4 shocking findings from State Department's religious freedom report

By Samantha Kamman, Christian Post Reporter Sunday, June 04, 2023

Protesters gather to demonstrate against the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran on September 23, 2022, in Berlin, Germany. | Sean Gallup/Getty Images

The U.S. State Department's recent report highlighting religious freedom conditions abroad relayed several shocking realities about the scale of violence and persecution being faced by Christians and other religious minorities around the world.

The report, released by the State Department Office of International Religious Freedom on May 15, is submitted to Congress under the order of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to document human rights abuses and areas of concern regarding religious freedom.

"U.S. embassies prepare the initial drafts of country chapters based on information from government officials, religious groups, nongovernmental organizations, journalists, human rights monitors, academics, media, and others," the report notes.

"The Office of International Religious Freedom, based in Washington, collaborates in collecting and analyzing additional information, drawing on its consultations with foreign government officials, domestic and foreign religious groups, domestic and foreign nongovernmental organizations, multilateral and other international and regional organizations, journalists, academic experts, community leaders, and other relevant U.S. government institutions."

The following pages highlight four shocking findings in the State Department’s 2022 report.

Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman