WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In what one official describes as a "mixed" report, the State Department's Annual Report on International Religious Freedom praises growing interfaith initiatives in some countries but criticizes "blasphemy" laws supported by some Islamic nations.

Such laws, it says, curtail freedom of expression.

Introducing the report at the State Department Monday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticized anti-defamation policies, such as those being proposed at the United Nations, saying that "an individual's ability to practice his or her religion has no bearing on others' freedom of speech."

Clinton said the protection of speech about religion is particularly important "since persons of different faiths will inevitably hold divergent views on religious questions. These differences should be met with tolerance, not with the suppression of discourse."

The annual report, addressing the state of religious freedom in 198 countries and territories, cites "serious problems" of religious tolerance in Afghanistan.

It singles out a controversial law signed by President Hamid Karzai limiting the rights of women from the Shia minority. It also cites harassment and occasional violence against religious minorities and Muslims perceived as not respecting Islamic strictures. Non-Muslim minority groups -- including Christians, Hindus, and Sikhs, it says -- continued to face incidents of discrimination and persecution.

Briefing the media on the report, Michael Posner -- assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor -- said China has a "mixed picture" on religious freedom, including encouraging indications of a rapidly growing Christian community, 50 million to 90 million members of which, he said, worship in unregistered churches.

He added, however, that China has a number of "very serious issues," including suppression of Buddhist leaders in Tibet, targeting of monks, and crackdowns again Muslim Uyghurs.

The United States has "very serious concerns" over the status of religious freedom in Saudi Arabia as well, Posner said. The report says freedom of religion "is neither recognized nor protected under Saudi law and it is severely restricted in practice."

The U.S. ambassador, the report says, has met with senior Saudi government and religious leaders regarding religious freedom and raised specific cases of violations. Other U.S. officials encouraged the government to honor policies calling for a halt to the dissemination of intolerant literature and extremist ideology within the country and around the world, to protect private worship for all religious groups, and to curb harassment of religious groups.

In Russia authorities imposed restrictions on certain religious minorities and did not always respect separation of church and state and the equality of all religions before the law, the report says: "Vague legislation to counter 'extremism' has had a detrimental effect on religious freedom."

The State Department will issue a separate report on "countries of concern." Officials say they plan to release by January.

The-CNN-Wire/Atlanta
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