The U.S. State Department has issued its latest "Report on International Religious Freedom," identifying widespread challenges in its survey of nearly 200 countries.
Covering the period from July to December 2010, the Congressionally mandated report is meant to "bear witness to those who are persecuted because of their faith and shine a light on governments and societies that promote or tolerate such abuses."
"As we look around the world, we see many countries where governments deny their people the most fundamental human rights -- the right to believe according to their own conscience, including the freedom to not believe or not follow the religion favored by their government," U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told a press conference announcing the report's release.
The report identifies Iran, Uzbekistan, China, and Burma among "countries of particular concern" and says Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan also face significant challenges in securing religious freedom.
Clinton also warned that recent popular uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa had exposed religious and ethnic minorities to new dangers, and urged the people of the region not to "trade one form of repression for another."
compiled from agency reports
