The US State Department has released its 2023 religious freedom report, covering over 200 countries. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed concern over the increase in hate speech, anti-conversion laws, and the demolition of homes and places of worship for minority groups in India. The report also mentions efforts to protect religious freedom globally. During the Lok Sabha poll campaigns, accusations of hate speech surfaced against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which were denied by the BJP. The report cites increased attacks on minority groups and challenges in protecting their rights. India has rejected the report, calling it biased and based on misinformation, yet emphasizes the importance of its partnership with the US and continued dialogue on these issues. Subscribe to stay updated on further updates.
#ReligiousFreedomReport #AntonyBlinken #IndiaReligiousFreedom #alleyesonraesi #loksabha #modi #rss #narendramodi #nda #india
~HT.178~ED.102~GR.124~
#ReligiousFreedomReport #AntonyBlinken #IndiaReligiousFreedom #alleyesonraesi #loksabha #modi #rss #narendramodi #nda #india
~HT.178~ED.102~GR.124~
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00In India, we see a concerning increase in anti-conversion laws, hate speech, demolitions
00:06of homes and places of worship for members of minority faith communities.
00:10Today, thanks to Ambassador Hussain, thanks to his team, thanks to our diplomats and our
00:34partners around the world, the State Department is releasing its annual report on the status
00:38of international religious freedom.
00:43This is an important day for us every year, and no less so this year.
00:50This report advances our vision for a future where everyone is able to choose and practice
00:55their beliefs, including the right not to believe or ascribe to a faith.
01:01Respecting religious freedom reinforces other rights, like the right to speak freely, to
01:05assemble peacefully, the ability to participate in politics.
01:10Protecting this universal right empowers people to express themselves, to live up to their
01:16full potential, to contribute fully to their communities.
01:22Yet today, religious freedom is still not respected for millions of people around the
01:28world.
01:29Pew Research Center recently found that government restrictions on religion had reached their
01:32highest global level since tracking began back in 2007.
01:37Today, governments around the world continue to target individuals, shutter places of worship,
01:44forcibly displace communities, and imprison people because of their religious beliefs.
01:51Some countries place restrictions on wearing certain types of religious dress, others enforce
01:55it.
01:56In some instances, governments are reaching beyond their own borders to target individuals
02:01because of their faith and their advocacy for religious freedom.
02:07In every region, people continue to face religious-based violence, religious-based discrimination,
02:12both from governments and their fellow citizens.
02:17They may be shut out of schools, denied jobs, harassed, beaten, or worse.
02:26Violent extremist groups also target people based on their faith.
02:30As we saw in the attacks last weekend on churches and a synagogue in Russia's Dagestan
02:33region in which police, civilians, and a priest were killed.
02:40Since Hamas's horrific terrorist attack on Israel on October 7th and the subsequent conflict
02:45in Gaza, both anti-Semitism and Islamophobia have increased significantly across the globe.
02:53Here in the United States, reports of hate crimes and other incidents targeting both
02:57Muslims and Jews have gone up dramatically.
03:02The Department's report tracks these kinds of threats to religious freedom in almost
03:07200 countries.
03:09For example, blasphemy laws in Pakistan help foster a climate of intolerance and hatred
03:14that can lead to vigilantism and mob violence.
03:18In Hungary, officials continue to use anti-Semitic tropes and anti-Muslim rhetoric, and they
03:24penalize members of religious groups who criticize the government.
03:28Nine other European nations have laws that effectively ban some forms of religious clothing
03:34in public spaces.
03:35In India, we see a concerning increase in anti-conversion laws, hate speech, demolitions
03:42of homes and places of worship for members of minority faith communities.
03:47At the same time, people around the world are also working hard to protect religious
03:54freedom.
03:56We see that in the religious leaders advocating across the globe on behalf of the Baha'is
04:01who are being suppressed and persecuted in Iran and across the Middle East.
04:06In activists like Roushan Abbas, who is raising awareness about the genocide and crimes against
04:10humanity that China is committing against the predominantly Muslim Uyghurs in Shenzhen.
04:16Subscribe to OneIndia channel and never miss an update.