Targeting The World’s Worst Religious Persecutors
Doug Bandow ("Forbes," June 13, 2011)
The most important test of a government’s legitimacy is whether it protects
basic human rights, most obviously life and liberty. The foundation is
freedom conscience, including religious liberty. Governments unwilling to re
spect their citizen’s faith in God and view of the transcendent are not
likely to treat people with dignity in other ways.
The imperfections of the American political system are obvious. Many
foreign governments are far worse, leaving Washington policymakers permanently
tempted to try to fix other states. Alas, the U.S. rarely can do much to
transform authoritarian regimes. Even war offers little hope of creating free
and just societies, at least at reasonable cost. Iraq demonstrates the price
of supposedly humanitarian military intervention, especially to the people
supposedly being liberated. And it is still far from clear how much
freedom Iraqis will ultimately enjoy.
Nevertheless, the American president possesses a great bully pulpit and can
name and shame foreign malefactors. Equally important are private people
and organizations in highlighting abuses and aiding victims. Often
individual people and families can be saved even in the midst of brutal
persecution.
Unfortunately, the picture of religious liberty around the world is not
pretty. While there have been instances of progress over the last year, most
of the news is bad. In its latest annual assessment the United States
Commission on International Religious Freedom finds “severe violations of
religious freedom and related human rights over the past year.” Common is
official
state persecution as well as pervasive social discrimination and violence
unconstrained by and sometimes aided by government.
Brutalizing religious minorities often further destabilizes already fragile
systems, with sometimes important foreign policy implications. Observes
the USCIRF: “many of the countries where there are serious challenges to
freedom of religion or belief are strategically vital to their neighbors, our
own nation, and the world.”
Although there is great variety among persecuting states, two
characteristics stand out: Islamic national or regional majorities and
Communist or
former Communist ideologies. Of the 25 nations singled out as the worst
abusers
by the Commission, 11 are majority Muslim and 10 are Communist/former
Communist.
The Commission recommended that 14 countries be designated as a Country of
Particular Concern, which requires the State Department to act—by, for
instance, imposing sanctions—or formally waive the penalty. CPC, explains the
USCIRF, is used for “governments that have engaged in or tolerated ‘
particularly severe’ violations of religious freedom.” Despite previous
Commission recommendations, the State Department currently only invokes the
label in
eight cases, and in two of those has issued waivers. Politics still reigns
supreme.
Burma is the only majority Buddhist nation on the list, though Sri Lanka is
a lesser Buddhist offender. The so-called State Peace and Development
Council, nominally replaced by a new civilian government, is not so much
pro-Buddhist as anti-any person of faith who challenges the junta. Burma,
explains the Commission, “remains one of the world’s worst human rights
violators.
” At particular risk are largely Christian ethnic groups, such as the
Karen, which long have been fighting for autonomy. Such minorities suffer from
the military’s systematic brutality, which includes conscripting civilians
as porters and destroying homes and villages, as well as widespread rape
and murder. However, the regime also has targeted Buddhist monks for
supporting peaceful democracy protests in 2007.
Potential superpower China is growing economically but appears to be
regressing in terms of human rights. In some regions there is more space for
religious faith, but the authorities continue to target the genuine (as opposed
to “patriotic”) Catholic Church and evangelical house churches. Moreover,
notes the USCIRF: “Religious freedom conditions for Tibetan Buddhists and
Uighur Muslims remain particularly acute as the government broadened its
efforts to discredit and imprison religious leaders.”
Eritrea’s population is closely divided between Muslims and Christians. The
government resembles that of Burma, focused on maintaining absolute power
at all costs. Thus, reports the Commission, “systematic, ongoing, and
egregious religious freedom violations continue,” including arbitrary arrest,
torture, and death. The regime also interferes with worship activities,
especially of groups which lack official recognition.
Theocratic Iran is noted for the ruthlessness with which Muslim clerics and
their allies hold onto power. Over the last year, says the USCIRF, “
religious freedom conditions continued to deteriorate, especially for
religious
minorities such as Baha’is, Christians and Sufi Muslims.” Members of
disfavored faiths face “prolonged detention, torture, and executions based
primarily or entirely upon the religious of the accused.”
North Korea may be the worst government on earth, a continuing example of
the poverty and brutality of Communism. With its rulers (the so-called Great
and Dear Leaders) accorded near-divine status, the regime unsurprisingly
attempts to suppress religious belief. The government engages in “
discrimination and harassment of both authorized and unauthorized religious
activity;
the arrest, torture, and possible execution of those conducting
clandestine religious activity;” and much more.
American ally Saudi Arabia may be as totalitarian as North Korea, though
with Islam replacing Communism. Notes the Commission, the House of Saud bans “
all forms of public religious expression other than that of the government’
s own interpretation of one school of Sunni Islam.” Other believers are
not even safe worshipping in their homes, and “Almost 10 years since the
September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, the Saudi government has
failed to implement a number of promised reforms related to religious practice
and tolerance.” Indeed, Riyadh is actively promoting extremist and
intolerant views in madrassas and mosques around the world.
Sudan suffered through one of the longest internal conflicts, which for
years placed the Islamic national government against Christians and animists
who sought regional autonomy. Although that conflict was seemingly settled
with the creation of a separate southern state, boundary skirmishes have
begun. Moreover, the USCIRF warns that Khartoum government continues to impose
sharia law, criminalize conversion away from Islam, and deny “the rights
of non-Muslims to public religious expression and persuasion.”
Uzbekistan is one of the many pieces of the former Soviet Union and an
equal opportunity oppressor. Notes the Commission: “The Uzbek government
violates the full range of human rights and harshly penalizes individuals for
independent religious activity, regardless of their religious affiliation.”
Muslims, too, suffer from persecution.
The “Arab spring” came to Egypt, but a winter gale hit Coptic Christians.
Discrimination and violence have been problems for years. However, notes
the Commission: “The Egyptian government has failed to protect religious
minorities, particularly Coptic Christians, from violent attacks, including
during the transitional period when minority communities are increasingly
vulnerable.” The situation may further deteriorate as the nation moves through
an uncertain political transition.
Iraq is freer without Saddam Hussein as dictator, but that also means
Islamic extremists are much freer to attack religious minorities. Notes the
USCIRF: “members of the country’s smallest religious minorities suffer from
targeted violence, threats, and intimidation, against which the government
does not provide effective protection.” Perhaps half of the original
Christian community has fled the country. Few of these “Assyrian” Christians,
whose ancestors predate the arrival of Islam, are likely to return.
Nigeria is another divided country. The northern Muslim majority provinces
exploded into violence after the recent election of the Christian
president, who took over when his Muslim predecessor died. Unfortunately,
notes the
Commission, “Years of inaction by Nigeria’s federal and state governments
have created a climate of impunity, resulting in thousands of deaths.” The
panel cites other concerns, including the expansion of sharia into criminal
law and “discrimination against minority communities of Christians and
Muslims.”
Pakistan is not yet a Muslim theocracy, but the public space for Christians
and other religious minorities is closing rapidly. This state, says the
USCIRF, “continues to be responsible for systematic, ongoing, and egregious
violations of freedom of religion or belief.” A federal minister (Christian)
and state governor (Muslim) were murdered earlier this year for opposing
the blasphemy laws, which are routinely abused to victimize Christians and
others. Indeed, the Commission warns, “Sectarian and religiously-motivated
violence is chronic,” with perpetrators rarely punished for their crimes.
Pakistan increasingly looks like an unstable bomb with a shrinking fuse.
Turkmenistan is another Central Asian state which won its independence when
the U.S.S.R. broke up. Despite some relaxation of controls after the death
of the long-time dictator in 2007, notes the panel, “Police raids and
other harassment of registered and unregistered religious groups continue.”
Vietnam remains avowedly Communist in politics despite Hanoi’s discovery of
the market. Although shamed by its official designation as a CPC, the
regime, explains the USCIRF, “continues to control religious communities,
severely restrict and penalize independent religious practice, and brutally
repress individuals and groups viewed as challenging its authority.” Activity
by non-approved organizations is prohibited and the government mimics
Islamic states in strongly discouraging conversion.
Unfortunately, these countries are not alone. The USCIRF placed another 11
nations on its Watch List, which is for “countries where the serious
violations of religious freedom engaged in or tolerated by the governments do
not
meet the CPC threshold but require close monitoring.”
These discreditable states are: Afghanistan, Belarus, Cuba, India,
Indonesia, Laos, Russia, Somalia, Tajikistan, Turkey, and Venezuela.
Afghanistan,
Indonesia, Somalia, and Turkey are Muslim. Belarus, Cuba, Laos, Russia, and
Tajikistan are Communist/former Communist, with Venezuela a fellow traveler
moving in a more authoritarian direction. India is the standout as a
majority Hindu nation with frequent attacks on Muslims as well as Christians.
Many other nations actively persecute or tolerate private intimidation and
violence, just not as egregiously. Even in Canada and Europe both left-wing
political correctness and fear of retaliation by Islamic extremists have
begun to limit the freedom of Christians to proselytize and preach. France
has banned women from wearing the burqa.
The freedom to believe, or not believe, in God and respond accordingly—as
individuals, families, and communities—is precious. Sadly, much of humankind
is denied this most fundamental right.
While Washington cannot make the world free, Americans can reach out and
help their oppressed brothers and sisters around the globe. Persecution
should be highlighted and denounced; victims of intolerance, hate, and
violence
should be comforted and supported. Finally, if America is to remain free,
Americans must tenaciously defend religious liberty at home.
____________________________________
--
Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community
<[email protected]>
Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism
Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org
