Apr 19, 2021
This op-ed was originally published by Washington Examiner, on April 15, 2021.
Written by Commissioners Frederick A. Davie and James W. Carr.
Apr 16, 2021
Bilateral relations between the United States and Vietnam has grown increasingly cooperative since 1995. The two countries have built strong economic, political, and security partnerships. Despite this relationship, the US government continues to pay particular attention to the overall human rights situation in there, including freedom of religion or belief. USCIRF traveled to Vietnam in 2019 to observe religious freedom conditions on the ground, and has maintained that Vietnam should be designated as a Country of Particular Concern.
While there has been some progress regarding religious freedom conditions in Vietnam in recent years, the situation for certain groups remains concerning. The Christian community, in particular, faces persecution. Policy Analyst Mingzhi Chen joins us to discuss the state of religious freedom in Vietnam.
Featuring:
Dwight Bashir, Director of Outreach and Policy, USCIRF
Mingzhi Chen, Policy Analyst, USCIRF
Don’t miss our 2021 Annual Report, which will be released April 21, 2021.
Register for the virtual launch: https://www.uscirf.gov/events/uscirf-2021-annual-report-virtual-launch
Apr 14, 2021
USCIRF Alarmed by Deteriorating Religious Freedom Conditions & Security in Nigeria
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today expressed its alarm and outrage regarding deteriorating religious freedom conditions in Nigeria in the context of increased violence. On this seventh anniversary of Boko Haram’s abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok, the security situation remains dire.
“Nigerians have waited too long for the violence to stop,” USCIRF Vice Chair Tony Perkins stated. “Seven years since the outrageous abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls, copycats are still popping up all over, taking inspiration from Boko Haram and other extremist groups. It is the Nigerian people who pay the price – people like Leah Sharibu, who just passed her third year in captivity having been abducted from her school in 2018 and is still held for refusing to abandon her Christian faith.”
Religious freedom conditions in Nigeria deteriorated over the past year, with recent and ongoing attacks against Christian communities, Muslim congregations, and houses of worship. In this context, more than 600 students have been abducted from schools in northwest Nigeria since December. These abductions, perpetrated by armed criminal gangs, resemble tactics commonly employed by Boko Haram and other militant Islamist groups in northern Nigeria. Meanwhile, recent intercommunal tensions and organized violence in the south of the country demonstrate the insecurity is spreading.
“USCIRF is deeply concerned these violent trends will only exacerbate the challenges Nigerians face in exercising their right to freedom of religion and belief. Many in Nigeria’s government are apathetic and negligent in the face of these egregious acts,” said USCIRF Commissioner Frederick A. Davie. “Nigerian officials at all levels, from the President and federal officials to local governors, police commissioners, and courts need to do more to prevent growing insecurity and hold accountable those who perpetrate violent acts. We urge the U.S. government to leverage the recent decision of the State Department to designate Nigeria a country of particular concern to ensure progress is made on this urgent problem.”
In its 2020 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” or CPC, and Boko Haram as an “entity of particular concern,” or EPC. USCIRF has also produced recent analyses on religious freedom conditions in Nigeria and violations committed by militant Islamist groups in northern Nigeria.
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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 or belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected] or Danielle Ashbahian at [email protected].