Commission says Iraq Study Group neglected religious rights in report

Published: 2006-12-14

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The Iraq Study Group neglected the issue of religious freedom and rights in its much-publicized report, said a statement from Felice D. Gaer, chairwoman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. "Every Iraqi, including individual Muslims, should have the freedom not only to worship and to practice his or her faith, but also the right to debate and dissent from state-imposed orthodoxy on issues related to religion," Gaer said in her Dec. 13 statement. Gaer noted that one of the Iraq Study Group's recommendations dealt with the rights of women and ethnic minorities in Iraq, but it failed to "present a strategic vision of human rights promotion and religious freedom advocacy that the commission believes is critical to securing durable stability in Iraq." She added, "In its 160-page report, the Iraq Study Group fails to mention the term 'human rights' or its significance to Iraq even once." The bipartisan Iraq Study Group, whose report was released Dec. 6, made recommendations on phasing out the U.S. military presence in Iraq, which the United States invaded in 2003.

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