Religious freedom in India under threat, says US Secretary of State Antony Blinken

Tribune News Service

Sandeep Dikshit

New Delhi, June 2

In a rare occurrence, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday called out India for rising instances of attacks on religious freedom.

Minorities in India, said Blinken, were “under threat due to rising attacks on places of worship” while delivering remarks on the 2021 Report on International Religious Freedom in Washington.

Rise in attacks on places of worship

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said minorities in India were under threat due to rising attacks on places of worship”

He was delivering remarks on the 2021 Report on International Religious Freedom in Washington

After Blinken's remarks, US Ambassador for State International Religious Freedom Rashad Hussein also named India

Blinken began by naming a clutch of countries — Morocco, Taiwan, Iraq and Timor Leste — that have made improvements in allowing religious freedom. Besides India, he said religious freedom was under stress in Vietnam and Nigeria also.

After Blinken’s remarks, US Ambassador for State International Religious Freedom Rashad Hussein also named India. He said in India, some officials were ignoring or supporting threats to religious freedom. Hussein had earned the ire of the Ministry of Extrenal Affairs in February when he had tweeted on the hijab controversy in Karnataka by stating that hijab ban in schools violated religious freedom and stigmatise and marginalised women.

Stating the Biden administration had done the right thing by naming India, Advocacy Director of Indian American Muslim Congress Ajit Sahi said, “We applaud Blinken for naming India, as violations there have gone beyond what is acceptable. We hope more and more members of US Congress and officials of US Government will speak up and call out escalating religious persecution of Muslims and Christians in India.”

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