FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 14, 2003

Contact:
Eileen A. Sullivan
Deputy Director of Communications
U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
800 North Capitol Street, NW, Suite 790
Washington, DC 20002

tel: (202) 523-3278, fax: (202) 523-5020
[email protected]

WASHINGTON - An international forum on the future of Afghanistan will be convened by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, in partnership with The George Washington University Law School, on Wednesday, January 29. Participants will discuss how the protection of religious freedom and other human rights can be incorporated into Afghanistan's new constitution, judicial system, and laws; how tolerance can be instilled in a society which has known enmity and war for the last thirty years; and what the United States can do to assist.

Prominent Afghan and U.S. government officials, along with experts on religious freedom, human rights, Islamic law, judicial reform, and rule of law, will address these issues in a day-long event. Confirmed speakers and panelists include Zalmay Khalilzad, Special Presidential Envoy to Afghanistan and Ambassador-at-Large to Free Iraqis, Wendy Chamberlin, USAID Assistant Administrator for Asia and Near East, Amb. Karl F. Inderfurth, Professor of the Practice of International Affairs, the Elliott School, The George Washington University, and former Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs (1997-2001), Peter Tomsen, former U.S. Special Envoy to the Afghan Resistance, Mavis Leno, Chair, Feminist Majority's Campaign for Afghan Women and Girls, and Sima Wali, President of Refugee Women in Development. Among the participants from Afghanistan are members of the Transitional Islamic Government of Afghanistan, including Abdul Rahim Karimi, Minister of Justice, Bahauddin Baha, Chairman of the Judicial Reform Commission, Musa Maroofi, member of the Constitutional Drafting Committee, and Ms. Hanagama Anwari and Mohammad Farid Hamidi, members of the National Human Rights Commission.

What:International Forum, "Reconstructing Afghanistan: Freedom in Crisis"

When:Wednesday, January 29, 2003, 9:00am - 5:00pm

Where:The George Washington University Media Center (set of CNN's Crossfire), 805 21st Street, NW, Washington, DC, 9:00am - 12:00pm

GWU Law School, Rooms TBA, 12:30pm - 5:00pm

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."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 19, 2002

Contact:
Eileen A. Sullivan, Deputy Director of Communications, (202) 523-3240, ext. 26

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, an independent federal agency advising the Administration and Congress, welcomes the news from U.S. officials that China will invite the Commission to visit the country.

"Since its inception, the Commission has made several formal requests for an official invitation to visit China. The Commission is pleased to hear that Chinese officials have agreed to invite us without conditions, and we look forward to visiting the country as soon as possible to examine religious freedom conditions and discuss the Commission's recommendations to improve those conditions," said Commission Chair, Felice D. Gaer.

U.S. officials are currently in China engaging in a bilateral dialogue with senior Chinese officials on human rights, including religious freedom. The Commission received confirmation of the news about the invitation to visit China from the State Department.

"The Commission's trip to China will be a crucial step in expanding from this dialogue to action addressing respect for religious freedom," said Gaer.

The Commission's requests to other countries for visits to examine religious freedom conditions have been met positively. With this invitation from China, India is now the only country that has refused a request for an invitation to the Commission to visit.

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.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 13, 2002

Contact:
Eileen A. Sullivan, Deputy Director of Communications, (202) 523-3240, ext. 26

"While the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom is pleased with the passage of The Afghanistan Freedom Support Act, it continues its call for President Bush or Secretary Powell to appoint a high-level official to advance human rights protections in Afghanistan, while it is still possible to influence the development of the country's new political and legal institutions," said Commission Chair Felice D. Gaer.

However, the Commission, an independent federal agency advising the Administration and Congress, today welcomed the enactment of legislation to advance human rights, including religious freedom, in Afghanistan as part of America's multibillion-dollar assistance program for the rebuilding of that war-torn country.

"Enacting The Afghanistan Freedom Support Act of 2002 signals the importance of protecting human rights, including religious freedom, so that Afghanistan does not once again become a haven for tyrants or terrorists," stated Ms. Gaer. "We hope that full use will be made of the Act's tools to protect human rights in Afghanistan."

The Commission has expressed alarm over mounting evidence that Afghanistan is being reconstructed - without significant U.S. opposition - as a state with oppressive crimes and punishments derived from an extreme interpretation of Islamic law, as well as religious law enforcement apparatus and police. These are among the developments that justify an urgent focus by the United States on human rights issues.

The Commission expressed satisfaction that several of its recommendations to advance human rights, and particularly religious freedom, as part of U.S. reconstruction aid for Afghanistan had been incorporated into the Act. Under the Act:

• Assistance to Afghanistan should "foster the growth of a pluralistic society that promotes and respects religious freedom" and help achieve a representative government that respects the human rights of all Afghans.

• The President is urged to work in the United Nations Security Council and with U.S. allies to expand the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) throughout the entire country, a key recommendation of the Commission in its June 2002 report on Afghanistan. The operation of ISAF currently is restricted to the capital of Kabul and surrounding areas.

• Funding is authorized to support drafting a constitution and other legal reforms that protect religious freedom and to support civil society organizations that promote human rights.

• Aid is also authorized for the Afghan National Human Rights Commission, human rights training for the military, police, and legal personnel, and the dissemination of information throughout Afghanistan on human rights, including religious freedom and the rights of women.

• A total of $80 million is provided to assist women and girls in the areas of human rights, education, health care, and other programs.

• There is support for efforts to investigate human rights atrocities, whether by the Taliban, by warlords, or by terrorists, such as al-Qaeda.

• Reconstruction assistance is conditioned on progress on human rights issues. The President must certify each year "that progress is being made toward adopting a constitution and establishing a democratically elected government for Afghanistan that respects human rights." Although the President may waive this restriction, he must explain to the Congress why it is in the U.S. national interest to do so.

For more information about promoting respect for human rights, including religious freedom, in Afghanistan, please see the Commission's:

June 2002 Report on Afghanistan

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."

Felice D. Gaer,Chair

• Dean Michael K. Young, Vice Chair, Firuz Kazemzadeh, Richard D. Land, Bishop William Francis Murphy, Leila Nadya Sadat, Nina Shea, The Hon. Charles R. Stith, The Hon. Shirin Tahir-Kheli, Joseph R. Crapa, Executive Director