US Blacklists Pakistan And China Among Eight Countries That Violate Religious Freedom

The US has placed Pakistan and China on the list of nations that violate religious freedom. These countries are among the eight others on the list.

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New Delhi: Pakistan and China among the eight countries that the US has declared as nations that are concerning due to violation of religious freedom. The Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said in a statement on Monday that ‘Pakistan and China along with Myanmar, Eritrea, Iran, Nigeria, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan were placed in the list for engaging in or tolerating systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom.’ These countries have been placed in the 'Countries of Particular Concern' (CPC) list under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. A report by PTI says that the US State Department has also placed the Comoros, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Russia on a Special Watch List (SWL) for governments that have engaged in or tolerated severe violations of religious freedom. "Religious freedom is an unalienable right, and the bedrock upon which free societies are built and flourish. Today, the United States -- a nation founded by those fleeing religious persecution, as the recent Commission on Unalienable Rights report noted -- once again took action to defend those who simply want to exercise this essential freedom, Pompeo said. Some countries such as Sudan and Uzbekistan have been removed from the Special Watch List for the reforms taken by the governments over the past year. "Their courageous reforms of their laws and practices stand as models for other nations to follow," Pompeo said. Vice-Chair Tony Perkins said, "We are encouraged to see that the designation this year also reflects significant advancements in religious freedom in Uzbekistan and Sudan, which were both removed from the SWL. While USCIRF recommended earlier in 2020 that these two countries stay on the SWL, it is undeniable the historic progress that has been made in these two countries. We hope that their progress encourages positive change in other places around the world." The US also designated al-Shabaab, al-Qaida, Boko Haram, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Houthis, ISIS, ISIS-Greater Sahara, ISIS-West Africa, Jamaat Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin and the Taliban as 'Entities of Particular Concern'.