November 13, 2000
Faith freedom eludes most of world's people
___WASHINGTON (RNS) --About 75 percent of the world's population is subjected to restrictions and violations of their religious freedom, according to a survey by the Freedom House's Center for Religious Freedom.
___Thirty-six percent of people live in countries in which religious liberties are "fundamentally violated," while 39 percent practice their faith under constraints, declared the global survey.
___Religious freedom is rapidly deteriorating in many parts of the world, the report concluded, noting that "recent violence in the Middle East has increasing religious overtones." The report cited Burma, Turkmenistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, North Korea and Tibet as countries with the broadest and most systematic violations of religious liberties.
___"The world's largest countries are worsening," the report said. "After Falun Gong, China has increased its already severe persecution of Buddhists, Christians and Muslims who refuse to submit to state control. In India, there is rapidly escalating violence and propaganda against Christians and other minorities, often with the acquiescence of the government."
___Twenty-five percent of the world's population lives under conditions of broad religious freedom, the report said, singling out Estonia, Finland, Norway, the Netherlands and the United States as countries with the best track records.
___Still, the United States should not neglect the issue of religious liberty worldwide, said Nina Shea, director of the Center for Religious Freedom.
___"The survey shows the need for greater attention in U.S. foreign policy and in the international community to the issue of religious persecution," she said. "While it does not suggest a 'clash of civilizations,' it reveals that religion-related conflict and repression are now a major factor in international life."
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