FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 8, 2019

USCIRF Statement on Asia Bibi’s Arrival in Canada and Bombing in Lahore
 

WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today welcomed the departure from Pakistan of Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian mother who spent nearly a decade in prison after being sentenced to death for blasphemy. According to her lawyer, she arrived in Canada today, where she joined two of her daughters. Sadly, the news came on the same day as reports of a bombing in Lahore targeting a Sufi shrine that resulted in the deaths of at least 10 people.

“We are greatly relieved that Asia Bibi has finally been able to leave Pakistan and reunite with her family,” said USCIRF Chair Tenzin Dorjee. “While we are grateful that Asia Bibi will be able to start anew in Canada, she lost nearly a decade of her life in prison after being falsely accused of blasphemy. Unfortunately, there are at least 40 other individuals in Pakistan sentenced to death or serving life sentences on blasphemy charges. We ask the Pakistani government to nullify the blasphemy law and acquit them of the charges.”

“The news of Asia Bibi’s safety is marred by the tragic bombing outside a Sufi shrine in Lahore, reminding us of the dangers members of religious minorities continue to face in Pakistan,” continued Dorjee. “The targeting of Sufi Muslims—and others—by nonstate actors and extremist groups perpetuates a deadly cycle of sectarian violence that impedes freedom of religion or belief in Pakistan.”

Every year since 2002, USCIRF has recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate Pakistan a "country of particular concern" (CPC) for "ongoing, systematic, egregious" violations of religious freedom. In November the State Department for the first time designated Pakistan as a CPC. In its 2019 Annual Report, USCIRF continued to press for appropriate policy actions to improve religious freedom conditions in Pakistan.
 

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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
April 29, 2019

USCIRF Releases 2019 Annual Report and Recommendations for World’s Most Egregious Violators of Religious Freedom

Victims Database Also Announced

Washington, D.C. – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released its 20^th Annual Report documenting country conditions in, and analyzing and recommending U. S. policy initiatives toward, the world’s worst violators of religious freedom.

USCIRF, as an independent, bi-partisan commission, advises the President, Congress and the Secretary of State on international religious freedom issues. In its Annual Report, USCIRF unflinchingly describes threats to religious freedom around the world and recommends to the State Department countries for designation as “countries of particular concern” (CPCs) for engaging in or tolerating “systematic, ongoing, egregious violations.” USCIRF also recommends to the State Department that non-state actors cited for similarly severe violations be designated as “entities of particular concern” (EPCs). This year, USCIRF has recommended 16 countries for CPC designation and five entities for EPC designation. Also, USCIRF placed 12 countries on its Tier 2 list, meaning the violations meet one or two, but not all three, of the elements of the systematic, ongoing, egregious test for CPC status.

“In addition to insights on religious freedom conditions in these 28 countries, the Annual Report provides actionable policy recommendations for Congress and the Administration to help improve conditions abroad where people are being persecuted for their religion or belief,” said USCIRF Chair Tenzin Dorjee. “Our goal is not only to call out the offenders, but to provide concrete actions for the U.S. government to take in working with these countries to get off our lists.”

The 16 countries USCIRF recommended for CPC designation include 10 that the State Department so designated in November 2018 – Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan – as well as six others that the State Department has not designated – Central African Republic (CAR), Nigeria, Russia, Syria, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. 

The 12 countries on USCIRF’s Tier 2 list are Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Cuba, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Laos, Malaysia, and Turkey.

The five entities recommended for EPC designation include the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the Taliban in Afghanistan, al-Shabab in Somalia, and new to the list this year, the Houthis in Yemen and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Syria.

“The freedom to believe as one’s conscience dictates is a fundamental human right and vital to the security, stability and economic vitality of any state or region,” said Dorjee. “In the past year, we have seen severe violations of religious freedom mount around the globe, from the imprisonment of individuals charged with blasphemy in several countries to the internment of over one million Uighur Muslims in China.  We and others laboring in the realm of religious freedom must persevere in our efforts to make this right a reality for everyone, everywhere.” 

USCIRF also announced the imminent launch of its Victims Database, which will enable users to learn more about religious prisoners of conscience in countries USCIRF recommends as CPCs. USCIRF is establishing a mechanism for collecting data on victims to begin populating the database later this year.

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About USCIRF

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
April 26, 2019
 

USCIRF Calls on State Department to Lift Saudi CPC Waiver After Mass Shi’a Execution

USCIRF 2019 Annual Report Cites Numerous Violations and Recommends Additional Policy Actions by the State Department

WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is deeply troubled by the Saudi government’s mass execution on Tuesday of 37 Saudi nationals, a majority of whom were Shi’a Muslim. Those beheaded included prominent Shi’a cleric Sheikh Mohammed al-Atiya, who was charged with attempting to “spread the Shi’a confession,” and Abdulkareem al-Hawaj, a Shi’a Muslim who was arrested after participating in a protest at the age of sixteen.

“The Saudi government’s execution of minority Shi’a Muslims on the basis of their religious identity and peaceful activism is not only shocking, but also directly contradicts the government’s official narrative of working toward greater modernization and improving religious freedom conditions,” said USCIRF Chair Tenzin Dorjee.

A USCIRF delegation visited Saudi Arabia in September 2018 to assess conditions and will reveal its latest recommendations for U.S. policy on Saudi Arabia on Monday, April 29, during the release of its 2019 annual report.

In November 2018, the State Department again designated Saudi Arabia as a “country of particular concern” for engaging in systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations; however, it continued to keep in place an indefinite waiver of any punitive action as it has since 2006.

“The State Department must stop giving a free pass to the Saudi government, which, for many years, has punished numerous Saudi citizens and expatriate workers for exercising their fundamental right to freedom of religion or belief,” said Dorjee, noting that USCIRF has consistently called for the removal of the waiver.

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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.