General Studies- II (Effect of policies of developed countries on India’s interests)
Editorial In-Depth
22 April 2021
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an independent bi-partisan commission, has recommended for the second year in the row that the State Department put India on a list (‘Countries of Particular Concern’ or CPCs) for the worst violations of religious freedoms in 2020.
One out of the ten USCIRF commissioners presented a dissenting view.
Recommendations of USCIRF:
- The administration impose targeted sanctions on Indian individuals and entities for ‘severe violations of religious freedom’.
- To promote inter-faith dialogue and the rights of all communities at bilateral and multilateral forums “such as the ministerial of the Quadrilateral [the Quad].”
- Another recommendation – to the U.S. Congress – was to raise issues in the U.S. – India bilateral space, such as by hosting hearings, writing letters and constituting Congressional delegations.
USCIRF recommendations are non-binding and the Trump administration had rejected the USCIRF recommendation to designate India a CPC last year, when it released its own determinations in December.
The key concerns of the 2021 report include:
- The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) which went into effect in early 2020 and fast-tracks citizenship for non-Muslim refugees from South Asian countries meeting certain other criteria.
- The report says, “Mobs sympathetic to Hindu nationalism operated with impunity,” and used “brutal force” to attack Muslims in Delhi’s riots in February 2020.
- On the National Register of Citizens (NRC), the report says, “The consequences of exclusion – as exemplified by a large detention camp being built in Assam – are potentially devastating…”
- Efforts to prohibit interfaith marriage – such as those in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh – are also highlighted as a concern.
- These efforts targeting and delegitimizing interfaith relationships have led to attacks and arrests of non-Hindus and to innuendo, suspicion, and violence toward any interfaith interaction.
- In an apparent reference to the Tablighi Jamaat Markaz in March 2020, the USCIRF says, “At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, disinformation and hateful rhetoric – including from government officials – often targeted religious minorities, continuing familiar patterns.”
Other countries in CPC list:
- Other new recommendations for the CPC list in the Commission’s 2021 were Russia, Syria and Vietnam.
- Countries already on the CPCs list and recommended by USCIRF for re-designation were Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
What does “Country of Particular Concern” mean?
“Country of Particular Concern” or “CPC” is a designation by the Secretary of State of a nation engaged in severe violations of religious freedom under International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA).
- The IRFA defines particularly severe violations of religious freedom as systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom.
- It include violations such as torture, degrading treatment or punishment, prolonged detention without charges, abduction or clandestine detention, or other flagrant denial of the right to life, liberty, or the security of persons.
- The President’s authority to designate CPCs has been delegated to the Secretary of State.
What is a “Special Watch List” (SWL) country?
A “Special Watch List” country is one that is deemed not to meet all of the CPC criteria but engages in or tolerates severe violations of religious freedom.
- This country category was established in the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2016.
- This act amended the IRFA to provide the U.S. Government new tools, resources, and responsibilities to advance and promote international religious freedom.
- The Secretary of State, under authority delegated by the President, designates a Special Watch List.
What is ‘International Religious Freedom Report’?
It is an annual Report to Congress on International Religious Freedom by U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).
- The IRF Report describes the status of religious freedom, government policies violating religious belief and practices of groups, religious denominations and individuals, and U.S. policies promoting religious freedom.
- The report is a survey of the state of religious freedom across the world.
What is Religious Freedom?
- Inherent in religious freedom is the right to believe or not believe as one’s conscience leads, and live out one’s beliefs openly, peacefully, and without fear.
- Freedom of religion or belief is an expansive right that includes the freedoms of thought, conscience, expression, association, and assembly.
Why America do care about other countries’ Religious Freedom?
While religious freedom is America’s first freedom, it also is a core human right international law and treaty recognize.
- It is a necessary component of U.S. foreign policy and America’s commitment to defending democracy and freedom globally.
- It is a vital element of national security, critical to ensuring a more peaceful, prosperous, and stable world.
What is the U. S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)?
USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission created by the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA).
- The IRFA monitors the universal right to freedom of religion or belief abroad.
- The IRFA requires an annual review of the status of religious freedom worldwide and the designation of countries that have “engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom” during the reporting period.
- USCIRF uses international standards to monitor religious freedom violations globally, and makes policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress.
Composition of USCIRF:
USCIRF Commissioners are appointed by the President and Congressional leaders of both political parties.
- Their work is supported by a professional, nonpartisan staff.
- USCIRF is separate from the State Department, although the Department’s Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom is a non-voting ex officio Commissioner.
Source: The Hindu
