What is USCIRF and why it wants the US to impose sanctions against Amit Shah?
What would happen if America put sanctions against Amit Shah
USCIRF (United States Commission on International Religious Freedom) said on Monday that the US should consider imposing sanctions against Home Minister Amit Shah if the Citizenship Amendment Bill gets passed in Rajya Sabha.
USCIRF in a statement said that it was deeply troubled after the Citizenship Amendment Bill passed in the Lok Sabha “given the religious criterion in the bill”. It recommended to the US government that if the CAB passes in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, the US government should consider sanctions against Amit Shah and other principal leadership.
The USCIRF said that the Bill “enshrines a pathway to citizenship for immigrants that specifically excludes Muslims, setting a legal criteria for citizenship based on religion. It also said that the Bill is a dangerous turn in the wrong direction as it counters India’s rich history of secular pluralism and the Constitution of India, which guarantees equality before the law regardless of the faith.
Read more: What is Citizenship Amendment Bill and why Muslims are opposing it?
What is USCIRF?
USCIRF describes itself as an independent, bipartisan US federal government commission that was created by The International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA). It is dedicated to defend the universal right to freedom or belief abroad. USCIRF reviews the circumstances and facts of religious freedom violation and makes policy recommendation to the President, Congress and the Secretary of State. The commissioners of USCIRF are appointed by the Congressional leaders of both political parties and President of the United States.
Main responsibilities of USCIRF
– It engages Congress by working with Congressional offices, testifying at hearings, advising on legislation, and holding briefings on religious freedom issues.
– It issues an annual report by May 1 every year, assessing the US government’s implementation of IRFA. It recommends countries that the Secretary of State should designate as ‘Countries of Particular Concern” for tolerating and engaging in ongoing, systematic, egregious violation of religious freedom”, documents condition in about 30 countries, makes recommendations for US policy and reports on significant trends.
– USCIRF meets with Executive Branch officials including the Departments of Homeland Security and State, to share information, highlight the situation of concern and discuss the USCIRF’s recommendations for the US policy.
Read more: Why People from North-East are protesting against Citizenship Amendment Bill?
What happens if America put sanctions against Amit Shah
There is no certainty on what will happen if the United States imposes sanctions against India’s Home Minister and other principal officials. Amit Shah and other officials might not get an entry in the US and if there is any asset of these officials in the US, they might be frozen. However, we are just speculating the consequences.
Have a news story, an interesting write-up or simply a suggestion? Write to us at info@oneworldnews.com
