Pakistan has been placed on the US’ list of nations that ‘engage in or tolerate violations of religious freedoms’. We have been condemned for this suppression of minorities year after year, but what is truly ironic is that countries like India whose government has openly called for a genocide against Muslims have not been included. This undoubtedly casts shadow on the credibility of the list, and alludes to the idea that the US is selectively targeting a few specific countries without considering the possibility that it too supports an Islamophobic culture.
The ranks of Pakistan are joined by China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia and a few others, all of which have been incessantly criticised for limiting religious freedoms of minorities. As far as where we stand, there is no denying that we can definitely do better in regards to offering minorities protection in the country. And this is something that the government must acknowledge and assume responsibility for. However, one cannot overlook the fact that the US has targeted a select few countries and turned a blind eye to emerging allies like India.
The Indian government has been found guilty for inciting violence against minorities and has suffered through international condemnation. Recent UN reports have highlighted the kind of persecution that minorities suffer through, and the illegitimate actions that the fascist state has taken in IIOJK. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) itself has been making recommendations to add India onto the list for the last three years, and has encouraged the US state to take action against it. But all of this has fallen onto deaf ears.
What is more upsetting is that the US has been experiencing a sharp rise in Islamophobia and Muslims have started to feel extremely alienated by society. This has particularly worsened throughout the years and it seems as though there was no attempt to fix internal issues of religious freedoms before harping on about violations in others. How can a country assume a righteous role if it has failed to uphold the same values it preaches within its own borders?
The fact of the matter remains that while we work on improving the standard of respect and protection given to minorities, global powers like the US should also do better to hold each and every aggressor responsible, including itself. It should call a spade a spade, without any bias or hypocrisy.