PBA ReporterProminent pro-democracy and Civil Rights Advocacy Group, Human Rights Writers Association Of Nigeria (HURIWA ) has carpeted the United States of America under the Democratic Presidency of Joe Biden for unilaterally delisting Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari under nations in the globe that tolerate selective killings of religious worshippers based on their faith.
HURIWA recalled that the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, made the change in policy known in a statement on Wednesday ahead of his visit to Nigeria.
He added that the American government had blacklisted Russia, China and eight others as Countries of “Particular Concern for having engaged in or tolerated ‘systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.”
“The United States will not waiver in its commitment to advocate for freedom of religion or belief for all and in every country. In far too many places around the world, we continue to see governments harass, arrest, threaten, jail, and kill individuals simply for seeking to live their lives in accordance with their beliefs.”
“This Administration is committed to supporting every individual’s right to freedom of religion or belief, including by confronting and combating violators and abusers of this human right.
“Each year the Secretary of State has the responsibility to identify governments and non-state actors, who, because of their religious freedom violations, merit designation under the International Religious Freedom Act.
“I am designating Burma, the People’s Republic of China, Eritrea, Iran, the DPRK, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan as Countries of Particular Concern for having engaged in or tolerated “systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.
“I am also placing Algeria, Comoros, Cuba, and Nicaragua on a Special Watch List for governments that have engaged in or tolerated “severe violations of religious freedom.”
“Finally, I am designating al-Shabab, 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,”
HURIWA recalled that in December 2020, the US had listed Nigeria among countries blacklisted for violating religious freedom.
HURIWA said the US government under Joe Biden has demonstrated a non challant tendency concerning the massive religiously motivated genocides that are currently going on under the active watch and conspiratorial connivance of the Federal government of President Muhammadu Buhari who concentrated the powers of internal security to only members of Hausa/Fulani Moslems even when Nigeria is a plural democracy with multiplicity of Ethnicities and Religious/Belief systems.
HURIWA said it was wrong for United States to adopt this provocative and ignorant decision even when hundreds of thousands of Christians of Northern Nigeria extraction are still facing genocides by Moslem Fulani armed militia supported by officials working inside the office of President Muhammadu Buhari. The Rights group asked the President of the USA and the United States Congress to change the decision immediately.
HURIWA said, for avoidance of doubts, we will itemise the attacks targeting Christians since the year 2015 which are yet to be resolved by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
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