Jan 08
Jan 8th 1:30pm
U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Hearing
Global Efforts to Counter Anti-Semitism
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
1:30 – 3:00 PM
325 Russell Senate Office Building
Hearing Summary
Hearing Transcript
Please join the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for a hearing about how U.S. foreign policy and the international community can counter the growing threat of anti-Semitism around the world.
The global Jewish community is facing a rising tide of anti-Semitic hatred characterized by vandalism, Holocaust denial, violent attacks, hate speech, and the perpetuation of vicious stereotypes. Devastating attacks on synagogues, like the one in October in Halle, Germany on Yom Kippur, illustrate the risks Jews take by seeking to worship and live out their religious identity. Jews in some regions are even refraining from wearing kippahs, Star of David necklaces, and other identifying clothing in order to prevent targeted attacks against them.
Nations around the world have sought to respond to the threat by increasing security at synagogues and schools, strengthening education aimed at countering prejudice and Holocaust denial, and by supporting interfaith dialogue and understanding. The U.N. Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief recently released a comprehensive report on anti-Semitic trends globally and offered policy recommendations to governments, and the European Union recently held a summit to develop strategies to address anti-Semitism. In the United States, Congress continues to work on these issues, most recently through bipartisan taskforces aimed at combatting anti-Semitism.
Witnesses will highlight recommendations to counter anti-Semitism and discuss how the international community can more effectively ensure that the global Jewish community can worship freely and without fear.
Opening Remarks
- Senator Jacky Rosen, D-NV, Co-Chair, Senate Taskforce for Combating Anti-Semitism
- Tony Perkins, Chair, USCIRF
- Gayle Manchin, Vice Chair, USCIRF
Written remarks - Gary Bauer, Commissioner, USCIRF
Written remarks
Panel I
- Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief
Written testimony
Panel II
- Elan Carr, Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, U.S. Department of State
Written testimony
Panel III
- Dr. Deborah Lipstadt, Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies, Tam Institute for Jewish Studies and the Department of Religion, Emory University
Written testimony - Sharon Nazarian, Senior Vice President of International Affairs, Anti-Defamation League
Written testimony - Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies and Professor of International Relations, American University
Written testimony - Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean and Director of the Global Social Action Agenda, Simon Wiesenthal Center
Written testimony
This hearing is open to Members of Congress, congressional staff, the public, and the media. Members of the media should RSVP at [email protected]. The hearing will be livestreamed via the Commission website. For any questions please contact Jamie Staley at [email protected] or 202-786-0606.
732 NORTH CAPITOL STREET, NW SUITE A714 | WASHINGTON, DC 20401 | (202) 523-3240
Tony Perkins, Chair · Gayle Manchin, Vice Chair · Nadine Maenza, Vice Chair
Gary Bauer · Anurima Bhargava · Tenzin Dorjee
Sharon Kleinbaum · Johnnie Moore
Erin D. Singshinsuk, Executive Director
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.
Jul 24
Jul 24th 1:00pm
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Jul 24th 1:00pm
Summer Seminar #2 — Anti-Semitism: The World's Oldest Hatred — New Again?
Wednesday, July 24
2168 Rayburn House Office Building
Speakers:
The Honorable Elan Carr, Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism
The Honorable Nita Lowey, Chair, Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism, and Member, U.S. House of Representatives
The Honorable Lee Zeldin, Member, U.S. House of Representatives
Rabbi David Saperstein, former Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom
Gary Bauer, Commissioner, USCIRF
Tad Stahnke, William and Sheila Konar Director of International Outreach, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Anti-Semitism Factsheet Anti-Semitism Around the World
Aug 27, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[AUGUST 27, 2019]
USCIRF Statement on Indian Government’s “Religious Test” for Muslims in Assam
WASHINGTON, DC – Residents of the northeastern Indian state of Assam face an August 31 deadline to submit citizenship verification documents in order to be included on a finalized National Register of Citizens (NRC). The stated purpose of the registration process is to verify the status of migrants from Bangladesh, which borders Assam. A June 2018 joint letter by four United Nations special rapporteurs, among them the special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, argued that the updated NRC could be used to disenfranchise Muslims in the region and is part of the government’s ongoing efforts to introduce a “religious test” specifically aimed at clearing out Muslims. In response to developments in Assam, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Chair Tony Perkins and Commissioner Anurima Bhargava issued the following statement:
“Freedom of religion or belief for India’s diverse faith communities and respect for religious pluralism have long been a bedrock of Indian society, values enshrined in the Indian constitution. However, we remain concerned with the potential abuse of the National Register of Citizens in Assam and the resulting introduction of a religious requirement for citizenship, which are contrary to the ideals of religious freedom in India,” said Perkins.
“We remain troubled by any government policies or actions that have the effect, whether intentional or not, of undermining religious freedom for vulnerable religious minorities. The National Register of Citizens verification process must not become a means to target and render stateless the Muslim community in northeastern India. Proposed policies that suggest that Muslims – and Muslims alone – will face a higher burden for verification, along with worrisome rhetoric, create a negative and potentially dangerous climate for the Muslim community in northeastern India,” said Bhargava.
Only individuals able to prove their citizenship prior to March 24, 1971, along with their descendants, will be included on the updated NRC list, with final determination of citizenship status provided by local “Foreigners Tribunals.” In July 2018, a draft update of the NRC was released with nearly four million names excluded due to their alleged inability to provide proper documentation. In its 2019 Annual Report, USCIRF expressed its concern that the updated NRC in Assam is “an intentional effort to discriminate and/or has the effect of discriminating against Muslims, and that the discretion given to local authorities in the verification process and in identifying perceived foreigners to be excluded from the draft list will be abused.”
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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 or belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected] or Kellie Boyle at [email protected] or +1-703-898-6554.