U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Hearing

The Impact of FoRB Violations on Children

Thursday, April 30, 2026
10:00 AM-11:00 AM ET
Virtual

Hearing Transcript
 

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) held a virtual hearing on the impact of violations of the freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) on children. 

Too often, perpetrators of religious freedom violations deliberately target girls and boys, knowing that harming children can shatter families and destabilize religious communities. In some countries, children face forced conversions or abductions because of their faith. In others, strict limits on religious education prevent them from learning and living out their beliefs. In the most extreme cases, children are deliberately targeted for genocide or other atrocity crimes as part of efforts to erase the future of an entire religious community. These violations inflict lasting psychological trauma, disrupt the foundation of religious life, and fuel cycles of discrimination and violence, ultimately threatening the survival and identity of the religious communities to which they belong.

Witnesses addressed a range of FoRB violations impacting children, including in countries where children’s FoRB rights are the most restricted and the distinct harm these violations inflict. They also identified policy recommendations to strengthen U.S. efforts to protect FoRB rights of children abroad.

Opening Remarks 

• Vicky Hartzler, Chair, USCIRF
• Asif Mahmood, Vice Chair, USCIRF
  Written Remarks

Panel

• Gyal Lo, Tibet Specialist and Educational Sociologist on China’s Education Policies in Tibet
  Written Testimony
• Vladyslav Havrylov, Global Fellow, Collaborative on Global Children's Issues at Georgetown University
  Written Testimony
• Maliha Zia, Director, Legal Aid Society
  Written Testimony
• Mohamad Imran Bin Zohor, Rohingya Activist and Student at University of Washington
  Written Testimony

Additional witnesses may be added

Submitted for the Record

• Yoe Suárez, Cuban journalist
  Written Statement
   

This hearing is open to Members of Congress, congressional staff, the public, and the media. For any additional questions or to schedule an interview, please email [email protected].