Religious Freedom in Indonesia as the U.S. Highlights

Indonesia in a group with Afghanistan, Belarus, Cuba, India, Laos, Russia, Somalia, Sudan, and Venezuela in terms of related violations of religious freedom.


Similarly, according to an annual U.S. government report to be released on Tuesday (3/20/2012), but has acquired the news agency The Associated Press (AP) on Monday. U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) in its annual reports that categorize Indonesia and nine other countries in the list of controls that need careful monitoring because the government is doing or allowing freedom of religion-related offenses.


The report also mentions, there are 16 other countries that are categorized as countries with special attention. Included in this group, two U.S. allies, namely Turkey and Tajikistan, due to "systematic and terrible limitations" related to religious freedom. Turkey and Tajikistan was part of a total of 16 countries listed by the commission as the country with special attention.


Turkish ambassador to Washington, Mamik Tan, has denied the commission's assessment and said it could not be justified. "Every eye that no bias will soon realize that Turkey should not enter the USCIRF's annual report," Tan told The Associated Press.


The report criticized Turkey for organizing groups of non-Muslims by limiting how they should train their religious leaders, offering education, and confiscate places of worship.


The U.S. Congress established the commission in 1998 to prepare reports that can be used by presidents, foreign ministers, and members of the country's parliament.


In addition to Turkey and Tajikistan, the report also includes Myanmar, North Korea, Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, China, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam in the same category.


Although the commission recommends action to be taken by the U.S. Government encourages improvements in religious freedom in various countries, the U.S. State Department's list typically pursing a smaller group that should receive special attention in its own annual report neighbors for religious freedom. Those countries could then be penalized.


As a NATO ally, Turkey stand out among the other countries named by the commission. However, the report seems to conflict with the U.S. State Department assessment of Turkey. When the department released a report last year, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton praised Turkey for taking "serious steps to improve the climate of religious tolerance."