United States releases 2023 religious freedom report for more than 200 countries
On Wednesday (local time), US Secretary of State Antony Blinken released the State Department’s 2023 religious freedom report for over 200 countries, noting a “concerning increase” in hate speech, anti-conversion laws, and demolition of homes and places of worship for people belonging to minority groups in India.
In his remarks during the report’s release, Blinken stated that religious freedom is still not recognized by millions of people worldwide. He also stated that people were making significant attempts to defend religious freedom.
Opposition parties accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “hate speech” during the Lok Sabha election campaign. At a rally in Rajasthan, PM Modi claimed that the Congress intended to distribute people’s hard-earned money to “infiltrators” and “those who have more children”. The BJP disputed the allegations and fired back at the Congress.
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‘Concerning rise in hate speech in India’: Antony Blinken
According to the State Department’s religious freedom report, senior US officials continued to express concern about religious freedom issues to their Indian counterparts last year.
“In India, we see a concerning increase in anti-conversion laws, hate speech, demolitions of homes and places of worship for members of minority faith communities. At the same time, people around the world are also working hard to protect religious freedom,” Blinken said.
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Report mentions instances of attack on minorities
The report cited incidents of attacks on minority communities, including as murders and assaults, as well as damage of their places of worship.
Ten of India’s 28 states have legislation banning religious conversions of all faiths. Some states penalize forced conversions for marriage, according to the report.
According to the research, several members of minority groups questioned the government’s ability and willingness to protect them from violence, investigate crimes committed against religious minorities, and guarantee their freedom of religion or belief.
Last year, India rejected the State Department’s religious freedom report on India and said it was based on “misinformation and flawed understanding”.
“Motivated and biased commentary by some US officials only serves to undermine further the credibility of these reports,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
According to political commentators, the US’s criticism of India is often muted due to Washington’s tight economic relations with New Delhi and the latter’s strategic importance in the Biden administration’s efforts to challenge China.
