U.S. State Department: 2013 was black year for religious freedom

(Vatican Radio) The U.S. State Department’s  2014 report on Religious freedom says last year was a black year for religious freedom with widespread instances of discrimination and the displacement of religious minorities.

“In 2013, the world witnessed the largest displacement of religious communities in recent memory,” the report said. “In almost every corner of the globe, millions of Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and others representing a range of faiths were forced from their homes on account of their religious beliefs. … Communities are disappearing from their traditional and historic homes and dispersing across the geographic map. In conflict zones, in particular, this mass displacement has become a pernicious norm.”

In its summary the report names Syria, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Iraq, Bangladesh, Indonesia, India and Nigeria for failing to protect vulnerable religious communities, which often face violence, discrimination and harassment.