On May 14, 2020, in a special briefing, Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, Sam Brownback, discussed the impact of COVID-19 on religious minorities around the world. In April 2020, Ambassador Brownback used such an address to call for the release of prisoners of conscience in several countries around the world. The May briefing was used to raise the issue of the additional burdens faced by religious minorities during this unprecedented global pandemic.
Catholic Church in Ashoka Raj Path remains close on the occasion of Good Friday on day seventeen of ... [+]
In his address, Ambassador Brownback warned about five trends emerging among the treatment of religious minorities as related to the COVID-19 pandemic. First, some governments are using this COVID-19 pandemic to further repress some religious minorities. Second, religious minorities are often discriminated against in the provision of healthcare with religious minorities being denied access to medical assistance. Third, some religious minorities are blamed for the spread of COVID-19 and targeted as a result. Fourth, online propaganda campaigns target religious minorities spreading misinformation and inciting violence against these religious minority groups. Fifth, technology is being misused to further repress, discriminate, or surveil religious minorities.
Among the example, Ambassador Brownback mentioned that in Myanmar, the Burmese military denies the Rohingya Muslims access to medical care and so exposes them to the risk of complications in severe cases of COVID-19.
In China, Ambassador Brownback warned about the persecution of the Tibetans and the Uighur Muslims. As he explained, “even during the strictest lockdown, the Chinese Government was conducting a campaign to send a million police to 10 million homes in Tibet to further restrict the Tibetans and Tibetan Buddhism.” The Uighur Muslims are exposed to a high risk of contracting the virus as they are forced to work despite COVID-19 pandemic.
In India, Ambassador Brownback identified narratives and harassment targeting Muslim communities. “There have also been instances of Muslims being attacked for allegedly spreading the virus.”
In Malaysia, there have been reports of COVID-19 related online and offline xenophobia and hate speech against the Rohingya and other foreign migrants.
In Pakistan, Ambassador Brownback emphasized the challenges faced by religious minorities, especially Christians, engaged with sanitary work. “As the sanitation work includes collecting contaminated waste from hospital quarantine wards across the country” what exposes them to a high risk of contracting COVID-19 if adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) is not provided. He called upon the Pakistani Government to ensure that “these workers must not be neglected as the government works to increase distribution of personal protective equipment for front line workers. You can’t single out and isolate this religious minority, that’s the Christian workers.” Concerning Pakistan, Ambassador Brownback further raised the issue of the persecution of the Ahmadis and the recent anti-Ahmadi campaign, trending on Twitter in Pakistan.
In Sri Lanka, Ambassador Brownback warned against the government’s response to COVID-19 crisis has also sparking anti-Muslim sentiment in some quarters and disrespecting Muslim burial practices.
To address the challenges faced by religious minorities marginalized or ostracized because of COVID-19 pandemic, states and international institutions have been calling for a comprehensive COVID-19 response that strengthens the rights of the targeted communities. However, we must recognize that the task is a difficult one. Some of the affected communities have been facing similar challenges even before the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these challenges, but did not create them. Hence, an effective response to the COVID-19 must also address the pre-exicisitng discrimination, harassment, persecution and violence against religious minorities. Religious minorities cannot be neglected in the response to COVID-19.
