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China and Pakistan have been designated by the United States as countries that are particularly concerned about violating religious freedom. Both China and Pakistan are among eight other nations with similar concerns, according to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Other countries on the list include Myanmar, Eritrea, Iran, Nigeria, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan who, Pompeo said in a statement on Monday, have been involved in or tolerating “systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom.”
For governments that have engaged or tolerated “serious violations of religious freedom,” the State Department has placed the Comoros, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Russia on a special watch list (SWL).
“Religious freedom is an inalienable right and the foundation on which free societies are built and flourish. Today, as the recent report of the Commission on Unalienable Rights noted, the United States, a nation founded by those fleeing religious persecution, has again taken action to defend those who simply want to exercise this essential freedom,” Pompeo said.
Al-Shabaab, al-Qaida, Boko Haram, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Houthis, ISIS, ISIS-Greater Sahara, ISIS-West Africa, Jamaat Nasr al-Islam wal Muslim, and the Taliban were also designated by the US as ‘Special Concern Entities’.
Pompeo said that due to the total loss of territory formerly controlled by these terrorist organizations, the US did not renew the previous ‘Entity of Particular Concern’ designations for al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula and ISIS-Khorasan.
“While these two groups no longer meet the statutory criteria for designation, we will not rest until we have fully eliminated the threat of religious freedom abuses by any violent extremist and terrorist groups,” he said.
Pompeo said that Sudan and Uzbekistan had been removed from the Special Watch List on the basis of substantial, concrete progress made over the past year by their respective governments.
“Their courageous reforms of their laws and practises stand as models for other nations to follow,” he said.
Our work is far from complete, however. Pompeo said, adding that the US will continue to work tirelessly to end worldwide religiously motivated abuses and persecution and to help ensure that every person has the right to live according to the dictates of conscience, everywhere at all times.
We are gratified that 10 countries have been named CPCs by the State Department. In particular, we welcome the first appointment of Nigeria as a CPC to tolerate gross violations of religious freedom, which the USCIRF has recommended since 2009.
We are encouraged to see that this year’s designation also reflects major advances in religious freedom in Uzbekistan and Sudan, both of which have been removed from the SWL. While the USCIRF recommended earlier in 2020 that these two countries remain on the SWL, the historical progress made in these two countries is undeniable. In other places around the world, we hope that their progress will encourage positive change,” said Vice President Tony Perkins.
Notably, the USCIRF recommendation that India, Russia, Syria, and Vietnam also be designated as CPCs was not accepted by the Department of State.
