Washington: Throughout parts of the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, religious freedom is under attack. Rather than confronting the problem head-on, Secretary of State Antony Blinken's "bothsiderism" worsens it.

The Islamic State committed genocide against the Yezidis, who are now captive in Turkey and its Arab agents. I spoke with Iraqi diplomats who dismissed Yezidi assertions as "wishful thinking" and refused to watch proof-of-life films. They were promoted by Blinken.

Christians are frequently targeted. Consider the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War, which occurred during Trump's final months in office: Turkey and Azerbaijan timed their assault on Nagorno-Christians Karabakh's to coincide with the Ottoman invasion of Armenia's 100th anniversary. The symbolism was clear: this was Armenian Genocide 2.0, not merely a property dispute. The fact that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoan and his Azerbaijani partner Ilham Aliyev used jihadist rhetoric and targeted churches and other cultural sites only served to undercut that fact.

When Joe Biden was elected president, though, Armenians were hopeful. Biden stated that the Armenian genocide would be recognised. He was true to his word. Blinken then turned around and sanctioned fresh aid to Azerbaijan two days later, money that legally required verification that Azerbaijan had abandoned the military option.

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