Congress: USCIRF Chair testifies on State Department's Religious Freedom Report

Nov 14, 2005


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 14, 2005


Contact:
Anne Johnson, Director of Communications, (202) 523-3240, ext. 27

WASHINGTON - Michael Cromartie, Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), testified at a hearing on the State Department's 2005 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom and its designation of "countries of particular concern" (CPCs). The hearing was held by the House International Relations Committee Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations and is titled, "In Defense of Human Dignity:The 2005 International Religious Freedom Report."

In a November 10 press release, the Commission welcomed the continued designation by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ofBurma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, SudanandVietnamas "countries of particular concern" (CPCs), as there have been no developments in the past year in any of those countries to warrant their removal from the CPC list. At the same time, the information in this year's Annual Report on Religious Freedom, released this week by the State Department, makes clear that three other countries merit CPC status in addition to those that have been previously named by the Secretary of State. The Commission finds that the governments ofPakistan, Turkmenistan, andUzbekistanpersist in engaging in or tolerating particularly severe violations of religious freedom, and regrets that they were, once again, not designated as CPCs this year. However, the Commission notes that countries may be designated as CPCs at any time during the year.

What: Hearing on the State Department's Annual Report on International Religious Freedom and Designations of Countries of Particular Concern

Where: Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2172

When: Tuesday, November 15, 2005, 10:30 a.m.

Others testifying are:

The Honorable John V. Hanford III, Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, U.S. Department of State;

Most Reverend Ricardo Ramirez, C.S.B., Bishop of Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (also a USCIRF Commissioner);

Ms. Nina Shea, Director, Center for Religious Freedom, Freedom House (also a USCIRF Commissioner);

Mr. Tom Malinowski, Washington Advocacy Director, Human Rights Watch;

Mr. David Aikman, Author,Jesus In Beijing: How Christianity Is Transforming China And ChangingThe World Balance Of Power; and

Mr. Lawrence A. Uzzell, President, International Religious Freedom Watch.

Chair Cromartie's testimony will be available on the Commission's web site at www.uscirf.gov at 10:30 a.m. on November 15 and may also be obtained by contacting the Commission's Communications Department at [email protected] or (202) 523-3240, ext. 26 or 27.


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.

Michael Cromartie,Chair
  • Felice D. Gaer,Vice ChairNina Shea,Vice ChairPreeta D. BansalArchbishop Charles J. ChaputKhaled Abou El FadlRichard D. LandElizabeth H. ProdromouBishop Ricardo RamirezAmbassador John V. Hanford III,Ex-OfficioJoseph R. Crapa,Executive Director