May 20, 2002

International Freedom panel warns
of war allies' records on religion
___By Robert Marus
___ABP Washington Bureau
___WASHINGTON (ABP)--Some of the United States' best allies in the war on terrorism also have the worst records on abuses of religious liberty, according to a new report.
___The U.S. Commission on International Freedom, in its annual report released May 6, cited concern that America might compromise on religious-freedom issues in order to strengthen ties with new allies like Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia and Sudan. All three countries made a listing of worst offenders in the 71-page report on the state of religious freedom around the world.
___"The United States should not compromise its commitment to promoting human rights--including religious freedom--during the campaign against terrorism, and should not trade off that commitment for the cooperation of foreign governments in that campaign," according to the report.
___The report warned that the U.S. should ensure any steps taken to improve relations with China, Russia, Pakistan and other nations "do not undermine its human rights message to the governments of these countries."
___Specific concerns cited in the report involving nations that are cooperating in America's war on terrorism included:
___ China. Despite signing several human-rights treaties, China's government "has continued to commit severe violations of freedom of religion and belief," the commission said. The report labeled "numerous egregious violations" committed against evangelical and Catholic Christians, Tibetan Buddhists, Uighur Muslims and other groups, such as the Falun Gong, that the government has labeled "evil cults."
___ Sudan. The commission, in its past two reports, has labeled Sudan "the world's most violent abuser of the right to freedom of religion and belief." Religion is a major factor in Sudan's civil war between the Muslim north and African south, the report continued. Other human rights and humanitarian violations under the Khartoum regime include aerial bombing of civilians and of humanitarian facilities, deliberate denial of humanitarian assistance, abduction of women and children into slavery and the forcible displacement of populations from oil-producing areas.
___ Uzbekistan. The conditions for religious freedom in the former Soviet republic "are very poor," according to the report. "In addition to a highly restrictive law on religion that severely limits the ability of minority religions to function, the Uzbek government in recent years has been harshly cracking down on Muslim individuals, groups, and mosques that do not conform to government-prescribed ideas on how the Islamic faith should be practiced and expressed."
___ Saudi Arabia. "The government of Saudi Arabia denies religious freedom and vigorously enforces its prohibition against all forms of public religious expression other than that of those who follow the government's interpretation and presentation of the Hanbali school of Sunni Islam," the commission reported. "Numerous Christians and Shi'a Muslims continue to be detained, imprisoned and deported."
___The commission also complained that the State Department and administration haven't done enough to impose sanctions and incentives on religious-freedom abusers called for in a 1998 law.
___The International Religious Freedom Act, which established both the religious-freedom commission and an ambassador-at-large for religious freedom in the State Department, allows the president a range of tools for dealing with nations labeled "countries of particular concern." The commission faulted the administration for inaction against those countries and for not adding Saudi Arabia and Turkmenistan to the list in its own reporting.
___The commission also criticized a year-and-a-half delay in filling a vacancy in the religious-freedom ambassador post, causing efforts to promote religious freedom around the world to suffer "significantly."
___The commission praised President Bush, however, for emphasizing religious freedom during his February trip to China. While there, Bush gave a nationally televised and uncensored speech touting the importance of individual freedoms, including freedom of belief and worship.

Get printer-friendly version of this story


Send this story to a friend



News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

---

Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!/ Signup for FirstLook