“Discouraged by deteriorating conditions of freedom of religion or belief” USCIRF releases annual report
"USCIRF is discouraged by the deteriorating conditions of freedom of religion or belief in some countries, particularly Iran, where authorities have harassed, arrested, tortured, and sexually assaulted people peacefully protesting mandatory religious laws. hijab, alongside their brutal and continued crackdown on minority religious communities."
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) yesterday released its annual report 2023. It reports on the events that took place in 2022 and provides recommendations to strengthen the promotion of freedom of religion or belief internationally.
Its president, Nury Turkel, expressed the Commission's discouragement.
"USCIRF is discouraged by the deteriorating conditions of freedom of religion or belief in some countries, particularly Iran, where authorities have harassed, arrested, tortured, and sexually assaulted people peacefully protesting mandatory religious laws. hijab, alongside their brutal and continued crackdown on minority religious communities."
This year, 17 countries were identified as countries of particular concern. Their governments commit or condone "systematic, continuous and flagrant violations" of the right to freedom of religion or belief. These are Burma, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, Nicaragua, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, as in 2022, countries plus five additional recommendations, Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, Syria and Vietnam.
Seven non-state actors were cited as "entities of particular concern": al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, the Houthis, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (EIGS), the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP or ISIS-West Africa) and Jamaat Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM).
Eleven countries were subsequently placed on the special watch list: Algeria, Central African Republic, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Uzbekistan. This is the first time that Sri Lanka has been placed on this list.
Apart from these nominations, USCIRF also depicts significant global developments and trends related to religious freedom in 2022. These include “religious freedom issues in Europe.” Nury Turkel calls on the Biden administration to implement USCIRF recommendations.
MC
