Aggressive nationalism is to blame for a rise in violence and other intimidation against religious minorities – and the West is failing to convert words of concern into action, according to a report by the charity Aid to the Church in Need.
Assessing all 196 countries around the globe, the Religious Freedom in the World 2018 Report concluded that “ultra-nationalism” by both government and non-state actors has caused a spike in hatred against faith minorities in countries including leading regional powers such as India, China, Pakistan and Burma.
The report, produced every two years, found that religious illiteracy, including within the media, and a lack of political action in the West had exacerbated the problem, concluding that many faith minority groups suffer behind a “curtain of indifference”.
The report said: “Most Western governments have failed to provide urgently needed assistance to minority faith groups, especially displaced communities wanting to return home.”
It said most governments had failed to offer displaced minority faith groups the help they themselves had requested to enable their return to northern Iraq and elsewhere following the ousting of ISIS and other militant groups.
The investigation by the Catholic charity found that media coverage about militant Islam has focused almost exclusively on the fight-back against ISIS and affiliate groups during the period under review – 2016-18 – and has largely ignored the relentless spread of militant Islamist movements in parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
According to the report, a main driver behind the growth in extremism is the growing clash between Sunni and Shia, rival branches of Islam.
The report stated that in the 25-month review period, the situation for minority faith groups deteriorated in almost half of the countries classed as having significant violations of religious freedom – 18 out of a total of 38 countries.
Worsening intolerance towards religious minorities meant that for the first time in the report’s 19-year history, two new countries: Russia and Kyrgyzstan – were placed in the “discrimination” category.
The report added that in a number of cases, such as Saudi Arabia and North Korea, the situation was already so bad that in the period under review it was difficult to imagine it could get any worse.
The report highlighted a surge in extremist attacks by militants against targets in the West. It said the danger from such terrorists is “universal, imminent and ever-present”.
Religious Freedom in the World 2018 also underlined the growth of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism in the West.
Summarising the report’s main findings, John Pontifex, editor-in-chief, said: “Aggressive ultra-nationalism – be it by hard-line governments or violent extremist groups – means many minority faith groups feel like aliens in their own country. They are easy targets in a new era of ignorance and intolerance.
“True, there are some like the Rohingya Muslims, whose plight has received due attention in the West, but so many others – such as Christians in Nigeria, Ahmadis in Pakistan and Baha’is in Iran – feel abandoned by the West where religious freedom has slipped down the human rights priority rankings.”
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