Author: Prof. Engr. Zamir Ahmed Awan, Founding Chair GSRRA, Sinologist (ex-Diplomat), Editor, Analyst, and Non-Resident Fellow of CCG (Center for China and Globalization). (E-mail: awanzamir@yahoo.com).      

Extreme hypocrisy! The US once again exposed and lost its credibility, announcing China, Iran, and Russia, Pakistan, among others, as countries of particular concern under the Religious Freedom Act over severe violations.

Once again it is an example of coursing, pressurizing, and coercing its adversaries politically. As a matter of fact, the US is using such ugly tactics to bring adversaries on back footing. It has been using international institutions, and organizations as a political tool to distort the image of the nations that differ from them. It is their old habit that they spread fake news, fabricated stories, and distorted narratives of countries, that they want to target. 

It is well-known fact that India is the number one country, targeting minorities, other religions, and low-caste Hindus. It has surpassed all records of human rights violations in the known-human history. It has used state machinery, and legislation to harm other religions. Frequently. Human Rights organizations and Amnesty International have been reporting such violations. But the State Department is ignorant of it!!!

Despite that United States (US) Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, along with lawmakers Rashida Talib and Juan Vargas, submitted the resolution during the 117th session of Congress, as they appealed to the lower house to condemn violations of human rights and religious freedom in India. The resolution highlighted that the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has called for designating India as a country of particular concern for three consecutive years. It added that the USCIRF’s latest report states that in 2021, “the Indian government escalated its promotion and enforcement of policies—including those promoting a Hindu-nationalist agenda—that negatively affect Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, and other religious minorities”. The human rights body had furthered that the Indian government had “continued to systemize its ideological vision of a Hindu state ”by enforcing existing laws and creating new ones to structurally change the state, resulting in increasing hostility faced by the country’s religious minorities”. The report added that the USCIRF report described the use of laws such as the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and the Sedition Law “to create an increasing climate of intimidation and fear in an effort to silence anyone speaking out against the government”. But, keeping India out of such a list is obvious that it is merely a political tool, far away from facts. 

Islamophobia is a growing phenomenon in the Western World, Muslims are targeted in many Western countries, and Western nations have introduced anti-Muslim legislation., including the US, who is biased and adopted discriminatory legislation to harm Muslims. 

Ban on the veil by Muslim women, in most Western countries is against human rights, the freedom of religion, and the ethics of a civilized world, but, they are not listed in any list issued by the US state department.

Looking at the list of nations and countries, in the list of “Countries of Particular Concern (CPC), and Special Watch List (SWL),” USCIRF 2022 Annual Report, it is very clear all of these countries are having differences from the US and the US treat them as adversaries.

Officially the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government agency created by the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA), as amended. It monitors the universal right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) abroad; makes policy recommendations to the President, Secretary of State, and Congress; and tracks the implementation of these recommendations. Its nine Commissioners are appointed by either the President or Congressional leaders of each political party, supported by a non-partisan professional staff. While USCIRF is independent of the State Department, the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom is a non-voting member. But practically it is a political arm of the US government and is used as a tool to target adversaries. 

The US Government and its subordinate organizations and intuitions are losing their credibility and reputation. No one believes them, no one trusts them, and no one cares about them. The US has been exposed globally and the whole world considers it a factory of propaganda, fake news, fabricated stories, and distorted narratives. It has lost its value already.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)