Countries of Particular Concern: US

• 09 Dec 2020

Why in News

Recently, the US State Department has designated Pakistan and China among eight other countries that are of particular concern for violation of religious freedom.

• Earlier, the US State Department had released its annual International Religious Freedom (IRF) Report in 2019, which is a survey of the state of religious freedom across the world.

Key Points

• Country of Particular Concern (CPC):
  
  • Designation of the CPC is the top tier recommendation by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) when it comes to violation of international religious freedom. It is followed by Special Watch List Countries for severe violations.
    
    • This is in line with the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 which was passed to promote religious freedom as a foreign policy of the United States.
    • The Act aims to promote greater religious freedom in countries which engage in or tolerate violations of religious freedom, and to advocate on the behalf of individuals persecuted for their religious beliefs and activities in foreign countries.
  • Nations on the CPC list for engaging in or tolerating systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom are Pakistan, China, Myanmar, Eritrea, Iran, Nigeria, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
    
    • Nigeria is the first secular democracy that has been named a CPC.
  • Notably, the State Department did not accept the USCIRF recommendation that India, Russia, Syria and Vietnam be also designated as CPCs.
    
    • Earlier, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF report) had downgraded India’s religious freedom to the lowest grade in the ‘Country of Particular Concern (CPC) category.
    • India’s Stand:
      
      • The Indian government had rejected the report by asserting that there is no locus standi for a foreign government to comment on the state of its citizens' constitutionally protected rights.
• Special Watch List: Governments that have engaged in or tolerated "severe violations of religious freedom” are included in this list.
  
  • Comoros, Cuba, Nicaragua and Russia are on the list.
  • Sudan and Uzbekistan have been removed from the list based on significant, concrete progress undertaken by their respective governments over the past year.
• Entities of Particular Concern: This list includes al-Qaida, Boko Haram (based in Nigeria), the Houthis (of Yemen), ISIS (Islamic State), ISIS-Greater Sahara, ISIS-West Africa, and the Taliban, etc.

Freedom of Religion in India

• Freedom of religion in India is a fundamental right guaranteed by Article 25-28 of the Constitution of India.
  • Article 25 (Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion).
  • Article 26 (Freedom to manage religious affairs).
  • Article 27 (Freedom as to payment of taxes for promotion of any particular religion).
  • Article 28 (Freedom as to attendance at religious instruction or religious worship in certain educational institutions)
• Further Article 29 and 30 of the Constitution deal with the protection of interest of minorities.

Source:IE