U.S. Commission flags alleged systematic violations of religious freedom in India
New Delhi: The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has raised concerns over what it describes as a deteriorating state of religious freedom in India. In its annual report, the commission has recommended that the U.S. State Department designate India as a "Country of Particular Concern" for engaging in systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.
Authored by senior policy analyst Sema Hasan, the report highlights the use of misinformation and disinformation, including hate speech by government officials, to incite violent attacks against religious minorities and their places of worship. It states that throughout 2024, individuals have been killed, beaten, and lynched by vigilante groups, religious leaders have been arbitrarily arrested, and homes and places of worship have been demolished, which it classified as severe violations of religious freedom.
The report further criticises changes to and enforcement of India's legal framework, which it claims target and disenfranchise religious minorities. It cited examples such as the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), a uniform civil code, and various state-level anti-conversion and cow slaughter laws.
India has consistently denied visas to USCIRF members since the tenure of the Manmohan Singh-led government, citing "interference" in its internal affairs. The State Department has so far refrained from accepting the commission's recommendation to categorise India as a "Country of Particular Concern."
Several Indian and Indian-American groups have accused the USCIRF of biased and agenda-driven reporting, aimed at tarnishing India's image.
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South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
