The US State Department has released its annual report on international religious freedom.
The US State Department has released its annual report on international religious freedom.
The report of the US State Department expressed concern over the issues of religious freedom in India.
According to the US State Department's annual report on international religious freedom, the Muslim and Christian communities in India are being mistreated.
In India, Christians and Muslims were arrested under laws banning forced conversions, and members of minority groups were harassed on false, trumped-up charges, the report said.
According to the report, violent incidents against the Christian community in India increased, with the actions and statements of BJP members contradicting the positive statements of government officials.
The report said that the Indian government should investigate and prosecute those responsible for violence against minority groups.
According to the report, 16 people were killed in Pakistan in 2023 because of their faith, last year 329 people were accused of blasphemy in Pakistan.
The US State Department report said that 140 people were arrested in Pakistan for blasphemy on social media while 11 were sentenced to death.
According to the report, armed sectarian groups continue to attack religious gatherings and buildings.
The report also said that social media platforms blocked more than 71,000 URLs at the government's request, and in August the Senate passed legislation that increased the penalty for blasphemy.
USCIRF Releases 25th Annual Report on International Religious Freedom
The USCIRF Annual Report highlights the countries and non-state entities that, in USCIRF’s judgement, merit Country of Particular Concern (CPC), Special Watch List (SWL), or Entity of Particular Concern (EPC) designation. This report “focuses U.S. policymakers’ attention on the worst violators of religious freedom globally.” The U.S. Department of State officially makes CPC, SWL, and EPC designations on behalf of the U.S. government, and USCIRF’s recommendations are intended to inform that process.
USCIRF recommended the designation of 17 countries as CPCs based on their governments’ engagement in or toleration of particularly severe violations of religious freedom. Of those countries, 12 are already on the State Department’s list (Burma, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, Nicaragua, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan). The remaining five countries are Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, India, Nigeria, and Vietnam. Azerbaijan is a first-time recommendation.
This worrisome trajectory of religious freedom conditions highlights the importance of another aspect of USCIRF’s Annual Report, its documentation of U.S. government efforts over the preceding year in response to violations of religious freedom. Assessing U.S. government actions to advance religious freedom in policy and programming has been a growing part of USCIRF’s annual reports. Among these actions are sanctions, visa bans, and public condemnations, as well as funding NGO programs and joining multilateral initiatives such as the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance. These efforts are immensely valuable. But far more can be done, and the USCIRF Annual Report is full of recommendations that should be given serious consideration to improve U.S. government efforts to advance religious freedom for all, even in regions where violent religious persecution and government repression are most egregious.
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