Aug 5, 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 5, 2004
Contact:
Anne Johnson, Director of Communications, (202) 523-3240, ext. 27
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) calls on the Secretary of State to issue without further delay his designation of "countries of particular concern" (CPCs). The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA) specifically directs the Secretary of State, delegated by the President, to designate as CPCs countries in which the government has engaged in or tolerated "particularly severe violations of religious freedom." CPC designation can happen at any time throughout the year; however, designations have not been made since March 2003. The State Department's Annual Report on International Religious Freedom, required by statute to be issued in September of each year, was delayed by several months during 2003.
In addition to the designation of countries of particular concern, IRFA requires the U.S. government to take active steps with regard to CPC countries to oppose religious freedom violations and to promote freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief. However, since the passage of IRFA, for every country named a CPC in previous years, the U.S. administration has only invoked already existing sanctions rather than taking any additional action pursuant to IRFA. What is more, the State Department has not once submitted to the Congress the required evaluation of the effectiveness of prior actions against CPCs. "This disregard of IRFA requirements represents a serious failure in the conduct of U.S. foreign policy according to law," said Commissioner Chair Preeta D. Bansal.
"The CPC designations and subsequent actions are vital to advance U.S. protection against severe violations of religious freedom," Bansal said. A new annual cycle of the IRFA process is set to begin next month. "Ensuring global respect for freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief and related human rights through the statutorily designated CPC process will further the U.S. Administration's campaign against terrorism and its goal of promoting democratic reform," Bansal said.
In February of this year, as a result of the IRFA-mandated review process, the Commission recommended to Secretary of State Colin L. Powell that he name as CPCs the following countries that have not yet been designated: Eritrea, India*, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan, and Vietnam. The State Department's 2003 CPC designations were Burma, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), Iran, Iraq, the People's Republic of China, and Sudan.
* Commissioners Bansal, Chaput, Gaer, and Young dissent from the Commission's recommendation that India be designated a country of particular concern (CPC).
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.
Preeta D. Bansal, Chair • Felice D. Gaer, Vice Chair • Nina Shea, Vice Chair • Patti Chang • Archbishop Charles J. Chaput • Khaled Abou El Fadl • Richard Land • Bishop Ricardo Ramirez • Michael K. Young • Ambassador John V. Hanford III, Ex-Officio • Joseph R. Crapa, Executive Director
Jul 29, 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 29, 2004
Contact:
Anne Johnson, Director of Communications, (202) 523-3240, ext. 27
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) urges Secretary of State Colin Powell on his July 28-29 visit to Saudi Arabia to call on the government of Saudi Arabia to cease its exportation and support globally for a religious ideology that explicitly promotes hatred and intolerance.
"Numerous reports indicate that funding originating in Saudi Arabia has been used to finance activities that allegedly support religious intolerance, and, in some cases, violence. A growing number of policy makers and experts, including the 9/11 Commission, are calling on the United States to address Saudi support for extremism," said USCIRF Chair Preeta D. Bansal.
In April, several prominent Members of Congress asked the General Accounting Office to undertake a USCIRF-recommended study to examine U.S. government efforts to identify and monitor sources of Saudi funding for institutions that advocate intolerance and violence, and what the U.S. government is doing to counter that influence. In June, an independent task force on terrorist financing at the Council on Foreign Relations endorsed the Commission's recommendation for the study, and called on the U.S. government to publicly acknowledge that serious human rights violations in Saudi Arabia are significant issues in the bilateral relationship. Most recently, the 9/11 Commission's final report notes that Saudi Arabia funded organizations that propagate the Wahhabi doctrine have been exploited by extremists to further their goal of violence. The 9/11 Commission, along with the USCIRF, recommended that these and other problems in the U.S.-Saudi relationship be confronted openly.
The government of Saudi Arabia continues vigorously to enforce its ban on all forms of public religious expression other than the government's interpretation and presentation of the Hanbali school of Sunni Islam, often referred to as Wahhabism. This policy violates the rights of the large communities of non-Muslims and other Muslims from a variety of doctrinal schools of Islam who reside in Saudi Arabia, including Shi'a Muslims, who make up 8-10 percent of the population.
Bansal added, "The Commission also urges Secretary Powell to press for immediate improvements in respect for religious freedom, including: (1) establishing genuine safeguards for the freedom to worship privately, (2) dissolving the mutawaa, (3) permitting non-Wahhabi places of worship in certain areas and letting clergy enter the country, (4) reviewing cases and releasing those who have been detained or imprisoned on account of their religious belief or practices, (5) permitting independent non-governmental organizations, and (6) excluding offensive and discriminatory language from textbooks and the school curriculum."
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.
Preeta D. Bansal,Chair
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Jul 14, 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 14, 2004
Contact:
Anne Johnson, Director of Communications, (202) 523-3240 (202) 523-3240, ext. 27
WASHINGTON - A delegation from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) will visit Egypt from July 16-23. During their visit, Commission members will meet with a broad range of individuals from Egyptian society, including government officials, religious leaders, human rights groups, scholars, educators, legal specialists, and others active in civil society in Cairo and Alexandria. The delegation will consult with these individuals on human rights issues, including freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief, as protected in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and other instruments to which Egypt is a party. The standards set forth in these documents are also the underpinnings of the work of the Commission.
The USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan federal commission that advises the President, Secretary of State, and Congress on how to promote religious freedom and related human rights around the world. It was created by the U.S. Congress in 1998. It consists of nine appointed Commissioners. The purpose of the visit is to learn what the Egyptian government and its civil society is doing to promote freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief in accord with international standards embodied in the UN human rights instruments to which Egypt is a party. Commission members note Egypt's influence on trends in the Arab world and Middle East. This trip is aimed at strengthening efforts to protect human rights worldwide.
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."
Preeta D. Bansal,Chair
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