An impartial spiritual freedom watchdog has really helpful that Azerbaijan be included among the many “nations of particular concern” which have dedicated probably the most critical violations of spiritual freedom.
In its annual report launched on Wednesday, the US Fee on Worldwide Non secular Freedom additionally urged the addition of Kyrgyzstan to the division's second-tier “particular watch listing”.
The information comes months after October formally marked the twenty fifth anniversary of the enactment of the Worldwide Non secular Freedom Act. The 1998 Act created the position of Ambassador-at-Massive for Worldwide Non secular Freedom and the Workplace for Worldwide Non secular Freedom throughout the division and a bipartisan fee.
“USCIRF's first annual report, issued in Might 2000, targeted totally on China, Russia, and Sudan,” reads the introduction to the fee's 2024 annual report. probably the most energetic perpetrators of cross-border repression and different dangerous actions overseas, together with the USA.”
9 commissioners introduced the report's findings at a digital occasion on Wednesday.
Commissioner Stephen Schneck mentioned situations in Azerbaijan had lengthy been famous by the Fee, however had worsened in 2023, the 12 months the report focuses on.
“Through the 12 months USCIRF documented a big and alarming improve within the variety of prisoners arrested on the idea of faith or perception in Azerbaijan,” he mentioned of the previous Soviet republic. “Moreover, authorities are recurrently accused of utilizing torture or threats of sexual violence to extract false confessions from detainees, with no accountability for many who commit such violence.”
The commissioners really helpful that the State Division additionally preserve a dozen nations presently designated as “nations of particular concern” that the division has decided are committing “systematic, egregious and chronic” violations of spiritual freedom: Myanmar (which the division refers to as Burma ), China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, Nicaragua, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
Additionally they continued to push for the addition of Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Vietnam to the CPC listing.
Schneck mentioned Kyrgyzstan is being nominated for a particular watch listing by USCIRF for the primary time, partially due to the federal government's focusing on of Muslims who don’t conform to the state's most popular interpretation of their faith and its labeling of peaceable spiritual teams as “extremist.” “
“In 2023, Kyrgyz authorities more and more enforced long-standing restrictive laws regulating faith and punishing peaceable spiritual practices resembling on-line spiritual expression and collective worship and possession of unauthorized spiritual supplies,” he mentioned of the Central Asian nation.
The State Division presently designates Algeria, Azerbaijan, the Central African Republic, the Comoros, and Vietnam as nations on a particular watch listing.
The commissioners really helpful that Algeria stay on this secondary listing and that, along with Kyrgyzstan, the next nations be added: Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Turkey and Uzbekistan.
Their 102-page report famous international developments, together with the USCIRF's identification of 96 nations with blasphemy legal guidelines that punish spiritual speech and acts “thought-about offensive or offensive” with the demise penalty, jail phrases and fines. She additionally cited the destruction of spiritual websites in battle zones and conflicts, together with the oldest mosque and monastery in Gaza and church buildings and monasteries within the battle between Israel and Hamas; homes of worship in Ukraine since Russia invaded that nation; and assaults on mosques and church buildings in Sudan.
The report famous “an alarming international improve in anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim hatred throughout 2023”, firstly of the 12 months and on account of the battle between Israel and Hamas.
Rabbi Abraham Cooper, the fee's outgoing chairman, famous that the fee's work touches its members personally, with a few of them or their households affected by the spiritual freedom points they handle. He reiterated his because of the Rev. Fred Davie, USCIRF vice chairman, for becoming a member of him because the delegation left for Saudi Arabia when the rabbi was requested to take away his kippah, or yarmulke, throughout their go to in March.
Cooper additionally mentioned that each one the commissioners face questions throughout their journeys abroad about how they’ll, as representatives of the US, level out violations of the spiritual freedom of others when their very own nations additionally undergo from spiritual hatred.
“It's a good query,” Cooper mentioned on the conclusion of the occasion asserting the information. “It's one thing we're going to should take care of day-after-day. However we are able to additionally level to the truth that because the world's largest democracy, we take care of hate by confronting it. We don't sweep it below the rug.” We don't imagine it's not there.”
© Non secular Intelligence Service
