Tillerson raps some U.S. allies for religious freedom violations, slams 

8/16/2017 8:14:06 AM

WASHINGTON,  August,  16, 2017-- Tillerson commented at the State Department while introducing the agency's annual report on religious freedom, required by a 1998 act of Congress. The report is the first to be released during the Trump administration and covers 2016.

Tillerson said Iran targeted religious minorities including Baha'is and Christians, and in 2016 executed 20 people on charges including 'waging war against God.' He also called out China and Sudan in his remarks.
The Chinese government tortures and imprisons thousands for practicing their religious beliefs, Tillerson said, citing the targeting of Falun Gong members, Uighur Muslims and Tibetan Buddhists. And in Sudan, the government arrests and intimidates clergy and blocks the construction of churches while tearing down existing ones, he said.

Tillerson said Islamic State, the Sunni extremist group that has controlled parts of Iraq and Syria, 'is clearly responsible for genocide against Yezidis, Christians, and Shia Muslims in areas it controls or has controlled.'

The report did not address Trump's attempt this year to temporarily suspend refugee admissions and his decision to impose a lower cap on the number of those admissions. The report states that resettlement is a 'vital tool for providing refugees protection.'
Many refugees admitted to the United States in 2016 were fleeing religious intolerance and persecution, it said.