Interactive Dialogue with Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief
Statement as Delivered by Ambassador at Large for the Office of International Religious Freedom, Rashad Hussain
Delegation of the United States of America
Human Rights Council – 49th Session
March 10, 2022
Thank you so much, Madame President.
Special Rapporteur Shaheed, we welcome your recent report on persons belonging to religious or belief minorities in situations of conflict and insecurity.
Persecution, repression, and discrimination are a daily reality for members of religious minority communities around the world. Believers and non-believers alike are targeted with violence; their enjoyment of human rights is limited or sometimes entirely restricted.
We are concerned about vulnerable religious minority groups in many countries: Orthodox Christians, Crimean Tatars, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and others in Ukraine; Shi’a, Ismaili, Hazaras, Hindus, Ahmadi, Sikhs, and Christians in Afghanistan; Bahai in Iran and Yemen; Yezidis in Iraq; Rohingya and others in Burma; Uyghurs, Tibetan Buddhists, and others in China; and Ahmadis in Algeria.
The surest way to secure a peaceful future in which people of all faiths can live in safety and security is by working together on joint efforts like the Istanbul Process and Resolution 16/18.
Question: What are the most effective measures the international community can take to protect religious minorities?