USCIRF Releases Report on Religious Garb and International Human Rights Law

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:

Religious Garb Restrictions and International Human Rights Law - This report analyzes how countries impermissibly restrict individuals’ freedom to wear garb expressing or in accordance with their religion or belief. These restrictions typically involve governments either prohibiting or mandating the wearing of religious garb. Examples of dressing in accordance with one’s religion or belief include Muslim women wearing the hijab, Sikh men wearing the turban, Jewish men wearing the kippah, and Christians displaying the cross. The report explains why such restrictions are inconsistent with Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which protects the right to freedom of religion or belief. The report concludes that repealing legislation restricting individuals’ freedom to wear garb in accordance with their religion or belief is necessary to comply with international human rights law.

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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 Condemns U.S. Business Leaders’ Applause for President Xi Jinping

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) strongly condemns U.S. corporations for continuing to conduct business in China while ignoring the country’s ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang—including mass extralegal detention, forced labor, and sexual violence—and egregious religious freedom violations against Uyghur and other Muslims, underground Catholics, house church protestants, Falun Gong practitioners, and many others.

“The U.S. business community must never put its faith in a ruthless communist regime which violates international law and its own law, while actively engaging in systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations and other atrocious human rights abuses,” said USCIRF Commissioner Nury Turkel. “Instead of a standing ovation for a dictator, U.S. companies should comply with U.S. laws—including the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act—and work with the U.S. government to carry out human rights due diligence and to ensure their operations in China and here in the United States do not contribute to more human rights abuses.”

USCIRF also strongly condemns U.S. lobbyist firms—including former members of Congress—for working on behalf of their Chinese clients like Hikvision and Huawei, which have been sanctioned by the U.S. government for their complicity in human rights abuses.

“The Biden administration and Congress must ban unscrupulous lobbying by U.S. firms that represent the interests of the Chinese government and its state-owned companies, the very entities responsible for the ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang and religious freedom violations throughout China,” said USCIRF Commissioner Frank Wolf. “Furthermore, the U.S. government must work closely with international partners to ensure critical technologies do not get exported to China to be used for human rights abuses.”

In its 2023 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State redesignate China as a “Country of Particular Concern,” or CPC, for engaging in systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom. In an op-ed last month, USCIRF Commissioners called on Congress to block China’s lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill. In 2023, USCIRF held a hearing on China’s malign influence abroad.

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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].