Religion

In Libya, Islam is the most common religion. There are minor Christian groups made up only of immigrants in addition to the vast majority of Sunni Muslims. The biggest and most established branch of Christianity in Libya is Coptic Orthodox Christianity, often known as the Christian Church of Egypt. In Libya, there are over 60,000 Egyptian Copts, accounting for more than 1% of the total population. Two bishops, one in Benghazi (serving the Italian community) and one in Tripoli, who together serve an estimated 40,000 Roman Catholics in Libya, are in charge of their spiritual needs (serving the Maltese community). In Tripoli, there is a little Anglican community that is a part of the Anglican Diocese of Egypt and is primarily made up of African immigrant workers.

According to the Libyan constitution, Sharia is the main source of law and Islam is the official religion. However, Christians and Jews are granted the right to practice their religion freely, and it is against the law to discriminate against people based on their religion. Under Libyan legislation, religious minorities other than Christians and Jews are not afforded the same freedom. There is no clear law against preaching or conversion from one religion to another. Still, missionary work and transformation are both illegal regardless of whether the right to do so is explicitly protected. Publications that attempt to "alter the fundamental principles of the constitution or the fundamental regulations of the social structure" are forbidden by Libyan law, as is insulting Islam and the Prophet Muhammad. These rules are used to prevent the spread of non-Islamic religious literature as well as missionary operations.