Again, US calls out Nigeria for breaching religious rights

Obinwannem News Again, US calls out Nigeria for breaching religious rights

The United States has labelled Nigeria amid Countries of Particular Concern (CPC), tolerating religious persecution.

This is the second time Nigeria has appereared on the list of CPC, following the 2019 report of the United States Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

“With both State-societally perpetrated violations, religious freedom conditions in Nigeria remain poor,” the report said.

It also cited a self-identified atheist, Mubarak Bala, from Kano State, northeast Nigeria, who was imprisoned for allegedly insulting Prophet Muhammad in a post he made on Facebook.

Mubarak Bala was arrested on April 28, 2020, but has not yet been formally charged.

The USCIRF report also read that, “The federal government continues to persecute the leadership and members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMNi), a Shi’a minority group.

Additionally, there are widespread instances of intercommunal and militia violence, rampant kidnapping, and general criminality that also prevent religious freedom.”

Meanwhile, listing Countries of Particular Concern, the US via its Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo blacklisted Nigeria for violating religious freedom.

In a statement issued Monday, Michael Pompeo stated that Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, Nigeria, the DPRK, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan have been designated as CPC under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, as amended, for engaging in or tolerating systematic, ongoing, “egregious violations of religious freedom”.

“The United States will continue to work tirelessly to end religiously motivated abuses and persecution around the world, and to help ensure that each person, everywhere, at all times, has the right to live according to the dictates of conscience,” Pompeo said.

” Additionally, al-Shabaab, Al Qa’ida, Boko Haram, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Houthis, ISIS, ISIS-Greater Sahara, ISIS-West Africa, Jamaat Nasr al Islam wal Muslimin, and the Taliban have been designated as ‘Entities of Particular Concern’ under the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2016.”

The Secretary of State revealed that countries – Comoros, Cuba, Nicaragua and Russia – have been placed on a Special Watch List for governments that have engaged in, or tolerated “severe violations of religious freedom.

He further said that Sudan, and Uzbekistan have been removed from the Special Watch List based on “significant, concrete progress” undertaken by their governments since last year.

Ozoemela Chikwas reporting, Obinwannem News

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