U.S. raps Iran for harassing religious minorities [View All]

http://reuters.excite.com/article/20060915/2006-09-15T190247Z_01_N15198593_RTRIDST_0_INTERNATIONAL-RIGHTS-RELIGION-USA-DC.html

U.S. raps Iran for harassing religious minorities
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Sep 15, 3:02 PM (ET)

By Arshad Mohammed

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States took Iran to task on Friday for its "harsh and oppressive treatment" of religious minorities as the two nations continued their standoff over Tehran's suspected nuclear arms program.

Iran, which says its nuclear program is aimed at power generation, is a frequent target of criticism from the United States, which has long branded Tehran as a "state sponsor of terrorism" and accused it of persistent human rights abuses.

In its annual "Report on International Religious Freedom" around the world, the State Department said it found a further deterioration in what it called "the extremely poor status of respect for religious freedom" in Iran.

The assessment cited reports of imprisonment, harassment, intimidation and discrimination based on religious beliefs in Iran, even among Zoroastrians, Jews and Christians -- the only legally recognized religious minorities.

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