03-12-2007, 11:00 PM
xpost..
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From a recently trashed thread on BR, want to save this particular post from Johann.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The State Department is a relatively marginal figure in the IRF.
Like most of these other mandatory annual reports, they are the result of some sort of succesful Congressional initiative by a group of politicians.
In this case it was the IRF Act passed in 1998.
The act also created the 'US Commission on International Religious Freedom' USCRIF.
These are the people who really write the annual IRF report, and make the recommendations for designating countries as being of 'Particular Concern' or below that on the 'Watch List'.
All of the countries on the two lists are either Muslim states, or Communist ones.
However the USCRIF has been openly pushing for the last few years to put India on the watch list, and the USG has resisted.
The USCRIF has 11 commissioners - some come from a variety of religious organisations, while others are legal specialists.
Two specific observations/recommendations;
- Richard D. Land who is a big cheese in the Southern Baptists Convention is the commissioner Indians should be most concerned about. He is the one, along with Khaled Abou El-Fadl who keeps pushing at India.
- There are no Hindu or Buddhist commissioners. This is ridiculous, and this is something that a number of Indian/Hindu/Buddhist organisations in the US can and ought to do something about.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
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From a recently trashed thread on BR, want to save this particular post from Johann.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The State Department is a relatively marginal figure in the IRF.
Like most of these other mandatory annual reports, they are the result of some sort of succesful Congressional initiative by a group of politicians.
In this case it was the IRF Act passed in 1998.
The act also created the 'US Commission on International Religious Freedom' USCRIF.
These are the people who really write the annual IRF report, and make the recommendations for designating countries as being of 'Particular Concern' or below that on the 'Watch List'.
All of the countries on the two lists are either Muslim states, or Communist ones.
However the USCRIF has been openly pushing for the last few years to put India on the watch list, and the USG has resisted.
The USCRIF has 11 commissioners - some come from a variety of religious organisations, while others are legal specialists.
Two specific observations/recommendations;
- Richard D. Land who is a big cheese in the Southern Baptists Convention is the commissioner Indians should be most concerned about. He is the one, along with Khaled Abou El-Fadl who keeps pushing at India.
- There are no Hindu or Buddhist commissioners. This is ridiculous, and this is something that a number of Indian/Hindu/Buddhist organisations in the US can and ought to do something about.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->