Commission to Testify on its 2001 Annual Report Before HIRC

May 22, 2001

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 22, 2001

Contact:
Lawrence J. Goodrich, Communications Director, (202) 523-3240, ext. 27

WHAT: The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom will testify before the House International Relations Committee on its 2001 Annual Report. Former Commission Chairman Elliott Abrams, former Commissioner Laila Al-Marayati, former Commissioner David Saperstein, and Commissioner Nina Shea will testify. (The Commissioners' terms expired on May 14; Commissioner Shea has been reappointed to another term.)

WHEN: Thursday, May 24, 2001 at 11:30 a.m.

WHERE:Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2172

BACKGROUND:The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom issued its second Annual Report on May 1 containing policy recommendations to the President, Secretary of State, and Congress. The Annual Report addresses religious-freedom issues in almost two dozen countries, with individual recommendations on the following: China, India, Indonesia, Iran, North Korea, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Sudan, Vietnam, access to U.S. capital markets, and U.S. foreign assistance. An Addendum to the Annual Report, issued May 14, addresses Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to monitor the status of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief abroad, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international instruments, and to give independent policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and the Congress." src="https://www.uscirf.org/images/layout/subbottomtext1.gif" />

Hon. Elliott Abrams,Chair
  • Dr. Firuz Kazemzadeh,Vice ChairRabbi David SapersteinLaila Al-Marayati, M.D.Hon. John R. BoltonDean Michael K. YoungArchbishop Theodore E. McCarrickNina SheaJustice Charles Z. SmithAmbassador Robert Seiple,Ex-OfficioSteven T. McFarland,Executive Director