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| This doesn't give Freedoms, it is supposed to protect them |
Ok, so I can’t ignore this. The US State Department
released its report on religious freedom. The government uses this report as
both a PR thing and as a guide to implement economic sanctions, which they are
still doing to seem as if they are strong on the human rights issue of
religious freedom. The comments made by Secretary Clinton are particularly
important. The report and her comments are full of irony… so here it is. This
article is courtesy of Vatican Insider. My comments and emphasis:
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The U.S. Department of State has presented its
annual International Religious Freedom Report: more than one billion people
across the world live in countries where their rights are repressed
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“To think,
believe, or doubt. To speak or pray; to gather or stand apart”: these are the
verbs of faith listed in the U.S. Department of State’s International Religious
Freedom Report for 2011, published yesterday. Today, more than ever, gestures and actions
such as this can put those who practice
them at risk.
“More than a billion
people live in countries that systematically suppress freedom of
religion,” said the U.S. Secretary of State,
Hillary Clinton, as she presented the Report for 2011. The world is “sliding backward” in terms of religious freedom,
she added.
The main
“usual suspects” responsible for religious repression are: China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Burma and Uzbekistan. These have been designated
as “Countries of Particular Concern”.
Almost all religious groups are at risk in
one part of the world or another: The Baha'is and Sufis in Iran, Christians in
Egypt, the Ahmadis (a Sunni Islamic movement) in Pakistan and Indonesia,
Christians, Muslims and Buddhists in China and Muslims in numerous European
countries.
The Report
highlights the worrying increase in
intolerance and mistrust shown towards the Jewish and Muslim communities in
Europe.
In its
report, the U.S. Department of State also documents “a rising number of European countries, including Belgium
and France, whose laws restricting dress adversely affected Muslims and
others,” the so-called “anti-burka laws”. Belgium
and France people, not just Iran and North Korea, France has a history with
restricting the practice of reoligion.
Europe’s demographic evolution what with increased immigration and the ageing
of its “native” population, gives rise to forms of “xenophobia, anti-Semitism,
anti-Muslim sentiment, and intolerance toward people considered "the
other."” The report also documents “a
global increase in anti-Semitism, manifested in Holocaust denial… and growing
nationalistic movements.” How sad this is, we are supposedly
in an enlightened age, where intellect reigns supreme... but people are just becoming
more ignorant. By the way growing nationalistic movements contributed to the
back draft of World War II, just a thought to ponder.
In some
cases, as in Egypt, the changes
resulting from the Arab Spring have made life very difficult for minorities,
particularly Christians and despite the transitional government’s moves to
promote greater integration, the violence against Copts continues. Similarly,
in Nigeria, efforts to stop Boko
Haram’s anti-Christian attacks have
proved inadequate.
Methodologically,
the report does not only consider
episodes of “repression and violence” but also analyses the legal status of minorities and their actual ability to practice their
religion. Well, that’s just brings irony front and
center! How about the US? How is the actual
ability to practice religion... have there been any laws recently which restrict
a person from freely practicing his or her faith, in particular by violating
their consciences which are formed through their faith? No that would never
happen in the country which is supposed to be the ideal for religious
freedom... oh wait, HHS Mandate... In this sense, the report points the
finger at the blasphemy laws in Indonesia and Pakistan, which are often used to
repress religious minorities.
Of the
countries included in the U.S. Department of State’s “blacklist” , China - which will publish a similar report
in about a year’s time interesting ideas in that
- was the one which reacted most fiercely. Official news agency Xinhua stated that the report published by the U.S. Department of
State was “unimaginative” and “counterproductive” as it was “largely based on
unconfirmed media reports and groundless allegations from outlawed groups and
organizations with ulterior motives.” The report “is nothing but a political tool used by the U.S. government to exert
pressure on other countries, mostly deemed as its rivals.” Well, I for one am looking forward to the depicition of religious
freedom in the US inChina’s report. In all fairness, we are very quickly about
to become hypocritical… or apparently it is ok to force the violation of
conscience when it comes to the right to life and natural law itself, but it’s
not ok when telling a woman she can’t cover her head? Ok sorry just seems like
a double standard to me, but hey what do I know?
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So there it is. Well Madame Secretary,
is there any irony or hypocrisy in this? Is there in fact a double standard?
Maybe instead of examining what is going
on, which most of us already knew, we should start looking into why this is
happening?
Perhaps if the world is slipping
backwards in the field of religious freedom, we should look at the country that
is supposed to be the flag bearer of all freedoms. Let alone the first freedom
listed in that nation’s own constitutional Bill of Rights!!!What can we do, well write your public officials let them know you have the freedom of religion, not simply that of worship! Yeah bet you thought I was just going to say pray… well do that too… but this whole thing is about respecting the youth and their place in the world. You have a voice, use it.
God Love you,
AMDG
Peter James d`Aquino
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