US launches International Religious Freedom Alliance, condemns terrorists for targeting minorities including Pak Hindus

Announcing the launch of a 27-nation International Religious Freedom Alliance, US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo on Wednesday (local time) said that his country condemned terrorists and extremists for targeting religious minorities all over the world including Hindus in Pakistan.

Speaking at the International Religious Freedom Alliance Dinner, Pompeo, noted that more than eight in ten people in the world today live in a place where they cannot practice their faith freely. The International Religious Freedom Alliance is an alliance of "like-minded partners who treasure and fight for, international religious freedom for every human being".

"More than eight in ten people in the world today live where they cannot practice their faith freely. We condemn terrorists and violent extremists who target religious minorities, whether they are Yezidis in Iraq, Hindus in Pakistan, Christians in northeast Nigeria, or Muslims in Burma," Pompeo said.

"We condemn blasphemy and apostasy laws that criminalise matters of the soul," he added.

His speech also mentioned China's treatment against its minorities. "We condemn the Chinese Communist Party's hostility to all faiths," Pompeo stated.

The top US diplomat announced that Poland will host the next ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom in Warsaw in July this year.

"We have built momentum for this important effort ever since I announced our intent to create it at the second Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, which was hosted in this building this past July," Pompeo said.

"I am most pleased to announce that Poland will host the next Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom this July in Warsaw. I know there are conversations happening now about who will host in 2021. We look forward to that announcement soon," he said.

Pompeo also said that the US is committed to hosting the ministerial again in Washington DC.