WHERE: 2103 Rayburn House Office Building
WHEN: Friday, July 29, 2011 --- 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) invites you to a staff briefing, "The Interplay between Religious Freedom, Extremism, and Security: Implications for U.S. Policy” on Friday, July 29 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm in Rayburn 2103.
July 1, 2011 | by Leonard A. Leo and Elizabeth H. Prodromou
The following article appeared in the Harvard International Review. To access this article, go to http://hir.harvard.edu/protecting-religious-freedom-abroad
For much of the world, there is no greater human right than the freedom to practice one"s religion or belief system according to the dictates of conscience, without fear of coercion or retaliation.
June 3, 2011
Leonard Leo, chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, gave the following testimony before The House Committee on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights on June 3, 2011 at a hearing entitled "International Religious Freedom: Strengthening Its Promotion in U.S. Foreign Policy."
The following is an excerpt from the testimony:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 10, 2011
WASHINGTON, DC - In response to deadly religious violence in Egypt over the weekend, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is calling on the Egyptian government to conduct a thorough investigation to ensure that the perpetrators of the violence are brought to justice in civilian, not military, courts, something that has been elusive in Egypt in previous attacks on religious minorities which continues to foster an atmosphere of impunity.
April 28, 2011 | by USCIRF
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released its 2011 Annual Report and recommended that the Secretary of State name the following nations "countries of particular concern” or CPCs: Burma, China, Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.
For the first time, USCIRF recommended that Egypt be designated a CPC.
For your consideration:
The Washington Post: Christian-Muslim Tension in Egypt: Religious Freedom Must Prevail
By Leonard Leo and Elizabeth H. Prodromou
March 16, 2011
It is not enough to advocate that Egypt’s demonstrators be heard and heeded. That alone could usher in a new form of tyranny. The United States must support actions to strengthen universal human rights, including the individual right to freedom of conscience or belief.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 22, 2011
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is concerned with the acquittals of two of the three men charged with killing six Coptic Orthodox Christians and one Muslim security guard in the town of Naga Hammadi, Egypt, in January 2010.
Commissioner Nina Shea testifies before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission on Christian Minorities Under Attack:Iraq and Egypt
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Mr. Chairman, Members of Congress, I want to thank you for the opportunity to testify before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission on the worsening plight of Christian minorities in Iraq and Egypt.
The following letter was sent to President Obama on January 14, 2011:
The President
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
I write today on behalf of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom to convey our appreciation for your recent statement condemning the violence in Egypt and Nigeria, as well as to urge you to raise religious freedom issues during the visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao.
