Since when did Qatar, Kuwait, Turkey become champions of religious freedom, human rights

Kuwait had in 2021 April rejected requests by Hindu and Buddhist communities to cremate bodies of their deceased in the city

New Delhi, Jun 09: The controversial statements made by two BJP spokespersons one of whom has been suspended and another removed has led to at least 15 nations condemning the same.

There was condemnation from Qatar, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Kuwait among others. India on its part rejected criticism from Pakistan, Turkey who are part of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and reminded that these countries are serial violators of minority rights.

The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was brought in by India to protect the persecuted minorities including Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Ahmadiyyas by Pakistan.

The Indian diplomats in Qatar, Kuwait and Iran were summoned. India made it clear that it accords the highest respect to all religions. The Centre in fact took a careful stand not to hurt the long-standing diplomatic with some of these nations.

Some of the data that has been provided below would clearly go on to show that these countries are not in a position to lecture anyone on both religious freedom or human rights.

If one goes through the Freedom in the World report the rights and freedom that individuals have in Saudi Arabia ranks just 7 out of 100 when compared to the 66 in India. The ranks for Bahrain, Qatar and Oman are just 12, 25 and 24 out of 100.

On Qatar the US State Department said that expatriate workers from nations throughout Asia and parts of Africa are roughly subjected to forced labour and in some instances prostitution.

Among the 15 nations that criticised India, 11 are not free when comes to political and civil freedom according to the Freedom House 2022 report. Saudi Arabia, Libya, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Iran, UAE, Oman, Qatar, Iraq, Turkey and Jordan are rated not free. Kuwait, Pakistan, Maldives and Indonesia are marked as partly free.

In 2013 Amnesty International published reports showing that unpaid migrant labour were left to go hungry. With Qatar winning the hosting rights to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the construction boom began. The analysis said that the current construction practices will have resulted in 4,000 deaths by the end of the 2022 event.

Until 2005 Qatar had used children as young as four years old as jockeys in camel racing. Children were trafficked from other countries and starved to keep their weight down.

In Kuwait, the Shia citizens have reported cases of torture, forced disappearance, unfair trial, and extrajudicial punishment. Since 2021, Kuwait has arbitrarily detained more than 18 elderly Shia Kuwaiti men without any charges. Like in Qatar, Kuwait too has in the past used children as camel jockey and treated them like animals.

Foreign nationals who account for 70 per cent of Kuwait's population are prey to the kafala system which leave them probe to exploitation. Administrative decoration is common for minor offences including a minor traffic violation.

The US State Department said, "on April 12, the news website Middle East Monitor cited a report in Al-Rai newspaper that the Funeral Department of the Kuwait Municipality rejected requests by the Hindu and Buddhist communities to cremate bodies of their deceased in the city.

Kuwait has also been rated as the worst in human trafficking with thousands of foreign nationals being subjected to physical and sexual abuse, non-payment of wages, poor working conditions and confinement.

The US Department State Department said that in Iran Sufism is denounced by Shia cleric and prayer leaders. They have denounced these activities both in sermons and public sentiments.

In Libya religious minorities said converts to other religion, atheists and other non-religious persons faced threats of violence and dismissal from employment and also their families and communities.

In Jordan continuing online hate has been reported and these are directed at the religious minorities.

The US State Department's report for 2021 said that nine Kurdish Sunni imams in Turkey were arrested, charged with terrorism-related offenses, and then released seven days later. Authorities detained the nine imams along with 19 others during a counterterrorism operation. Media reported the charges for arrest also included preaching sermons in Kurdish.