Aug 14, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 14, 2009
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is deeply concerned about the recent upsurge of sectarian violence in Iraq. Among the most recent bombings, a village outside of Mosul inhabited by Shabak, an ethnic and predominantly Shiite minority, was completely destroyed by two large truck bombs, killing at least 28 people and injuring at least 150. In addition, a café in the Yazidi town of Sinjar was attacked by two suicide bombers, killing at least 21 and injuring at least 30. The Yazidi are a small religious minority indigenous to northern Iraq.\
"The Iraqi government must do much more to prevent a return to escalating sectarian conflict,” said Leonard Leo, USCIRF chair. "This includes providing visible and effective protection to all religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq, ensuring greater sectarian integration into the government and security forces, and bolstering police protection where it is needed the most by shifting resources when necessary. The government also needs to promote reconciliation and religious tolerance by maintaining a truly operational national human rights commission, by doing a far better job of investigating and prosecuting acts of sectarian violence, and by facilitating interfaith conflict resolution and dialogue amongst Iraq"s youth.”
The attacks that took place Friday, August 7, Monday, August 10, and Thursday, August 13, were among the worst since U.S. troops withdrew from Iraqi cities on June 30. According to reports, at least 120 persons have been killed, and hundreds more injured in a wave of bombings targeting, in addition to the Shabak and Yazidi communities, Turkomen Shiite pilgrims, Shiite pilgrims country-wide, predominantly Shiite areas in Baghdad, and other areas of the capital city.
In the lead-up to and since June 30, the country has witnessed an increase in sectarian attacks, with dozens of bombings and suicide attacks killing more than 500 Iraqis from all religious backgrounds. The targets have included religious sites, including mosques and churches, and religious processions. "It is imperative that the Iraqi government ensure that houses of worship and religious events are respected and protected in Iraq,” said Mr. Leo.
Analysts speculate that al-Qaeda operatives and similar insurgent groups are responsible for most of the attacks in an attempt to return Iraq to sectarian war, which engulfed the country in 2006 and 2007, and intensify Arab-Kurd tensions.
Monday"s attack devastating the Shabak village of Khazna was reminiscent of an August 2007 attack in Sinjar, which targeted and killed almost 800 Yazidis. Both towns are located in the Nineveh governorate. USCIRF has consistently called for increased protection for religious and ethnic minorities in Nineveh governorate who are caught in the middle of an Arab-Kurd struggle over disputed territories.
USCIRF recommended that Iraq should be named a "Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act in 2008 and 2009 due the Iraqi government"s failure to protect the country"s smallest religious minorities and the role of Iraqi security forces in sectarian conflict.
To interview a USCIRF Commissioner, contact Tom Carter, Communications Director, at [email protected] or (202) 523-3257.
USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission. USCIRF Commissioners are appointed by the President and the leadership of both political parties in the Senate and the House of Representatives. USCIRF"s principal responsibilities are to review the facts and circumstances of violations of religious freedom internationally and to make policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress.
Aug 12, 2009
Media Reactions
- "U.S. criticizes India on treatment of religious minorities" (Reuters)
- "India hit over religious violence" (BBC)
- "India 'regrets' US body's censure" (BBC)
- "Religious Freedom Panel Slams India" (Washington Post)
- "Anti-Hindu Bias at U.S. Commission" (Washington Post)
- "India regrets U.S. criticism on religious freedom " (Xinhua)
- "India disputes US panel's report on religious freedom" (Christian Today)
- "India slams US body’s criticism on religious freedom" (IANS)
- "India hit for rising religious violence" (Washington Times)
- "U.S. puts India on ’Watch List’" (The Hindu)
- "India News Digest: U.S. Panel Puts India Under Scanner for 'Religious Violence'" (Wall Street Journal)
- "U.S. Religious Freedom Panel Adds India to Watch List" (Christian Post)
- "US wants freedom of religion to be part of Indo-US dialogue" (Business Standard)
- "His name is Khan" (DNA India)
- "India disputes US panel's report on religious freedom" (Christian Today)
- "Religious Freedom Experts Put India on 'Watch list'" (Belief Net)
- "US body on religious freedom puts India on ‘watch list’" (Deccan Herald)
- "India scolded" (World Magazine)
- "India on US religion watch list" (Calcutta Telegraph)
- "US body accuses India of failing to protect minorities" (Samay Live)
- "Orissa Christian leaders reject US report, says India secular" (Samay Live)
Blog Reactions
Aug 7, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 7, 2009
WASHINGTON DC - The European Court of Human Rights on July 17 rejected claims to allow Muslim girls and Sikh boys to cover their hair while attending public school in France. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), a bipartisan U.S. government panel that monitors religious freedom abroad, faulted the ruling for its failure to cite any evidence to support its conclusion that the head coverings constituted a genuine threat to public order.
"International standards guarantee to every individual the freedom to peacefully manifest his or her religious beliefs, in public as well as in private, which includes wearing religious clothing or head coverings,” said Leonard Leo, USCIRF chair. "It is unfortunate that, in the absence of actual evidence of a legitimate threat to public order, France and the European Court of Human Rights have interpreted a general notion of secularism so radically that it has trumped religious belief. Secularism does not mandate a ban on peaceful individual religious expression, including the decision to wear religious articles that other believers or non-believers may associate with religious extremism.”
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg rejected six cases filed by four Muslim girls and two Sikh boys who were expelled from French schools in 2004-05 for wearing headscarves or keskis (Sikh under-turbans). The youngsters were challenging France"s 2004 law that prohibits public school students from wearing conspicuous symbols of their religious affiliation. Many Muslims and Sikhs consider it a religious obligation to cover their heads.
The Court found that the French law did restrict the students" freedom of thought, conscience, and religion guaranteed under Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights but the restriction was permissible based on secularism and the need to protect the rights and freedoms of others and the public order. "The Court justified the restriction as necessary to reconcile the interests of various religious groups in a diverse society and ensure that everyone"s beliefs are respected, yet everyone"s beliefs were not respected,” said Mr. Leo. "The Muslim and Sikh students believe that their religion requires them to cover their hair.”
"The Court also stated that pluralism and democracy require ‘a spirit of compromise necessarily entailing various concessions," yet it rejected the students" attempts to compromise,” said Mr. Leo. The Muslim girls were willing to wear hats rather than headscarves, but the Court found that hats also would constitute a conspicuous manifestation of religious affiliation. The Court also rejected the Sikh boys" argument that because a keski is smaller than the traditional Sikh turban, it should be permitted.
USCIRF previously has expressed concern about the French religious symbols law. (See USCIRF Press Release, France: Proposed bill may violate freedom of religion, February 3, 2004.)
USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission. USCIRF Commissioners are appointed by the President and the leadership of both political parties in the Senate and the House of Representatives. USCIRF"s principal responsibilities are to review the facts and circumstances of violations of religious freedom internationally and to make policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress.
To interview a USCIRF Commissioner, contact Tom Carter, Communications Director at [email protected], or (202) 523-3257.