US report highlights misuse of religion, attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan
The US State Department's annual report on religious freedom has drawn attention to ongoing issues of misuse of religious narratives and violations of minority rights in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan - prompting calls for condemnation and improved protections for marginalised communities.
US Department of State's 2022 Report on International Religious Freedom, published on Monday (15 May), highlights incidents of attacks against Muslims and Christians, including home demolitions and public flogging in India.
"Regarding these concerns, we are continuing to encourage the government to condemn violence and hold accountable (those) who engage in rhetoric that's dehumanizing towards religious minorities," a senior US official briefed the media seeking anonymity.
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The US report also expresses worries about the rights of minority religious groups and incidents of communal violence in Bangladesh.
It raises issues such as temple damage, the killing of a Buddhist monk, arbitrary detentions on false blasphemy charges under the Digital Security Act, as well as the government's monitoring of mosques for "provocative" messaging.
The report also notes concerns over the well-being of Hindus and Christians in the Muslim-majority refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, as well as the impact of social media in inflaming tensions against religious minorities.
In the report, the US urged India to condemn persistent religious violence and hold accountable those engaging in dehumanising rhetoric towards religious minorities.
While India has previously pushed back against American criticism, it is unlikely to be listed as a "country of particular concern" in the upcoming report by Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
In Pakistan, political leaders are accused of using inflammatory religious language to attack their rivals.
The report specifically mentions the accusation made by Javed Latif, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz party leader, who accused former Prime Minister Imran Khan of "attacking the basic principles of Islam" by supporting the Ahmadiyya community.
"Mr Latif accused Khan of giving interviews to foreign media in which he promised that Qadianis [Ahmadis] will be given religious freedom," the report noted.
The report also highlighted inflammatory tweets by JUI-F leader Maulana Fazlur Rahman, who referred to Khan as a "pro-Qadiani" and a "Jewish agent" on 7 September. In response, leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf accused the government of promoting "religious bigotry and hatred."
It was reported that at least 52 persons were accused of blasphemy or related religion-based criminal charges during 2022, the majority of whom were Ahmadis while at least four received death sentences.
US State Department Spokesperson Vedant Patel said the United States "strongly oppose(s) laws that impede the ability of any individuals … to choose a faith, practice a faith, change their religion, not have a religion, or tell others about their religious beliefs and practices".
The report has found the religious freedom situation in overall Southeast Asia has been poor for 2022. There have been reports of were reports of Hindu mobs attacking Muslim community centres and mosques in Nepal, government arresting and imprisoning Christian pastors for allegedly converting Muslims to Christianity in the Maldives, and government failing to investigate and prosecute attacks on churches and mosques in Sri Lanka.
Based on the outcomes of the report, the US government has called for the protection of minority religious groups and a climate of tolerance in response to these issues.
