Written by Don Byrd
The U.S. State Department today issued the annual International Religious Freedom Report for 2011. Ambassador Suzan Johnson Cook remarked that the report highlights “increasing intolerance against a range of religious communities.” The number of countries listed as those of “particular concern” remained unchanged at 8, but the tenor of the report indicates gradually worsening conditions in many of those places. You can read the full report online here. A snippet from the introduction:
The report focuses special attention on key trends such as the impact of political and demographic transitions on religious minorities, who tended to suffer the most in 2011; the effects of conflict on religious freedom; and the rising tide of anti-Semitism. Impacted groups, to name just a few, included Baha’is and Sufis in Iran; Christians in Egypt; Ahmadis in Indonesia and Pakistan; Muslims in a range of countries, including in Europe; Tibetan Buddhists, Christians, and Uighur Muslims in China; and Jews in many parts of the world.
Secretary Clinton held a press conference this afternoon to discuss the findings. Quotes to come.
