Annual Report, International Religious Freedom: Report Submitted to the Committee on International Relations, U.S. House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations, United States Senate by the Department of State, in Accordance with Section 102 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998

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U.S. Government Printing Office, 2003
 

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Page ix - Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
Page ix - Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people...
Page 343 - The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respects this right in practice. There was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom during the period covered by this report, and government policy continued to contribute to the generally free practice of religion.
Page 80 - ... evangelical Christian denominations. While the courts generally have upheld the right of evangelical Christian groups to worship and to construct facilities to house their congregations, the State limits the number of foreign religious workers granted temporary residence permits. The US Government discusses religious freedom issues with the Government in the context of its overall dialog and policy of promoting human rights. RELIGIOUS DEMOGRAPHY The country has a total area of 25,322 square miles...
Page 318 - Forced Religious Conversion There were no reports of forced religious conversion, including of minor US citizens who had been abducted or illegally removed from the United States, or of the authorities' refusal to allow such citizens to be returned to the United States.
Page iii - State moved to strengthen further the human rights efforts of our embassies. All sections in each embassy were asked to contribute information and to corroborate reports of human rights violations, and new efforts were made to link mission programming to the advancement of human rights and democracy. In 1994 the Bureau of Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs was reorganized and renamed as the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, reflecting both a broader sweep and a more focused approach...
Page 353 - Restrictions on Religious Freedom Government policy and practice contributed to the generally unrestricted practice of religion.
Page vi - Director shall have primary responsibility for establishing overall development assistance policy and coordinating international development activities supported by the United States. The Director...
Page 383 - Embassy's political section are dedicated to human rights and religious freedom issues. These officers work closely with consular officers in Moscow and other US Consulates around the country. Consular officers routinely investigate criminal, customs, and immigration cases involving foreign citizens with a view to determining whether they involve possible violations of religious freedom. Consular officers also raised the issue of visas for religious workers with the Passport and Visa Unit in the...
Page 310 - ... including of minor US citizens who had been abducted or illegally removed from the United States, or of the Government's refusal to allow such citizens to be returned to the United States. SECTION III. SOCIETAL ATTITUDES The...

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