World’s Most Intolerant Countries? Take a Wild Guess
Every Church structure in Iraq has been destroyed by Muslims
Pakistan is one of 13 countries named by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom as a place where violence against religious minorities is common and condoned or supported by the Pakistani government.
Some of the documented violence includes rape victims being charged and jailed for adultery, women being murdered for refusing to quit their jobs, and the public beheading of critics of the Taliban and other terrorist extremists.
The year 2009 “has seen the largely unchecked growth in the power and reach of religiously-motivated extremist groups whose members are engaged in violence in Pakistan and abroad, with Pakistani authorities ceding effective control to armed insurgents espousing a radical Islam ideology,” the Annual Report 2009 of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom states.
The report, released on Friday, said Pakistan is one of 13 Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) because of ongoing religiously motivated violence that targets Shi’a Muslims, Ahmadis, Christians, Hindus and Sheiks.
“Since 2002, our commission has recommended that Pakistan be named a CPC in light of a whole range of serious religious freedom concerns,” said Elizabeth Prodromou, vice chairwoman of the commission, which held a press conference in Washington, D.C., to release the report.
“The State Department, however, has not followed the recommendation of the commission,” added Prodromou, who is also assistant professor in the Department of International Relations at Boston University.
“Today, the threat to religious freedom or belief in Pakistan has measurably and demonstrably increased,” Prodromou said, “and therefore we renew our recommendation that Pakistan be named a PCP.”
The State Department, however, is cited by the commission – an independent, bi-partisan body – as the source that confirms the persecution of religious minorities, including attacks on houses of worship, religious gatherings, and religious leaders in Pakistan, which has “resulted in hundreds of deaths during [2008].”
Prodromou said the Pakistani government has aided and abetted terrorist extremists who target religious minorities.
“Pakistan’s central government in Islamabad has succeeded effective control of more and more of the country to these Taliban-associated extremist groups,” Prodromou said.
“Pakistanis have repeatedly been murdered while engaging in religious worship,” she said. “The government does not provide adequate protection to members of religious minorities and perpetrators of violence against those communities are seldom brought to justice.”
Prodromou further said the Pakistani police and justice system contribute to religiously motivated violence, with the Hudood Ordinances – Islamic decrees that are enforced alongside the country’s secular legal system – resulting in the amputations and deaths by stoning for violation of Islamic laws.
Pakistan also has pushed for the international recognition of its blasphemy or “defamation of religion” laws, which the commission report said would “limit seriously and criminalize the rights to freedom of religion and expression of individuals worldwide.”
Prescribed criminal penalties for what is deemed blasphemy in Pakistan include life imprisonment and the death penalty.
The commission’s report includes recommendations for each PCP. For Pakistan, there is a long, detailed list of recommendations of what the U.S. government should encourage Pakistan to do to stop religious persecution, including decriminalizing blasphemy, rescind laws that outlaw certain religious practices and make religious freedom “an essential element of the new U.S. strategy toward Pakistan.”
It also calls for the Pakistani government to stop support for the Taliban and other terrorist groups operating inside and outside of the country and that any civilian or military aid to Pakistan should include benchmarks that will ensure improvement of human rights and religious rights in Pakistan.
In addition to Pakistan, the PCPs named by the commission include Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
The State Department has only eight countries on its PCP list, which does not include Iraq, Nigeria, Turkmenistan, Vietnam and Pakistan.
The commission’s report also includes 11 countries on its “watch” list: Afghanistan, Belarus, Cuba, Egypt, Indonesia, Laos, Russia, Somalia, Tajikistand, Turkey and Venezuela.
The report comes as Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Richard Lugar (D-Ind.) plan to introduce legislation soon based on the Biden-Lugar bill introduced in the 110th Congress which proposes to give Pakistan $7.5 billion over five years ($1.5 billion a year) and an additional $7.5 billion over the following five years.
President Barack Obama supports the aid for Pakistan, calling it an “investment” in America’s future and has expressed his willingness to establish diplomatic ties with several countries on the CPC and watch list, including Iran, Cuba and Venezuela.
Some of the documented violence includes rape victims being charged and jailed for adultery, women being murdered for refusing to quit their jobs, and the public beheading of critics of the Taliban and other terrorist extremists.
The year 2009 “has seen the largely unchecked growth in the power and reach of religiously-motivated extremist groups whose members are engaged in violence in Pakistan and abroad, with Pakistani authorities ceding effective control to armed insurgents espousing a radical Islam ideology,” the Annual Report 2009 of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom states.
The report, released on Friday, said Pakistan is one of 13 Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) because of ongoing religiously motivated violence that targets Shi’a Muslims, Ahmadis, Christians, Hindus and Sheiks.
“Since 2002, our commission has recommended that Pakistan be named a CPC in light of a whole range of serious religious freedom concerns,” said Elizabeth Prodromou, vice chairwoman of the commission, which held a press conference in Washington, D.C., to release the report.
“The State Department, however, has not followed the recommendation of the commission,” added Prodromou, who is also assistant professor in the Department of International Relations at Boston University.
“Today, the threat to religious freedom or belief in Pakistan has measurably and demonstrably increased,” Prodromou said, “and therefore we renew our recommendation that Pakistan be named a PCP.”
The State Department, however, is cited by the commission – an independent, bi-partisan body – as the source that confirms the persecution of religious minorities, including attacks on houses of worship, religious gatherings, and religious leaders in Pakistan, which has “resulted in hundreds of deaths during [2008].”
Prodromou said the Pakistani government has aided and abetted terrorist extremists who target religious minorities.
“Pakistan’s central government in Islamabad has succeeded effective control of more and more of the country to these Taliban-associated extremist groups,” Prodromou said.
“Pakistanis have repeatedly been murdered while engaging in religious worship,” she said. “The government does not provide adequate protection to members of religious minorities and perpetrators of violence against those communities are seldom brought to justice.”
Prodromou further said the Pakistani police and justice system contribute to religiously motivated violence, with the Hudood Ordinances – Islamic decrees that are enforced alongside the country’s secular legal system – resulting in the amputations and deaths by stoning for violation of Islamic laws.
Pakistan also has pushed for the international recognition of its blasphemy or “defamation of religion” laws, which the commission report said would “limit seriously and criminalize the rights to freedom of religion and expression of individuals worldwide.”
Prescribed criminal penalties for what is deemed blasphemy in Pakistan include life imprisonment and the death penalty.
The commission’s report includes recommendations for each PCP. For Pakistan, there is a long, detailed list of recommendations of what the U.S. government should encourage Pakistan to do to stop religious persecution, including decriminalizing blasphemy, rescind laws that outlaw certain religious practices and make religious freedom “an essential element of the new U.S. strategy toward Pakistan.”
It also calls for the Pakistani government to stop support for the Taliban and other terrorist groups operating inside and outside of the country and that any civilian or military aid to Pakistan should include benchmarks that will ensure improvement of human rights and religious rights in Pakistan.
In addition to Pakistan, the PCPs named by the commission include Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
The State Department has only eight countries on its PCP list, which does not include Iraq, Nigeria, Turkmenistan, Vietnam and Pakistan.
The commission’s report also includes 11 countries on its “watch” list: Afghanistan, Belarus, Cuba, Egypt, Indonesia, Laos, Russia, Somalia, Tajikistand, Turkey and Venezuela.
The report comes as Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Richard Lugar (D-Ind.) plan to introduce legislation soon based on the Biden-Lugar bill introduced in the 110th Congress which proposes to give Pakistan $7.5 billion over five years ($1.5 billion a year) and an additional $7.5 billion over the following five years.
President Barack Obama supports the aid for Pakistan, calling it an “investment” in America’s future and has expressed his willingness to establish diplomatic ties with several countries on the CPC and watch list, including Iran, Cuba and Venezuela.
Lets take a look at that list again:
- Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam
9 out of 13 are wholly or substantially Muslim.
The ‘watch’ list features:
- Afghanistan, Belarus, Cuba, Egypt, Indonesia, Laos, Russia, Somalia, Tajikistan, Turkey and Venezuela
Again, 6 out of 11 are Muslim.
Pretty much anywhere in the liberal West you will hear everyday the rallying cries of ‘Islamophobia’ and ‘Intolerance’ from various Muslim organisations and their enablers; seemingly perpetually ’offended’ at some insignificant, non-existent or imagined slight or discrimination - despite the fact that, in these host nations, Muslim communities are invariably enjoying living conditions and rights unknown in their countries of origin.
Yet in Muslim countries, adherents of other beliefs (despite constant rebuttals about how Islam is tolerant of these) – face threats, persecution, abuse of legal process, vandalism, violence, rape and murder – which continues unpunished, unabated and is on the increase. Think about that the next time you hear some ungrateful, ‘outraged’ Muslim spokesman or other berate you and your fellow countrymen and government for being ‘intolerant’.
[Main story: Cybercast News Service]
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