US State Department Annual Report on Religious Freedoms: Secretary Blinken Warns of “Worrying” Countries

On Friday, the US State Department announced its annual classification of religious freedoms, while Secretary Anthony Blinken mentioned a number of countries that constitute a “cause for concern.”

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in statement “The challenges facing freedom of religion around the world are structural, systemic and deeply entrenched.”

He expressed his hope that “one day we will witness a world in which everyone lives in dignity and equality in the event of thoughtful and sustained commitment from those who refuse to accept hatred, intolerance, and persecution as the status quo.”

The classification reveals that some countries are still on the list of “worrying” countries, including Arab countries: Saudi Arabia, Burma (Myanmar), China, Cuba, North Korea, Eritrea, Iran, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

The classification noted that “countries of concern are involved in, or tolerate, gross violations of freedom of religion.”

The classification also placed a number of countries on a special watch list for their involvement in or tolerance of violations of freedom of religion, which include: Algeria, Azerbaijan, Central Africa, the Comoros and Vietnam.

The report included classifications of several entities as “worrying,” which include: Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, the Houthis, the Islamic State in the Sahel and West Africa, the Group to Support Islam and Muslims affiliated with Al-Qaeda, and the Taliban.

Blinken said, “The world is also witnessing gross violations of freedom of religion in countries that have not been designated,” calling on governments to “put an end to violations similar to attacks on members of religious minorities and their places of worship, acts of sectarian violence, and long-term imprisonment for peaceful expression, transnational repression, and calls for violence against… Religious sects.

He pointed out that “promoting freedom of religion or belief is a fundamental goal of American foreign policy since Congress approved and issued the International Religious Freedom Act in 1998.”

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2024-01-05 20:26:07