Washington D.C., Sep 15, 2011 / 11:50 am
The U.S. State Department’s recent Report on International Religious Freedom is eliciting both praise for its efforts to promote religious rights around the world and criticism for not doing enough.
Leonard Leo, chairman of the independent U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom commended the State Department for its efforts but expressed concern “that no new countries were added to the list” of countries of particular concern, known as CPCs, since last year. All eight of the countries designated as CPCs had been on the list last year.
“Repeating the current list continues glaring omissions,” Leo said. He noted that his commission had recommended earlier this year that Egypt, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, and Vietnam also be added to the list.
“Since CPC designations can be made at any time, we respectfully urge Secretary Clinton to consider the six additional countries we recommended for designation,” he said.