the [[state religion]] during the presidency of [[Hussain Muhammad Ershad]]. In 2010, the [[Bangladesh Supreme Court]] ruled that the removal of secularism in 1977 was illegal because it was done by an unconstitutional martial law regime.
* {{Flagicon image|Flag of Afghanistan (1980–1987).svg|size=23px}} [[Democratic Republic of Afghanistan]] (1978–1987)
** Afghanistan became a secular state following the [[Saur Revolution]] however [[Sunni Islam]] was briefly reinstated as the state religion under General Secretary [[Hafizullah Amin]] until his assassination in December 1979. President [[Mohammad Najibullah]] would reinstate [[Sunni Islam]] as the state religion in 1987.<ref name="Gurcan 2016 p. 76">{{cite book | last=Gurcan | first=M. | title=What Went Wrong in Afghanistan?: Understanding Counter-insurgency Efforts in Tribalized Rural and Muslim Environments | publisher=Helion Limited | series=Wolverhampton Military Studies | year=2016 | isbn=978-1-911096-84-9 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S2TyDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA76 | access-date=Sep 15, 2023 | page=76}}</ref>
* {{Flagicon image|Flag of the People's Republic of Kampuchea.svg|size=23px}} [[People's Republic of Kampuchea]] (1979–1993)
** Kampuchea was a secular state from 1979 until the restoration of its monarchy in 1993.
*{{flag|Djibouti}} (1977–2010)
** Djibouti became a secular state after gaining independence from [[France]] in 1977. [[Islam]] was installed as the state religion in 2010.

* {{Flagicon image|State flag of Iran 1964-1980.svg|size=23px}} [[Pahlavi Iran|Imperial State of Iran]] (1925–1979)
** Iran became a ''de facto'' secular state following the [[1921 Persian coup d'état]] with the establishment of the [[Pahlavi dynasty]] as the ruling house of the country in 1925, until the [[Iranian Revolution|Islamic Revolution]] in 1979.
* {{flag|Ba'athist Iraq|1963|size=23px|name=Iraq}} (1932–1993)
** Iraq became a secular state in 1932 after its independence. However, the [[Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Iraq Region|Ba'athist]] [[Ba'athist Iraq|Government]] led by [[Saddam Hussein]] launched the [[Faith campaign|Return to Faith campaign]] in 1993 and placed significant emphasis on [[Islam in Iraq|Islam]] within all sectors of state and public life.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=2889|title=Americanchronicle.com|access-date=23 February 2017|archive-date=12 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612141154/http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=2889|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* {{Flag|Monaco|size=23px}} (1999–2020) 
** In 2020, Monaco government re-established [[Catholicism]] as state religion. 
* {{Flagicon image|Flag of Myanmar (1974-2010).svg|size=23px}} [[Myanmar]] (formerly Burma) (1885–1961; 1962–2008)
** Myanmar was a secular state during the [[British Burma|colonial period]] and [[Post-independence Burma (1948–1962)|post-independence]] period until 1961 and again under the [[Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma|socialist regime]], and the [[State Peace and Development Council|military regime]] until 2008.
* {{Flag|Samoa|size=23px}} (1962–2017)
** In 2017, the Samoan legislative assembly approved a constitutional amendment that instituted [[Christianity]] as the state religion.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thediplomat.com/2017/06/samoa-officially-becomes-a-christian-state/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170616153746/https://thediplomat.com/2017/06/samoa-officially-becomes-a-christian-state/|url-status=dead|archive-date=16 June 2017|title=Samoa Officially Becomes a Christian State - The Diplomat|date=16 June 2017}}</ref>