Religious Freedom: US Blacklists Nigeria, Warns Boko Haram |The Source

By Tosin Olatokunbo

The Donald Trump United States of America government has designated Nigeria as one of the countries that trampled on religious freedom. Apart from Nigeria, other countries listed as religious intolerant countries are Burma, China, DPRK, Eritrea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

According to a statement, released on Thursday by the US Secretary of state, Micheal Pompeo, Nigeria and other countries listed above are of ‘special interest’ in terms of religious rights violation, the US government said, while countries such as the Comoros, Cuba, Nicaragua and Russia have been placed on the watch list for now.

The US, however, removed Sudan and Uzbekistan from the special watchlist based on significant, concrete progress undertaken by their respective governments over the past year, through the courageous reforms of their laws and practices that stand as models for other nations to follow.

The statement from the Department of state read in part “Today, the United States – a nation founded by those fleeing religious persecution, as the recent Commission on Unalienable Rights report noted – once again took action to defend those who simply want to exercise this essential freedom.

“The United States is designating Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, Nigeria, the DPRK, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan as Countries of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, as amended, for engaging in or tolerating “systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom.

“Additionally, we are designating 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 as Entities of Particular Concern under the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2016.”

It further stated that “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.”