New Report Reveals Declining State of Religious Freedom Around the World

​The approach of the Fourth of July reminds us once again that vigilance is the price of freedom. A new report from the U.S. Department of State puts that duty into stark relief, illustrating the horrific toll that accompanies the abdication of human rights and the proliferation of religious bigotry and intolerance abroad.

The annual survey on religious freedom, submitted to Congress under the requirements of the Religious Freedom Act of 1998, documents continued and worsening persecution of religious minorities in a variety of countries around the world.

As Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said: “Governments in many parts of the world continue to target religious minorities using a host of methods, including torture, beatings, unlawful surveillance, and so-called re-education camps.” If your mind goes straight to China’s ongoing persecution of its Muslim Uyghur minority, you’re right on the mark.

But China is far from the only serial abuser of human rights and religious freedom on the global stage. The new report is a tough read – a compendium of horror stories that illustrates the world of difference between those nations that value the free exercise of religion and those that do not. Below, find a few of the biggest takeaways.
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• Iran – The death of Mahsa Amini while in police custody for failing to properly wear a hijab led to widespread and well-publicized protests across the Islamic Republic. Less publicized: By the end of 2022, police forces in Iran had arrested 19,000 people and killed 512 others, including 69 children. Iran continues to execute those it perceives as apostates; just last month, it was reported the government hanged two men for questioning state religious dogma.

 

• Nigeria – Nigeria saw nearly 4,000 violent civilian deaths in 2022, with the State Department citing an increase in religious violence against both Christians and Muslims as a significant contributing factor. According to the report, Christians “were particularly vulnerable” to targeting by extremist groups.

 

• North Korea – In North Korea, mere possession of a Bible is enough to be sent to a concentration camp. Citing a 2021 account from Korea Future, the report highlights one instance of an entire family – including a two-year-old child – who received life imprisonment for this offense. An estimated 50,000 to 70,000 Christians are currently incarcerated in North Korea, with the Ministry of State Security regularly doling out extreme sentences despite purported constitutional guarantees of religious freedom in the officially atheist state.

 

• Saudi Arabia – In Saudi Arabia sharia law criminalizes “anyone who challenges, either directly or indirectly, the religion or justice of the King or Crown Prince” – i.e., Sunni Islam. In March 2022, the Kingdom conducted its largest-ever mass execution of 81 men, including 41 Shia Muslims, who were subsequently denied funerals. Saudi Arabia requires non-residents to carry identification cards with a listed religious designation such as “Muslim,” “Non-Muslim,” or “Christian.”

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When it comes to our trading partners, China remains the biggest human rights offender. However, India is also called out in the report as a habitual violator of religious liberty, with a range of documented, targeted attacks against religious minorities and a majority of its 28 states affirmatively prohibiting religious conversion by law.

The United States is unique in its radical protections for the free exercise of religion. We are duty-bound and bound by law to respect our differences, despite not-infrequent attempts of overweening bureaucrats to diminish that mutual respect. As we look forward to celebrating Independence Day, we say to “ bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance.”  

And we can reflect on how fortunate we are to have the First Amendment as a shield against religious bigotry.