“There is no justification for the State Department’s failure to recognize Nigeria or India as gross violators of religious freedom, as each clearly meets the legal standards for the CPC designation. »

Each year, pursuant to the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA), the US President reviews the status of religious freedom around the world and lists countries whose governments have committed or tolerated “very serious violations of religious freedom”. At the end of this examination, a list is compiled, namely a special monitoring list, a list of countries that are of special concern and a list of entities that are of special concern.

On November 30, the US Department of State published it list. The Secretary of State placed Burma, the People’s Republic of China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan on the list of countries of particular concern. That puts Algeria, Central African Republic, Comoros and Vietnam on a special watch list. He eventually put Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Houthis, ISIS-Sahel (formerly known as ISIS-Greater Sahara), ISIS-West Africa, Jamaat Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin, Taliban and Wagner Grouped by his actions in the Central African Republic on the list of entities of particular concern.

Among those absent from this list, Nigeria and India. USCIRF, the American commission on international religious freedom, was outraged at this, as evidenced by the words of its director, Nury Turkel, who denounced “State Department failure”.

“There is no justification for the State Department’s failure to recognize Nigeria or India as gross violators of religious freedom, as each clearly meets the legal standards for the CPC designation. USCIRF is deeply disappointed that the Secretary of State has failed to implement our recommendations and acknowledge the seriousness of the violations of religious freedom that have been documented by USCIRF and the Department of State in these countries. . The State Department’s own report includes many examples of very serious violations of religious freedom in Nigeria and India. »

Another disappointment was expressed by USCIRF Vice President, Abraham Cooper, the absence of Afghanistan on this same list, even though the Taliban was placed on the list of entities of particular concern.

“USCIRF is disappointed that the State Department did not include Afghanistan on the CPC this year. Although he changed the name of the Taliban to ‘Special Concern Entities’, or EPC, this does not reflect the fact that the group is the country’s de facto government. »

CM

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