US lists Saudi among religious freedom violators

Middle-East-Enline ^ | 11/09/05 | Peter Mackler

[Valin]

Washington renews blacklist of eight countries considered violators of religious freedoms including Saudi Arabia, Iran.

The United States on Tuesday renewed its blacklist of eight countries considered violators of religious freedoms, turning back requests to add Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice extended the designation of US ally Saudi Arabia as a "country of particular concern" as well as that of China, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Vietnam, Eritrea and Sudan. "These are countries where governments have engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom over the past year," Rice told a news conference. "We are committed to seeking improvements in each of these countries," she said. Countries face US government sanctions on various fronts 180 days after being included in the blacklist.

The announcement was made along with the separate release of the State Department's seventh annual report on international religious freedom which took several US foes and friends alike to task for a lack of progress. "In some countries we find that governments have modified laws and policies, improved enforcement or taken other concrete steps to increase and demonstrate respect for religious freedom," Rice said. "In far too many countries, however, governments still fail to safeguard religious freedom. Across the globe, people are still persecuted or killed for practicing their religion, or even for just being believers."

The report branded Myanmar, China, North Korea and Cuba as countries using "totalitarian or authoritarian actions to control religious belief or practice" but removed Vietnam from the list, citing "signficant" progress. Vietnam joined a list of seven countries, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Sudan, Uzbekistan, Eritrea and Laos that exhibited "state hostility toward minority or non-approved religions," according to the State Department.

The State Department annually blacklists countries for alleged religious freedom violations based on recommendations from a commission jointly appointed by President George W. Bush and Congress. Rice's predecessor Colin Powell added Eritrea, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam to the blacklist in September 2004. But there has been no word on whether they faced any US action.

The recommending panel, called the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, said in May that it had sought to designate Pakistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan as "countries of particular concern." The commission said at the time it found the three governments had "engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom." But the three were absent from the list released Tuesday, US officials said.

The State Department report does list Pakistan as one of the countries that has "discriminatory legislation or policies prejudicial to certain religions," imposing elements of Islamic law on Muslims and religious minorities." "The government took steps to improve the treatment of religious minorities, but there were instances in which authorities failed to intervene in cases of societal violence directed at minority religious groups," it said. Uzbekistan, considered hostile to non-approved religions showed a "slight decine in the already poor status of religious freedom" with the government continuing its campaign against unauthorized Islamic groups. Turkmenistan was cited among the countries that made 'significant improvements" in the promotion of religious freedom. On Saudi Arabia, the State Department did not budge from its determination that "freedom of religion does not exist" and basic religious rights are denied to all but those who follow the state-sanctioned Sunni faith.

Washington's other key Middle East ally, Israel, also came in for some criticism in the report despite the Jewish state's pledge to provide full social and political equality for all. "Some non-Jews, primarily Arab Muslims and Christians, continued to experience discrimination in the areas of education, housing, and employment," the department said. It also chided European allies Belgium, France and Germany, listing them among Western governments that "continued to use restrictive legislation and practices to brand minority religions as dangerous 'cults' or 'sects.'"

[USF]

Only 8? Pffft.

The Department of State Dhimmitude strikes again.

[From One - Many]

State Dept. being as stupid as stupid can be.
If the State Dept. is going to lie, they should
at least try to make it believable.

[river rat]

I'm shocked, shocked I tell you...

Semper Fi