==> The International Religious Freedom Report, 2010

[Cityboy]

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took the opportunity of the federal government's latest International Religious Freedom Report to speak out for a broad view of religious liberty, pleasing a bipartisan panel that had questioned the Obama administration's commitment to the issue.

The State Department issued its annual report on global religious liberty Nov. 17, specifying the many abuses -- along with some improvements -- among 198 countries.

The department, however, failed to designate "countries of particular concern" (CPCs), a category reserved for the most severe violators of religious freedom. The 1998 law requiring the annual report also calls for a yearly designation of CPCs. None, however, have been named in nearly two years. The Bush administration designated CPCs in January 2008, only four days before President Obama was inaugurated.

In introducing the report, Clinton told reporters it "reflects a broad understanding of religious freedom, one that begins with private beliefs and communal religious expression, but doesn't end there. Religious freedom also includes the right to raise one's children in one's faith, to share one's faith peacefully with others, to publish religious materials without censorship, to change one's religion -- by choice, not coercion, and to practice no religion at all. And it includes the rights of faith communities to come together in social service and public engagement in the broader society."

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), a nine-member panel that reports to the Congress and administration on religious rights overseas, welcomed Clinton's "strong language stressing all facets of religious freedom," said Leonard Leo, the panel's chairman.

"We are pleased to see a return to the broader 'religious freedom' rubric" in comments by Clinton and Obama, he said in a written statement.

USCIRF had expressed concern upon releasing its annual report in April that Obama and Clinton had fallen short for nearly a year in defending religious liberty. They had been referring to "freedom of worship" in speeches while largely being silent about the broader right of religious freedom, according to USCIRF.

"Freedom of worship is only one aspect of religious freedom, and a purposeful change in language could mean a much narrower view of the right, ignoring such components as religiously motivated expression and religious education," Leo said at the time.

USCIRF was not as pleased at the State Department's failure to name CPCs.

"Actions speak louder than words," Leo said. He called on the State Department "to act decisively and promptly designate" CPCs.

Michael Posner -- assistant secretary of State over the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor -– told reporters the designation of CPCs is a separate project. Those countries will be named "in the next couple of months," he said.

The State Department has made such a promise before. When the 2009 International Religious Freedom Report was announced in October of that year, Posner said the State Department would seek to make those designations by January 2010.

Eight countries -- Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Uzbekistan -- are on the most recent CPC list.

USCIRF recommended in April the State Department designate Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Turkmenistan and Vietnam as CPCs, in addition to the eight already on the list. Though USCIRF makes recommendations for the CPC list, only the State Department gives countries that designation.

Rep. Chris Smith, R.-N.J., a leading congressional advocate for religious liberty overseas, urged the Obama administration to follow up CPC designations with sanctions where needed. IRFA requires the president to take specific actions regarding governments designated as CPCs. He is provided a range of options, from diplomacy to economic sanctions. The president also has the authority to waive any action.

Among the current CPCs, the only country to be sanctioned exclusively under IRFA is Eritrea.

When the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) was written, "we intended that the sanctions regime be wielded much more actively than it has been wielded in the last 10 years," Smith said in a written statement.

As she did when last year's report was issued, Clinton took the opportunity to express her disapproval of the defamation of religions movement. Led by the 56-member Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), the effort promotes the condemnation of messages that defame religions and can lead to violence. Such a resolution, which has singled out Islam for protection, may be considered by the United Nations General Assembly as early as Nov. 22.

America "joins in all nations coming together to condemn hateful speech, but we do not support the banning of that speech," Clinton said. "Indeed, freedom of speech and freedom of religion emanate from the same fundamental belief that communities and individuals are enriched and strengthened by a diversity of ideas, and attempts to stifle them or drive them underground, even when it is in the name and with the intention of protecting society, have the opposite effect."

In addition to the eight countries already designated as CPCs and the five also recommended for that label by USCIRF, other governments cited by the State Department for falling short in respecting or protecting religious freedom for all groups and individuals included Afghanistan, Egypt, Malaysia, Maldives, Russia and Somalia.

The 2010 International Religious Freedom Report is available online at 2010 Report on International Religious Freedom.

On Nov. 15, Elizabeth Prodromou, USCIRF vice chair, criticized Russia's anti-extremism legislation regarding religious groups.

"It defines extremism in such a way that religious groups that neither practice nor preach violence fall under that category," she said at a conference in Brussels, Belgium, according to USCIRF. "Moreover, Russian authorities apply anti-extremist laws in an overly broad and arbitrary manner. The result is a repeated and heavy-handed use of the law against religious adherents who pose no credible threat to security, and whose only 'crime' is a failure to conform to mainstream ideas and beliefs."
Baptist Press - Clinton report on religious liberty applauded by panel - News with a Christian Perspective

 

[Cityboy]

Religious freedom not fully enforced in India: U.S. report
Washington: While legal protections against violations of religious freedom exist in India, corruption and lack of trained police led to the laws not always being enforced rigorously, according to a United States State Department report.

In the International Religious Freedom Report 2010, the State Department said despite government efforts to foster communal harmony, extremist groups continued to view “ineffective investigation and prosecution of attacks on religious minorities” as a signal that they could commit such violence with impunity.

However, the report did not completely clear the government of all responsibility for acts of violence relating to religion, in particular suggesting that law enforcement and prosecution was weak due to a “low police to population ratio, corruption, and an overburdened and antiquated court system”.

It argued that some State and local governments also limited religious freedom by maintaining or enforcing existing anti-conversion legislation and by not efficiently or effectively prosecuting those who attacked religious minorities. In particular, it noted there were active anti-conversion laws in six of the 28 States — Gujarat, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Arunachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh.

Outside of India, the report specifically criticised the persecution of minority groups in Pakistan. The report said Christians, Sikhs, and Hindus reported governmental and societal discrimination in the country.

The manifestation of this discrimination ranged from defining as illegitimate the children born to Hindu or Christian women even after they converted to Islam after marriage.

The report also presented an extensive list of incidents across Indian states, in which religious freedoms had been attacked. Most entailed attacks by private citizens and groups on religious minorities and their organisations.

However the report also noted some positive developments relating to religious freedoms. In particular it praised the National Foundation for Communal Harmony for providing assistance for the physical and psychological rehabilitation of child victims of communal, caste, ethnic, or terrorist violence.

In a similar vein the report lauded the Andhra Pradesh government for allocating approximately $5.89 million for the Andhra Pradesh Christian Finance Corporation; the Gujarat High Court for directing the State government to resolve the issue of restoring mosques and dargahs destroyed or damaged during 2002 Gujarat riots; the central government for announcing an increase of $32 million to the National Minorities Development Finance Corporation for funding programmes for minority welfare. Overall the national government, led by the United Progressive Alliance, continued to implement an inclusive and secular platform, the report said.

The Hindu : International : Religious freedom not fully enforced in India: U.S. report

 

[Cityboy]

U.S. religious freedom report faults China, among others – CNN Belief Blog - CNN.com Blogs

U.S. religious freedom report faults China, among others

By Richard Allen Greene, CNN

Religious freedom remains under threat in China, especially for followers of the Dalai Lama and Muslims in the west of the country, the U.S. State Department said Wednesday in a major report.

China harassed members of religions Beijing does not recognize, and disbarred, harassed and imprisoned lawyers who tried to defend them, the State Department said.

And there were "credible reports" that Beijing tried to force Tibetan Buddhists and Uighur Muslims to return to China from abroad because of their activism for religious freedom, the U.S. said.

Only Buddhists, Taoists, Muslims, Catholics and Protestants are allowed to practice their religions legally in China.

There was no immediate response to the report from China.

China is one of eight nations designated a "country of particular concern" for religious freedom by the United States, along with Myanmar (also known as Burma), Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Uzbekistan.

The findings come from the State Department's annual International Religious Freedom Report.

Washington criticizes another 17 countries on its long list, ranging from enormous Russia to the tiny Maldives.

Some are countries where religious violence is bloody, such as Nigeria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Respect for religious freedom deteriorated" in Afghanistan during the period covered by the report, "particularly toward Christian groups and individuals," the State Department said.

Christians, Hindus and Sikhs, as well as Muslims whose practices don't satisfy the government or society, suffer "intolerance in the form of harassment, occasional violence, discrimination, and inflammatory public statements," the report said.

It's also sharply critical of Iran, where "The government severely restricted freedom of religion and (there were) reports of government imprisonment, harassment, intimidation, and discrimination based on religious beliefs."

And in officially Muslim Pakistan, "organized violence against members of minorities increased; for example, there was violence against Christians in Gojra, Punjab, and a terrorist attack on Ahmadis in Lahore, Punjab."

But, the State Department noted, "Federal Minister for Minorities' Affairs Shahbaz Bhatti hosted several events to promote interfaith dialogue and religious tolerance, and took an active role in assisting victims of religiously motivated attacks on Christians and Ahmadis."

Washington also had limited praise for China, along with criticism.

"The government supported the social service work of registered religious groups and allowed some foreign faith-based groups to provide social services," it said.

Foreign preachers were allowed into the country, and there were articles about religious freedom in official Chinese media, the State Department said.

The State Department list is similar to one released earlier this year by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), and to a report last year by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

USCIRF's list of most egregious offenders included 13 countries, five more than the State Department.

Its report in May labeled as "countries of particular concern" Myanmar, North Korea, Eritrea, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, China, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Iraq - although commissioners were not unanimous in including Iraq.

The State Department's list is Burma (Myanmar), China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Uzbekistan. Inclusion on the list can trigger United States sanctions against a country, though it does not automatically do so.

The Pew Forum put out a global survey of restrictions on religion in December. Saudi Arabia, Iran, Uzbekistan, China, Egypt, Burma, the Maldives, Eritrea, Malaysia and Brunei topped that list of countries with the most government restrictions on religion.

More than two out of three people around the world live in countries with high or very high restrictions on religion, the Pew Forum concluded.

Promotion of religious freedom is a core objective of U.S. foreign policy, the State Department says in the report, adding: "The right to believe or not to believe, without fear of government interference or restriction, is a basic human right."

 

[Cityboy]

I 2010 Report on International Religious Freedomin Pakistan


The constitution establishes Islam as the state religion and it requires that laws be consistent with Islam. The constitution states that "subject to law, public order, and morality, every citizen shall have the right to profess, practice, and propagate his religion;" in practice however, the government limited freedom of religion. Freedom of speech was also constitutionally "subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of the glory of Islam."

Despite the government's steps to protect religious minorities, the number and severity of reported high-profile cases against minorities increased during the reporting period. Organized violence against minorities increased; for example, there was violence against Christians in Gojra, Punjab, and a terrorist attack on Ahmadis in Lahore, Punjab. There were instances in which law enforcement personnel abused religious minorities in custody. Security forces and other government agencies did not adequately prevent or address societal abuse against minorities. Discriminatory legislation and the government's failure or delay in addressing religious hostility by societal actors fostered religious intolerance, acts of violence, and intimidation against religious minorities. Specific laws that discriminated against religious minorities included the anti-Ahmadi provisions of the penal code and the blasphemy laws which provided the death penalty for defiling Islam or its prophets. The Ahmadiyya community continued to face governmental and societal discrimination and legal bars to the practice of its religious beliefs. Members of other Islamic sects, Christians, Sikhs, and Hindus also reported governmental and societal discrimination.

Relations between religious communities remained tense. Societal discrimination against religious minorities was widespread, and societal violence against such groups occurred. Nongovernmental actors, including terrorist and extremist groups and individuals, targeted religious congregations. A domestic insurgency led by religious militants increased acts of violence and intimidation against religious minorities and exacerbated existing sectarian tensions. Extremists demanded that all citizens follow a strict version of Islam and threatened brutal consequences if they did not abide by it. Extremists also targeted violence against Muslims advocating for tolerance and pluralism, including followers of Sufism.

The U.S. government discusses religious freedom with the government as part of its overall policy to promote human rights. During the reporting period, U.S. embassy officials closely monitored the treatment of religious minorities, worked to eliminate the teaching of religious intolerance, and encouraged the amendment or repeal of the blasphemy laws.

Pakistan

 

[Cityboy]

full report is on

2010 Report on International Religious Freedom

for,

China (includes Tibet, Hong Kong, Macau)

India=http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2010/148792.htm

Pakistan=http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2010/148800.htm