 Niger maintains its status as a secular state enshrined in the constitution of the Fifth Republic.These events were seen then and now as more exception than rule, with interfaith relations deemed very good, and the forms of Islam traditionally practiced in most of the country marked by tolerance of other faiths and lack of restrictions on personal freedom.Divorce and Polygyny are unremarkable, women are not secluded, and head coverings are not mandatory—they are often a rarity in urban areas.