▁another ▁religious ▁group ▁at ▁times ▁faced ▁violence ▁and ▁occasionally ▁were ▁o stra ci zed ▁soci ally ▁but ▁generally ▁did ▁not ▁fear ▁to ▁admit ▁their ▁affili ations ▁in ▁public . ▁But ▁overall , ▁Nep al ▁is ▁viewed ▁as ▁a ▁religious ly ▁harm on ious ▁place ▁for ▁its ▁state ▁of ▁development . ▁ ▁Relig ious ▁dem ography ▁ ▁The ▁country ▁has ▁an ▁area ▁of ▁ ▁and ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 2 8 ▁million . ▁H indu ism ▁is ▁reported ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁religion ▁of ▁ 8 1 . 3 4 % ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁followed ▁by ▁Buddh ism ▁( 9 . 0 4 % ), ▁Islam ( 4 . 3 8 % ), ▁Kir ant ▁( an ▁ind igen ous ▁anim ist ▁religion ),( 3 . 0 4 % ), ▁and ▁Christian ity ▁( 1 . 4 1 %). ▁There ▁are ▁ad her ents ▁to ▁many ▁other ▁religious ▁groups , ▁whose ▁proportion ▁is ▁small . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁Mad rass ah ▁Is l ami y ah ▁Association , ▁there ▁are ▁almost ▁ 2 , 5 0 0 ▁m adr ass ah s . ▁Tw enty ▁thousand ▁Tib et an ▁Buddh ist ▁refuge es ▁res ide ▁in ▁the ▁country . ▁ ▁Status ▁of ▁religious ▁freedom ▁ ▁Leg al ▁and ▁policy ▁framework ▁The ▁Inter im ▁Constitution ▁provides ▁for ▁freedom ▁of ▁religion ▁and ▁perm its ▁the ▁practice ▁of ▁all ▁religious ▁groups ; ▁however , ▁there ▁are ▁some ▁restrictions . ▁The ▁Inter im ▁Parliament ▁declared ▁the ▁country ▁a ▁sec ular ▁state ▁in ▁the ▁Inter im ▁Constitution