Sultanate free of religious violence, says US report

MUSCAT, May 1 - The Sultanate is free of violations of religious freedoms, whereas 16 countries around the world are classified as “countries of particular concern” (CPCs) for engaging in or tolerating “systematic, ongoing, egregious violations.”

This was revealed in the annual report released by the American Committee on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

Also, the report placed 12 countries on its Tier 2 list, meaning the violations meet one or two, but not all three, of the elements of the systematic, ongoing, egregious test for CPC status.

Reacting to this, the Oman Human Rights Commission (OHRC) said that the report issued by USCIRF is free of any reference to the Sultanate in violation of religious freedoms, and this clearly confirms the efforts by various government bodies, especially the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs, to consolidate religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

The report which was released at a press conference by the US Senate this week pointed out that CPCs are those states which commit systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of the law, or turn a blind eye to such violations. The report also noted numerous violations of religious freedom around the world, and to other countries where there are grounds for concern for religious freedoms.

Religious tolerance and coexistence among individuals of different nationalities and ethnic and religious are prominent features of Omani society. International reports have praised the Sultanate’s efforts in this regard, including the US State Department’s report on religious freedoms enjoyed by Omanis and residents in the Sultanate.

The Sultanate ranked first in the list of countries least affected by terrorism, according to the Global Terrorism Index (GTI), and fourth in the world as the best destination for expatriates, according to a survey conducted by (Expat Insider).

The law in the Sultanate criminalises any kind of abuse of other religions.