WASHINGTON/CAIRO: A US report on religious freedoms recommended labeling Egypt for the first time as a “country of particular concern,” citing “systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom” for downgrading the country from the “watch list” status.
Egypt has been on the watch list of the annual report of the US Commission on International Religious Freedoms (USCIRF) since 2002.
The latest report cited discrimination in Egypt towards Coptic Orthodox Christians, Bahais, Jews, and some Muslim minorities, including Sufis, Ahmadis, Shiaa and Quranists.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged governments Tuesday to do more to defend religious freedom as Washington released the report citing eight countries with troubling records on the issue.
"We reaffirm the role that religious freedom and tolerance play in building stable and harmonious societies. Hatred and intolerance are destabilizing," Clinton said, releasing the State Department’s report for the second half of 2010.
The report named China, Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, North Korea, Eritrea, Iran, Sudan and Uzbekistan, a list unchanged since 2009, as "countries of particular concern" regarding religious freedom.
Egypt was cited with nine other countries for failing to sufficiently protect religious rights: Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Venezuela and Vietnam.
The report, previously published annually, detailed actions such as active state repression, violence against religious groups, apostasy and blasphemy laws, anti-Semitism and restrictions on religious attire and expression.
"When governments crack down on religious expression, when politicians or public figures try to use religion as a wedge issue, or when societies fail to take steps to denounce religious bigotry and curb discrimination based on religious identity, they embolden extremists and fuel sectarian strife," Clinton said.
"And the reverse is also true: When governments respect religious freedom… they create a climate of tolerance that helps make a country more stable, more secure, and more prosperous."
The report suggested directing a portion of existing US military assistance to provide protection for Coptic Christians and other religious minorities. It called for the American government to offer funding directly to NGOs without prior Egyptian government approval.
It also suggested pressing the transitional Egyptian government to improve religious freedom conditions, including removing religion from official identity documents, and ensuring that responsibility for religious affairs is not placed under the jurisdiction of the new domestic security agency.
"We have continuously warned of the prevalence of the tension between Muslims and Christians, and through our regular reports, we indeed do find that the rate of religious discrimination in Egypt has increased," said Isaac Ibrahim, a researcher at the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), Program of Religious Freedoms.
The government resorts to martial laws and reconciliation in case of sectarian violence instead of the penal code, he said, identifying the practice as a major problem.
"Unfortunately, there has been no difference in the way such acts are dealt with before and after the revolution," he said.
EIPR strongly calls for strict interference by the government rather than accepting international interference, he added.
"We should not give a chance for another country to pressure the Egyptian government through the religious discrimination issue," he said, highly condemning the practices of the State Security Investigations, now operating under the name of the National Security Agency, for what Egypt is currently witnessing.
Clinton praised Turkey for taking "serious steps to improve the climate for religious tolerance" with a decree in August that invited non-Muslims to reclaim churches and synagogues that were confiscated 75 years ago.
She said Turkey "also now allows women to wear headscarves at universities, which means female students no longer have to choose between their religion and their education."
A member of Congress meanwhile argued that Vietnam should have been placed on the list of countries of particular concern. Representative Ed Royce said leaving Vietnam off the list was "a grave mistake."
"No religious group is immune from government coercion and harassment. Buddhists, Catholics, and evangelicals alike face the heavy hand of Vietnamese government tyranny if they step outside its tight restrictions," he said. –Additional reporting by AFP.
