The United States encourages every country to uphold its commitment to protect religious freedom for all, a State Department spokesperson said Tuesday but parried questions about why India was not on the department\u2019s list of countries guilty of severe violations of religious freedom.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe carefully monitor the religious freedom situation in every country and we encourage each government to uphold its commitments to protect the religious freedom of all \u2013 for all and engage officials around the world to regularly take steps that advance this core issue of religious freedom,\u201d Spokesperson Vedant Patel said in response to a question from a private Pakistani tv channel\u2019s correspondent about India\u2019s omission from the so-called list of \u2018countries of particular concern (CPC).\u201d<\/p>\n
But the correspondent came back and pointedly asked as to why the \u201cbiggest violator of religious freedom\u201d \u2014 India \u2014 has been kept out of the CPCs, despite a recommendation by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), a separate agency monitoring the state of religious freedom around the world.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet me say clearly that we strongly oppose laws or actions from any country around the world that impede the ability of any individual to choose faith, practice a faith \u2013 change their religion, participate in a religion, or tell others about their religious beliefs and practices,\u201d Patel said, again evading the question.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe think that countries must protect that right of freedom of religion or belief. And again, we carefully monitor the religious freedom situation in every country. And we encourage each government to uphold its commitment to protect religious freedom for all,\u201d Patel added.<\/p>\n
The annual US report on international religious freedom was released in Washington, ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s official visit to Washington next month during which he will have talks with President Joe Biden and other administration officials.<\/p>\n
While briefing journalists on the report on Monday, a senior US State Department official, who declined to be identified by name, also avoided referring to \u2018countries of concern\u2019, but did denounce the continuing \u2018targeted\u201d attacks against Muslims and other minorities in India and called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s government to hold the perpetrators accountable.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we outline in today\u2019s (religious freedom) report is a targeted \u2013 continued targeted attacks against religious communities, including Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindu Dalits, and indigenous communities; dehumanizing rhetoric, including open calls for genocide against Muslims; lynching and other hate-fueled violence, attacks on houses of worship and home demolitions, and in some cases impunity and even clemency for those who\u2019ve engaged in attacks on religious minorities \u2013 we\u2019re also continuing to see, at the state level, some restrictions on religious attire,\u201d the official added<\/p>\n
To a question about the political situation in Pakistan, Patel said, \u201cYou have heard me say this a number of times now, for the past few weeks, but I will use this opportunity to say again that we do not choose a political party or a particular candidate when it comes to Pakistan or any country.<\/p>\n
\u201d As it relates to Pakistan, our view is that a strong, stable, prosperous Pakistan is key to a strong and stable U.S.-Pakistan relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The United States encourages every country to uphold its commitment to protect religious freedom for all, a State Department spokesperson said Tuesday but parried questions about why India was not on the department\u2019s list of countries guilty of severe violations of religious freedom. \u201cWe carefully monitor the religious freedom situation in every country and we […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":331759,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-331742","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n