FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 19, 1999

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

WASHINGTON, October 19, 1999 -- The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom met today at the White House with President Clinton, National Security Adviser Samuel Berger, and White House Chief of Staff John Podesta to urge action against religious persecution in Sudan and China.

On Sudan, the Commission called upon the President to apply his 1997 Executive Order imposing economic sanctions on that country to bar the Chinese government's China National Petroleum Corporation and other companies from using U.S. stock exchanges to finance Sudan's new oil pipeline. Revenues from the pipeline would, the Commission said, insulate Sudan's repressive regime from the impact of economic sanctions, and would perpetuate the 16 year old civil war which has already claimed the lives of 2 million Sudanese. The Commission also urged the President to meet with experts on Sudan to design future actions aimed at ending egregious religious persecution by that country's government, and to send Secretary of State Albright to a congressionally-sponsored "summit meeting" on the Sudan on November 9th. Finally, it asked the President to speak out more forcefully and frequently - -in public, in multilateral organizations, and in diplomatic exchanges - - against the violations of religious freedom in Sudan and to strengthen the hand of the U.S. special peace envoy.

On China, the Commission welcomed the State Department's designation of that country as a "country of particular concern" due to its severe violations of religious freedom. The Commission emphasized, however, that this designation must carry consequences if the International Religious Freedom Act is to be taken seriously. It urged the Administration to raise religious freedom issues as often and as prominently as possible in meetings with Chinese officials. The Commission emphasized the importance of cooperating with the Administration to devise strategies that would affect Chinese conduct. There was discussion as well of approaches to the U.S. business community on this issue.

On Russia, the regressive trend toward violations of religious freedom was discussed. It was agreed that the Commission and the Administration would seek to develop new policies to address this growing problem. The link between extreme nationalism and religious persecution was noted as a significant factor in designing an effective U.S. policy.

The President commended the Commission for its work to date and strongly encouraged its continuing efforts.

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." 

Rabbi David Saperstein,Chair

• Dean Michael K. Young,Vice Chair Hon. Elliott Abrams, Laila Al-Marayati, M.D.Hon. John R. Bolton, Firuz Kazemzadeh, Archbishop Theodore E. McCarrick, Nina Shea, Justice Charles Z. Smith, Ambassador Robert Seiple,Ex-Officio Steven T. McFarland, Executive Director

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 15, 2002

Contact:
Rabbi David Saperstein, Chair, (202) 387-2800
Dean Michael K Young, Vice-Chair, (202) 994-6288
Steve McFarland, Executive Director, (703) 625-1085

WASHINGTON, September 9, 1999-The Commission on International Religious Freedom welcomes the release of the State Department's first global report on the status of religious freedom. Over one thousand pages in length, the report reflects a renewed recognition of the salience of religious freedom to America foreign policy. We express our appreciation for the diligence of Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, and Ambassador Robert Seiple and his Office on International Religious Freedom at the Department of State in producing the report.

As it carries out its mandate in its first year, the Commission will examine with keen interest the findings and recommendations of the Report. We will pay particular attention to the assessments of China and Sudan, countries that the Commission is now taking under study for what today's Report confirms are their egregious and continuing patterns of religious repression.

While the Commission will be studying the Secretary's Report in the ensuing weeks, the Report is significant for at least four reasons, according to Rabbi David Saperstein, chair of the Commission. First, it signals that one of the purposes of last year's International Religious Freedom Act (which created the Commission and mandated the State Department's report) is being fulfilled: "The length of the Report alone reflects that every American embassy in the world is now attuned to the issue of religious liberty," Chairman Saperstein observed. "This nation's 'First Freedom' has assumed its rightful place as a serious consideration in American foreign policy."

Second, the Report means that "the Congress and the American people will have more information upon which to order U.S. relations with those nations that mistreat their own religious communities," Saperstein stated.

Third, as countries review their own policies as a result of this reporting process, the United States is making a real difference on the ground for real people. One example: the Commission understands that, in order to avoid being designated a "country of particular concern" (CPC), Uzbekistan took public and formal steps to improve religious toleration this year. "Clearly the U.S. can wield significant moral suasion and influence internationally. Because religious freedom abroad is once again important to America, it is becoming important to other nations as well," noted Chairman Saperstein.

Finally, the Report corroborates the need for the Commission's annual May 1 report. The Secretary's Report is limited in time to an eighteen month period and in scope to those facts that U.S. embassies can verify. In contrast, the Commission is not limited to assessments based on that time period and the law creating the Commission (IRFA) mandates that it consult non-government organizations (human rights groups, relief agencies, religious ministries in the field) as well as expert consultants to supplement what our government can glean.

The Commission looks forward to working cooperatively with Ambassador Seiple both in his capacity as a member of the Commission and as Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom in the Department of State. The Commission anticipates issuing its detailed assessment of the Report as part of its ongoing responsibilities throughout the year.

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" />

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 13, 1999

Contact:
Jeff Mandell, (202) 387-2800

(WASHINGTON) -- The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom today named Steven T. McFarland as its executive director. Mr. McFarland currently serves as the Director of the Christian Legal Society's Center for Law and Religious Freedom

For the past eight and one-half years, Mr. McFarland has led the Christian Legal Society's litigation and lobbying efforts on behalf of religious liberty for all faiths. A recognized scholar in the field of free exercise and establishment clause jurisprudence, Mr. McFarland led the CLRF's efforts to defend the rights of all religious groups, successfully litigating on behalf of Protestants, Catholics, Jews, and numerous other minority faith communities.

Mr. McFarland has also been a leader of a number of broad based religious coalitions. He helped lead the Coalition for the Free Exercise of Religion, a group comprised of over 80 national religious and civil liberties organizations -- including those representing the Christian, Jewish, Moslem, Buddhist, and Sikh communities, -- in their efforts to shepherd the Religious Freedom Restoration Act to passage in 1993, and the Religious Liberty Protection Act, which overwhelmingly passed the House of Representatives in July of this year.

On behalf of similarly broad coalitions, Mr. McFarland was one of the principal authors of several recent joint religious freedom documents, including two later adopted by President Clinton as guidelines for protecting both religious freedom in America's public schools and the religious freedom rights of the two million U.S. federal workers.

Rabbi David Saperstein, Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, where Mr. McFarland will soon work, commented: "Having worked closely with Steve McFarland for almost nine years now, I have seen first hand his immense skills as a coalition builder, his tenacious ability to bring tasks to completion, his brilliant legal mind, and the inordinate respect he is accorded by members of Congress and the Administration with whom he has worked on a bipartisan basis. In Mr. McFarland, the Commission has selected a professional of vision and determination who will make an indispensable contribution to the vital and urgent work of the Commission."

Mr. McFarland will assume his responsibilities at the Commission beginning September 7, 1999.

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.