Most Omanis are Ibadhi or Sunni Muslims, but there is also a minority of Shi'a Muslims. Non-Muslims are free to worship at churches and temples built on land donated by the Sultan. There are many Christian denominations which utilize two plots of donated land on which two Catholic and two Protestant churches have been built. Hindu temples also exist on government provided land.
The government prohibits non-Muslims from proselytizing Muslims. It also prohibits non-Muslim groups from publishing religious material, although material printed abroad may be brought into the country. Members of all religions and sects are free to maintain links with coreligionists abroad and undertake foreign travel for religious purposes. According to reports, due to government restrictions on public gatherings, there has been a substantial curtailment of non-Muslim religious celebrations in recent years.
The police monitor mosque sermons to ensure that the preachers do not discuss political topics and stay within the state-approved orthodoxy of Islam. The Ministry of Justice, Awqaf, and Islamic Affairs distributes standardized texts monthly to all the imams for their sermons.
2003 US State Department International Religious Freedom Report on Oman
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