Trump admin's first religious freedom report labels ISIS' attacks on minorities as 'genocide'

The first International Religious Freedom Report released under the administration of President Donald Trump has highlighted the Islamic State's attack on Christians and other minorities, specifically calling it genocide.

The report, released by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday, links ISIS to ethnic cleansing of religious minorities and attacks on churches and Christian pilgrims in Egypt.

"ISIS is clearly responsible for genocide against Yezidis, Christians, and Shia Muslims in areas it controls or has controlled," Tillerson said.

"The protection of these groups — and others subject to violent extremism — is a human rights priority for the Trump administration. We will continue working with our regional partners to protect religious minority communities from terrorist attacks and to preserve their cultural heritage," he continued.

The State Department's annual report provides an update on the religious freedom situation in 199 countries around the world. According to The Christian Post, the study explores the different forms and levels of persecution people of various faiths and ethnic groups are being subjected to.

The latest report was also highly critical of a number of countries, including China and Saudi Arabia, even though they are considered key U.S. allies.

The document highlighted China's continuing abuse against Tibetan Buddhists Christians and other religious minorities. A Christian pastor was reportedly buried alive while trying to stop the authorities from demolishing his church, while three Tibetans set themselves on fire to protest the ongoing repression in the country.

The report criticized Saudi Arabia for arresting and jailing people on charges of insulting Islam and practicing sorcery. Foreigners have also been detained, harassed and occasionally deported from the Arab nation for participating in non-Islamic worship.

"Many governments around the world used discriminatory laws to deny their citizens freedom of religion or belief. No one should have to live in fear, worship in secret, face discrimination because of their beliefs," Tillerson said, according to CBN News.

The severe religious rights abuses in North Korea was also highlighted in the report, which noted that simply owning a Bible in the country is illegal and is "punishable by imprisonment and severe punishment, including, in some cases, execution."

It cited the accounts of "private Christian religious activity in the country," along with charities and academics that estimated the number of Christians at around several hundred thousand, but said that it is hard to verify the exact number.

The State Department has been releasing the annual report since the international religious freedom act of 1998 was amended under President Bill Clinton to help better assess and protect religious freedom as a foreign policy.