FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 8, 2019

USCIRF Launches the Freedom of Religion or Belief Victims List

WASHINGTON, DC –United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Chair Tony Perkins and Vice Chair Gayle Manchin today announced the launch of the Freedom of Religion of Belief (FoRB) Victims List, which is contained in a public online database. The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA), as amended by the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2016, requires USCIRF to:

"make publicly available to the extent practicable, ... lists of persons [USCIRF] determines are imprisoned or detained, have disappeared, been placed under house arrest, been tortured, or subjected to forced renunciations of faith for their religious activity or religious freedom advocacy…”

The FoRB Victims List was publicly unveiled today at the International Religious Freedom Roundtable on Capitol Hill. Speaking at this event, Chair Perkins said, “We are thrilled to debut the FoRB Victims List. One of our hopes for this project is to work collaboratively to build and maintain a robust FoRB victims database that increases awareness of the grave plight of victims of religious freedom violations.”

“The launch of this database is an exciting development in the Commission’s history. Together, we can make the FoRB Victims List a central pillar of USCIRF’s engagement with the religious freedom advocacy community,” said Vice Chair Manchin.

IRFA stipulates that the FoRB Victims List include those victims from countries that it recommends for Country of Particular Concern – or CPC – designation and entities that it recommends for Entities of Particular Concern – or EPC – designation. The Commission is focusing first on countries recommended for CPC status, but will eventually also include victims targeted by entities that USCIRF has recommended for EPC status. The cases within this database should be viewed as indicative of the violations practiced by the governments or non-state actors, not as exhaustive or representative lists of total victims or a reflection of worldwide trends.

The FoRB Victims List is immediately available to browse and can be found here. Additionally, USCIRF encourages the public to utilize the Victims Intake Form to submit information about victims who should be included. A link to this intake form is on the footer of each page of the database, titled “Submit Victim Information,” or it can be accessed here.

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze and report on threats to religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion or belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected] or Kellie Boyle at [email protected] or +1-703-898-6554.

On China’s National Day, USCIRF Urges U.S. Government to Take Action on Religious Freedom

WASHINGTON, DC – Today marks the 70^th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, also known as National Day. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) continues to urge the U.S. government to take decisive action against the Chinese Communist Party’s ongoing campaign of repression against Uighur Muslims, Tibetan Buddhists, Christians, Falun Gong practitioners and other religious groups.

“Communist China’s actions represent a wholesale assault on the very idea of independent religion,” said USCIRF Commissioner Gary Bauer. “Hundreds of thousands of Chinese citizens are being locked up or harassed simply because they choose to believe in a god other than Xi Jinping. Now is the time for the U.S. government to use all the tools at its disposal, including targeted sanctions and visa bans, to hold the Chinese officials responsible for this campaign of repression accountable.”

“USCIRF remains extremely concerned about worsening religious freedom conditions in China and the lengths to which the Chinese Communist Party goes to deny and deceive the international community about its appalling human rights record,” added Commissioner Tenzin Dorjee. “Harassing, disappearing, interning, and imprisoning people is no way to treat peaceful religious believers. The U.S. government cannot turn a blind eye towards these violations.”

In its 2019 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. government use its authority under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and International Religious Freedom Act to enact targeted sanctions and visa bans against Chinese officials responsible for these abuses, especially Chen Quanguo, the Communist Party Secretary of Xinjiang. USCIRF recently released a report documenting how the Chinese government uses surveillance cameras, biometric technology and artificial intelligence to monitor and harass religious communities.

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze and report on threats to religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected] or Kellie Boyle at [email protected] or +1-703-898-6554.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 2, 2019


On October 2, the world will commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. In honor of Gandhi’s life and principles, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Commissioners Tony Perkins (Chair) and Anurima Bhargava issued the following statement:

“We join with countless Indians and many others across the world in celebrating the life of Mahatma Gandhi, a dedicated champion of nonviolence and religious tolerance, including religious freedom for all. Through his example of embracing the fundamental human right of religious freedom, he fostered an environment of religious freedom and diversity.  Gandhi’s 150th birthday is an opportunity to reflect upon these timeless and universal principles,” said Perkins.

“Mahatma Gandhi changed the course of world history.  He led millions to the path of truth and justice centered in the principle of nonviolence and the dignity and humanity of people of every religion or belief.  He taught us that we must not treat children of other religious backgrounds as the other or different; instead, we must adopt them as our own.  He reminded us that ‘Cultivation of tolerance for other faiths will impart to us a truer understanding of our own.’ As we commemorate Gandhi’s 150^th birthday, we must recommit to Gandhian principles in India and in many societies where religious minorities are currently being expelled rather than embraced,” said Bhargava.

Mohandas Gandhi, known as the Mahatma (Great Soul), was born October 2, 1869 in Porbandar, Gujarat. He served as the moral and spiritual leader of the Indian independence movement, a powerful advocate for nonviolent resistance, and a champion of religious understanding and tolerance. He once wrote, “I do not expect India to develop one religion, i.e., to be wholly Hindu, or wholly Christian, or wholly [Muslim], but I want it to be wholly tolerant, with its religions working side by side with one another.” His unfortunate assassination on January 30, 1948, reminds us all to strive more for interreligious understanding and tolerance across globe.

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze and report on threats to religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected] or Kellie Boyle at [email protected] or +1-703-898-6554.