USCIRF Welcomes President Biden’s Appointments of Khizr Khan and Sharon Kleinbaum

Washington, DC – President Joseph R. Biden announced the appointments of Khizr Khan and Sharon Kleinbaum to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

“We are thrilled to welcome Khizr Khan and welcome back Sharon Kleinbaum to our bipartisan Commission,” said USCIRF Chair Nadine Maenza. “Their backgrounds and commitment to freedom of religion or belief for all will be a great asset to USCIRF as we consider and recommend policies to the U.S. government to better support communities and individuals abroad who are discriminated against or persecuted for their beliefs.” 

Khizr Khan is the founder of Constitution Literacy and National Unity Center. He has long been an advocate for religious freedom as a human dignity. After migrating to the United States from Pakistan in 1980, he attended Harvard Law School. Khan is licensed to practice law before the Supreme Court of the United States, various federal district courts, and Washington, DC and New York State courts. He is a Gold Star parent of United States Army Captain Humayun Khan, who was killed while serving in Iraq and posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star with valor.

Sharon Kleinbaum was previously appointed to USCIRF in December 2019 by Senate Democratic Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-NY). She currently serves as spiritual leader of New York City's Congregation Beit Simchat Torah (CBST) and was installed as CBST's first rabbi in 1992. Kleinbaum has long been involved in the fight for human rights for all people. For many years she has been ranked by Newsweek among the 50 most influential rabbis in America. Kleinbaum is also a Commissioner on New York City's Commission on Human Rights, serves on Mayor de Blasio's Faith Based Advisory Council, and serves on the boards of the New York Jewish Agenda and the New Israel Fund.

“We look forward to the contributions that Commissioners Khan and Kleinbaum will make to USCIRF based on their expertise on international religious freedom,” said USCIRF Vice Chair Nury Turkel. “They both bring a wealth of knowledge that will enhance USCIRF’s work.”

USCIRF Commissioners are appointed by the President and leadership of both political parties in the Senate and House of Representatives. The full list of USCIRF Commissioners is available on its website.

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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 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].

USCIRF Commemorates the Seventh Anniversary of the Yazidi Genocide

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today commemorated the Yazidi Genocide and joined communities around the world in remembering the many Yazidis who lost their lives to atrocities committed by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) since 2014.

“On this seventh-year anniversary of the Yazidi Genocide, we remember with heavy hearts the thousands of innocent lives lost to ISIS,” USCIRF Chair Nadine Maenza said. “As the Yazidi community struggles to recover from these unimaginable atrocities, we call on the United States to remain committed to providing assistance to Yazidis to help them return safely and rebuild their homes.” 

Four years after the international coalition declared the defeat of ISIS, Yazidi survivors in Northern Iraq are still in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in Duhok and in exile. Around 3,000 abducted Yazidi women and girls remain missing, many of them reportedly trafficked into sex, labor, or terrorism. Last month, almost 1,400 Yazidis were left homeless after a fire destroyed sections of the Sharya IDP camp. Additionally, their historic homeland of Sinjar remains mostly inhospitable for returnees, as the Iranian-backed militias, including the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), are stationed in Sinjar and guard the checkpoints between there and the IDP camps making the road nearly impassable at times.

On July 23,  the U.S. State Department announced an additional $155 million in humanitarian assistance for Iraq, which will support Iraqis who were displaced by ISIS, including members of the Yazidi community.

“As we honor and commemorate the lives ISIS destroyed through execution, enslavement, sexual assault, and other atrocities, USCIRF encourages the U.S government and the international community to continue to support the Yazidi community and ensure that women and girls abducted by ISIS can reunite with their families,” USCIRF Commissioner Anurima Bhargava added. “Far too many ISIS fighters responsible for the genocide against the Yazidi community have yet to be held accountable in any form.”

On July 29, USCIRF held a joint hearing with the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission on holding perpetrators of mass atrocities, both state and non-state actors, accountable for international crimes, including genocide, committed against religious communities. This followed a previous USCIRF hearing in May 2021 on genocide determinations by the U.S. government and next steps.

In its 2021 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. State Department designate ISIS  as an Entity of Particular Concern, or EPC, and that the U.S. government continue to provide financial and technical assistance to Iraqi religious and ethnic minorities to stabilize and rebuild their communities. USCIRF also highlighted the ongoing trauma inflicted upon the Yazidi community in Sinjar in an episode of the USCIRF Spotlight Podcast released in February 2021.

In August 2019, Chair Maenza and Commissioner Bhargava traveled to Baghdad as part of a USCIRF delegation to stand with Yazidi survivors commemorating the thousands who experienced unspeakable atrocities at the hands of ISIS.

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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 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].

USCIRF Welcomes White House Nominations for International Religious Freedom Roles
 

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomes President Joseph R. Biden’s nominations of Rashad Hussain as U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom (IRF) and Dr. Deborah Lipstadt as Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism.

“USCIRF applauds President Biden’s nominations for these key positions. We look forward to working closely with Rashad Hussain and Dr. Deborah Lipstadt, once confirmed, to develop new ways for the United States to promote the freedom of religion or belief around the world,” said USCIRF Chair Nadine Maenza. “Global religious freedom violations continue to be a pervasive threat to our national security and global stability. The U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom along with the Special Envoy play an essential role in U.S. efforts to counter that threat.”

The Ambassador-at-Large position, which derives from the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA), is the principal Executive Branch official on IRF matters. The incumbent also serves as an ex officio USCIRF Commissioner. In January 2021, the position of Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism was elevated to an ambassador-level position, highlighting the importance of the fight against antisemitism as a U.S. foreign policy priority.

“With years of knowledge and experience, Rashad Hussain, who will be the first Muslim IRF Ambassador, and Dr. Deborah Lipstadt are well positioned to advance U.S. efforts to address violations and promote progress on this fundamental right for all individuals, of every faith and no faith alike. We look forward to working closely with both of them,” USCIRF Vice Chair Nury Turkel added. “USCIRF urges the Senate to confirm Rashad Hussain and Dr. Deborah Lipstadt swiftly so they can start their essential work.”

USCIRF worked with Mr. Hussain in his previous position as Special Envoy to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation during the Obama Administration. Dr. Lipstadt was a panelist at USCIRF’s January 2020 hearing on Global Efforts to Counter Anti-Semitism. Her testimony highlighted the history of antisemitism and its modern manifestations, and ways for world governments to respond to the needs of the global Jewish community.

Earlier this year, USCIRF released a factsheet highlighting key positions in the United States government related to international religious freedom that require appointments by the Biden administration.

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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 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].