US Body Condemns Anti Muslim Campaign in India During COVID 19 Outbreak

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India Tomorrow

NEW DELHI, APRIL 14 – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) on Tuesday condemned the continued scapegoating and attacks of Muslims in India due to false rumours over the spread of coronavirus, often accompanied by dangerous rhetoric by politicians. A tweet from the official twitter handle on Tuesday said: “This stigmatization can breed further discrimination and violence.”

In a press release on Wednesday, the Commission expressed its concern over reports that religious minority groups from around the world have faced discrimination because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Religious communities have been harassed and accused of bringing COVID-19 to their countries.

“COVID-19 does not discriminate based on religion or creed,” noted USCIRF Chair Tony Perkins. In many countries, governments have failed to protect vulnerable religious communities. In particular, Muslims in India and Cambodia, as well as Shi’a Muslims in Pakistan, have faced increased stigmatization in recent weeks because some of the earliest patients to test positive for COVID-19 in those countries came from these communities.

“Governments around the world are undoubtedly busy responding to the public health crisis, but they still have an obligation to respect and protect religious freedom, especially for minority communities during and following this crisis,” USCIRF Vice Chair Gayle Manchin added.

USCIRF has also called on all governments to release religious prisoners of conscience during the pandemic because of the heightened risk of infection in prisons. There has been a widespread campaign of hate against Muslims accusing them of spreading COVID 19 after a few of them were tested positive for the virus. USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission, dedicated to defending the universal right to freedom of religion or belief abroad.

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