Recently, the US State Department has included Pakistan and China among ten countries listed as having particular concern for violating religious freedom. This recent designation is a part of the annual International Religious Freedom (IRF) Report, released in 2019. The report surveys religious freedom conditions globally.
Top tier recognition: Country of Particular Concern (CPC)
The designation of a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) is the highest level of recommendation given by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) in relation to breaches of international religious freedom. This designation is then followed by the Special Watch List Countries for severe violations.
This ranking system comes from the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, designed to promote religious freedom as a key aspect of US foreign policy. The Act encourages greater religious freedom in nations that either participate in or tolerate violations of such freedoms. It also aims to advocate for individuals abroad who face persecution due to their religious beliefs and activities.
The countries currently on the CPC list for partaking in or tolerating systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom include: Pakistan, China, Myanmar, Eritrea, Iran, Nigeria, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. A notable mention is Nigeria, which is the first secular democracy to be named a CPC.
Excluded from CPC list: India, Russia, Syria and Vietnam
Interestingly, the State Department did not accept the USCIRF’s recommendation to include India, Russia, Syria, and Vietnam as CPCs. The USCIRF had previously downgraded India’s religious freedom to the lowest grade in the CPC category.
India’s Stance on Religious Freedom
The Indian government rejected the USCIRF’s report, asserting that foreign governments have no standing to comment on the status of its citizens’ constitutionally protected rights.
Special Watch List: Severe Violators
The Special Watch list includes governments that have engaged in or tolerated severe violations of religious freedom. The current list consists of Comoros, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Russia. Sudan and Uzbekistan were previously listed, but were removed based on tangible progress made by their respective governments over the past year.
Entities of Particular Concern
This list includes al-Qaida, Boko Haram (based in Nigeria), the Houthis (from Yemen), ISIS (Islamic State), ISIS-Greater Sahara, ISIS-West Africa, and the Taliban amongst others.
Freedom of Religion in India
In India, the freedom of religion is a fundamental right safeguarded by Articles 25-28 of the Constitution of India. These articles encompass the freedom of conscience, free profession, practice and propagation of religion, freedom to manage religious affairs, freedom from payment of taxes for promotion of any particular religion, and freedom relating to attendance at religious instruction or worship in certain educational institutions. Additional protection for the interest of minorities are provided under Articles 29 and 30 of the Constitution.