New Delhi: While highlighting instances of violation of religious freedom across the world, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised concerns over issues such as increasing cases of demolitions of homes and hate speech in India.
“In India we see a concerning increase in anti-conversion laws, hate speech, demolitions of homes and places of worship for members of minority faith communities,” said Blinken while releasing the State Department’s annual report on the status of international religious freedom on Wednesday, June 26.
In 2022, while releasing that year’s annual report on religious freedom, Blinken had expressed his concerns about rising attacks on people and places of worship, with other US officials saying that “in India some officials are ignoring or even supporting rising attacks on people and places of worship.”
That year, India had hit back, and accused the US of indulging in “votebank politics” in international relations. The Indian response had also included that it had regularly raised “concern” over “racially and ethnically motivated attacks, hate crimes and gun violence” in the US.
The annual report is compiled by the US State Department, based on inputs from their embassies located around the world. While all countries are documented inside the report, only the most egregious countries – or those with antagonistic political ties with Washington – are mentioned by the US secretary of state in his introductory remarks at the yearly release functions.
While releasing the 2023 edition of the report, some of the issues which Blinken highlighted about before talking about India included the Hamas’s attack in Israel and the subsequent Gaza conflict, blasphemy laws in Pakistan which have resulted in mob violence and rise of vigilantes, antisemitic and anti-Muslim rhetoric in Hungary and European nations that have laws that effectively ban some forms of religious clothing in public spaces.
Blinken also mentioned countries such as Iran and China, in context of persecution of religious minorities such as the Baha’is and Muslim Uyghurs, respectively.
United States Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Rashad Hussain further spoke on India, echoing Blinken’s concerns.
“Our report also documents cases where violence is occurring at the societal level, sometimes with impunity, and it also contributes to the repression of religious communities. In India, for example, Christian communities reported that local police aided mobs that disrupted worship services over accusations of conversion activities or stood by while mobs attacked them and then arrested the victims on conversion charges,” said Hussain.
Report highlights continued incarceration of Umar Khalid, arrest of minorities
The 2023 report about the status of religious freedom in India mentions several instances that took place in 2023, including murders of Mohammad Junaid and Mohammad Nasir by alleged cow vigilantes and the continued incarceration of Umar Khalid.
“The Supreme Court took no action on the bail plea of Muslim student Umar Khalid, who was arrested and imprisoned following the riots, despite saying in September that the court would review his case. A New Delhi sessions court heard arguments concerning the bail applications of other accused protest organizers, but did not render verdicts,” says the report.
The report has documented attacks on the Christian community in India, an issue that was raised by Blinken during his address while releasing the report.
“In December, the United Christian Forum (UCF) reported 731 attacks on Christians in the year, compared with 599 such incidents in 2022. The UCF data by state showed the most incidents in Uttar Pradesh (301) and Chhattisgarh (152),” says the 2023 report.
The report further highlighted the arrest of minority community members under laws banning forced religious conversions.
“Christians and Muslims were arrested under laws banning forced religious conversions, which religious groups said in some cases were used to harass and imprison members of religious minority groups on false and fabricated charges or for lawful religious practices. In some cases, Christian groups said local police aided mobs that disrupted worship services over accusations of conversion activities or stood by while mobs attacked Christians and then arrested the victims on conversion charges,” says the report.
