Seychelles

The Republic of Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. It lies about 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) east of mainland Africa and northeast of the island of Madagascar. Seychelles was a French colony until 1814, when the British took over. Settlement began in 1778. The Seychelles became independent in 1976. During the 19th century, Chinese and Indian tradesmen, together with former slaves, settled on the island. The islands of Seychelles had no indigenous population, and the Seychellois currently living in the islands are all descendents of migrants. The population of Seychelles is about 88,340 (U.S. Bureau of Census, July 2010). Seychelles does not have any state religion, and the constitution provides for freedom of religion. The government has respected this right and has granted all religions tax-free status.

A number of religions currently flourish in Seychelles. The 2002 census shows that 82.3% of the population is Roman Catholic, 6.4% Anglican, 1.1% Seventh-Day Adventist, 3.4% other Christian, 2.1% Hindu, 1.1% Muslim, 1.5% other non-Christian, 1.5% unspecified, and 0.6% having no religion. There are no restrictions on religious practice, and diverse beliefs are tolerated and respected. With the early settlement of the French who were Roman Catholics, Roman Catholicism became the dominant religion of the country. The British tried to establish Protestantism in the islands during the 19th century, but these efforts failed to dislodge the dominance of Roman Catholicism. Seychelles was a bishopric since 1890, and mission schools had a virtual monopoly on education until the government took over such schools in 1944. Most of the Anglicans are from families that were converted by British missionaries who arrived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The other Christian groups include Baptists, Assemblies of God, the Pentecostal Church, the Pentecostal Assembly, Nazarites, and Jehovah's Witnesses. Evangelical Protestant chur ches such as the Pentacostals and Seventh-Day Adventists are very active in the Seychelles. Non-Christian groups include those of the Baha'i Faith and Buddhists. Given the large Roman Catholic population, one will find more Roman Catholic churches in the Seychelles than other churches. Sunday masses are well attended, and religious holidays, which are mainly Christian, are celebrated throughout the nation both as opportunities for the devout to practice their faith and as social events. The country also has places of worship for other religious [Page 1157]groups, including a Hindu temple and a mosque, and Muslims are also allowed to participate in the Friday prayer.

Apart from their official religions and in spite of disapproval from religious and civil authorities, many Seychellois also believe in magic, witchcraft, and sorcery. Sorcery was outlawed in 1958, but Seychellois still consult the seer, also known as bonom di bwa, for fortune telling, to obtain protective amulets or charms, or even to bring harm to enemies.