The State Department has designated Pakistan as a Country of Particular Concern since 2018, but it has not taken any action as a consequence of that designation and has continued to violate freedom of religious belief. USCIRF recently issued a press release concerning the uptick in blasphemy cases against Shia Muslims which in some cases led to mob violence. There have also been a number of targeted killings of Ahmadi’s in Pakistan over the past four months. Why are religious minorities particularly vulnerable to blasphemy laws and violence in Pakistan? Find out in this week's episode!

Featuring:
Dwight Bashir, Director of Outreach and Policy, USCIRF
Niala Mohammad, Senior Policy Analyst, USCIRF

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 

USCIRF Supports Sanctions on Iran’s Intelligence Minister and Islamic Revolution Mostazafan Foundation

Washington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomes the announcement that the U.S. Department of the Treasury has sanctioned Iranian Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi, who has “arrested and detained members of the Baha’i religion without charges,” and the Islamic Revolution Mostazafan Foundation, which was created to “confiscate and manage property, including that originally belonging to religious minorities such as Baha’is and Jews.”

“I commend the U.S. Treasury for this action, which provides accountability for the Iranian government’s systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations against Baha’is, Sunnis, Christians, and Jews,” said USCIRF Commissioner Gary Bauer. “It is imperative that the U.S. government continue to call out these violators and impose consequences for these horrific actions.”

Mahmoud Alavi has served as Iran’s Intelligence Minister since 2013. Since that time, the Intelligence Ministry has arrested Baha’is and Sunnis, and last May closed an Assyrian Christian church in Tabriz. The Islamic Revolution Mostazafan Foundation was founded in 1979 following the Islamic Revolution and confiscated land belonging to Baha’is and Jews. Iran’s government officially endorses a singular interpretation of Ja’afri Shi’a Islam.

“Religious freedom violators in Iran and around the world should know the United States is watching,” said USCIRF chair Gayle Manchin. “We support today’s sanctions announcement and call on the Treasury to continue to name publicly foreign government officials and entities who deny their citizens freedom of religion or belief.”

In its 2020 Annual report, USCIRF recommended Iran for designation as a “country of particular concern,” or CPC, under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) for engaging in or tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom, as it has recommended every year  since 2002. In August 2020, USCIRF released a factsheet on sanctioned religious freedom violators in Iran.

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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].

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 

USCIRF Condemns Egypt’s Detention of Mohamed Basheer, Ramy Kamel

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) strongly condemns the Egyptian government’s arrest of Mohamed Basheer, Administrative Manager of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), and urges his and Coptic activist Ramy Kamel’s unconditional and immediate release.

USCIRF Vice Chair Tony Perkins said, “USCIRF calls on the Egyptian government to immediately release Mr. Basheer and Mr. Kamel from detention and dismiss all charges against them. While Egypt’s recent initiatives to promote interfaith tolerance, protect religious heritage sites, and legalize hundreds of churches deserve support and encouragement, we cannot stand idly by while it continues to harshly punish honorable advocates for religious freedom and broader human rights.”

Security officials reportedly detained Mr. Basheer for extended questioning on November 15, before remanding him to pre-trial detention on spurious charges of spreading false information, as well as joining and funding a terrorist organization. His interrogators reportedly focused their interrogation on a November 3 event in which EIPR staff spoke to a group of European diplomats about civil society in Egypt. Mr. Basheer’s arrest bears striking and disturbing resemblance to the November 23, 2019 arrest of Coptic activist Ramy Kamel, a founder of the Maspero Youth Union. Egyptian State Security arrested Mr. Kamel one day before he was expected to travel to Geneva, Switzerland to testify at the United Nations Forum on Minority Issues. He has remained in perpetual pre-trial detention for the last year. He has spent much of that time in solitary confinement and declining health.

USCIRF Commissioner Frederick Davie added, “If Egypt is serious about its religious freedom reforms and confident in its direction, it should encourage and incorporate the vital work of these individuals and their organizations rather than imprison them on unsubstantiated charges.” He continued, “While Egypt is a vital partner of the United States, it is long past time that the U.S. government unequivocally and uniformly call out Egypt for this destructive crackdown on civil society, which impedes and undercuts the important progress that the Egyptian government has made on religious freedom in recent years.”

In its 2020 Annual Report, USCIRF found that although Egypt showed some promising signs of progress in religious freedom conditions, including a decline in incidents of violence against religious minorities and their places of worship, systematic and ongoing violations continued in other areas warranting placement on the State Department’s Special Watch List.

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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].