Pakistan again named in US religious discrimination watch list
21 December, 2019 01:19
Pakistan again named in US religious discrimination watch list of the Countries of Particular Concern.
Reports from Washington DC had it that the US Department of State has retained Pakistan among the countries that tolerate religious discrimination.
In this regard, State Department released statement on Friday.
Pakistan again named in
However, Pakistan doesn’t feel alone because US named many others in that list.
China and Iran also included
Interestingly, US ensured get together of its own ally Saudi Arabia with arch rival Iran besides Pakistan and China.
However, the US list also includes Myanmar, Eritrea, North Korea, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan among the CPC.
US selective stance
The State Department makes these designations under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. Furthermore, it classified them for having engaged in or tolerated systematic, ongoing, [and] egregious violations of religious freedom.
Countries in this category can face further actions, including the United States’ economic sanctions.
The State Department also renewed the placement of Comoros, Russia and Uzbekistan on a Special Watch List (SWL).
However, they listed as the governments that have engaged in or tolerated severe violations of religious freedom. Cuba, Nicaragua, Nigeria and Sudan also remain in that list.
Sudan was moved to the SWL due to significant steps which the civilian-led transitional government took to address the previous government’s systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom.
The watch list includes countries where religious freedom conditions do not rise to the statutory level requiring CPC designation. But that require close monitoring due to the nature and extent of violations of religious freedom engaged in or tolerated by the governments.
US hypocrisy
Interestingly, analysts see US hypocrisy behind such listing because the State Department also designated Al-Nusra Front, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, Al Qaeda, Al-Shabab, Boko Haram, the Houthis, ISIS, ISIS-Khorasan and Taliban as Entities of Particular Concern.
Since some countries and groups don’t fall in such category, yet US equate them to confuse factual position.
Although US assert these designations underscore the United States’ commitment to protect those who seek to exercise their freedom of religion or belief, facts remain vice versa
US never took action against Israel
Ludicrously, US say it believes that everyone, everywhere, at all times, should have the right to live according to the dictates of their conscience.
Factually speaking, US have never helped Palestinians and Kashmiris substantially. Instead, Washington DC preferred its relations with India and Israel by not imposing crippling sanctions against them.
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