Jul 24
Jul 24th 10:30am
U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Hearing
Deteriorating Religious Freedom Conditions in Nicaragua
Wednesday, July 24, 2024
10:30 AM-12:00 PM ET
Virtual
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) held a virtual hearing on deteriorating religious freedom conditions in Nicaragua and suggested policy options for the U.S. government.
Since 2018, the Nicaraguan government has severely restricted freedom of religion or belief. Catholic clergymen and laypeople have been arbitrarily arrested, imprisoned, and exiled. Catholic charitable and educational organizations have been shuttered on false allegations of money laundering and failure to properly register with authorities. Uniformed and plain clothes officers routinely monitor, harass, and intimidate worshipers during peaceful religious processions. The government has targeted Evangelical pastors as well, sentencing 11 such pastors in March 2024 to imprisonment on spurious money laundering charges. In addition, religious leaders and worshipers in Indigenous communities, including members of the Moravian Church, face harassment and intimidation for peacefully practicing their faith.
Witnesses discussed Nicaragua’s repressive governance framework and the authorities’ severe crackdown against the Catholic, Protestant, and Indigenous religious communities. They also explored further policy options for the U.S. government to foster improved religious freedom conditions in the country to help stem the relentless persecution of religious communities in Nicaragua beyond holding government officials accountable for religious freedom violations.
Opening Remarks
- Stephen Schneck, Chair, USCIRF
- Maureen Ferguson, Commissioner, USCIRF
Written Remarks
Panel
- Christopher Hernandez-Roy, Deputy Director and Senior Fellow, Center for Strategic and International Studies
Written Testimony - Felix Maradiaga, Trustee, Freedom House and Exiled Nicaraguan Human Rights Activist
Written Testimony - Jon Britton Hancock, Founder and President, Mountain Gateway Ministry
Written Testimony - Anexa Alfred, Member of the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and exiled Miskitu leader
Written Testimony
This hearing is open to Members of Congress, congressional staff, the public, and the media. The video recording of the hearing will be posted on the Commission website. For any additional questions or to schedule an interview, please email [email protected].
Jul 3, 2024
In 1998, Republicans and Democrats came together to pass the International Religious Freedom Act, creating USCIRF as an independent government Commission led by a bipartisan group of nine Commissioners appointed by both political party leaders in Congress, and by the president. Twenty-five years later, USCIRF’s Commissioners continue to lead the non-partisan staff to monitor egregious religious freedom violations around the world and to make independent policy recommendations to the President, Secretary of State, and Congress.
On today’s episode of the USCIRF Spotlight Podcast, USCIRF Chair Stephen Schneck and Vice Chair Eric Ueland join us to discuss USCIRF's bipartisan nature and its unique framework to ensure international religious freedom remains a bipartisan issue in U.S. foreign policy.
Read USCIRF’s 2024 Annual Report
Jul 3, 2024
USCIRF Welcomes President Joe Biden’s Appointment of Mohamed Elsanousi to U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
Washington, DC – President Joseph R. Biden announced on June 26, 2024 the appointment of Mohamed Elsanousi to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).
“USCIRF welcomes Mohamed Elsanousi to the Commission and looks forward to the valuable perspective that his years of experience will bring,” stated USCIRF Chair Stephen Schneck. “His expertise and insight on interfaith engagement and minority rights will be a great addition to help support the Commission’s mission to unflinchingly identify threats to religious freedom abroad.”
Mohamed Elsanousi serves as the Executive Director of the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers, a global network that bridges grassroots peacemakers and global players to work towards sustainable peace. He previously served as Interfaith and Government Relations Director at the Islamic Society of North America. He also served on the Core Group Taskforce for the U.S. Department of State on Religion and Foreign Policy.
Elsanousi was the Principal Coordinator for developing the standards and protocols for safeguarding the rights of Christian, Jewish, and other religious minorities in Muslim-majority communities. His efforts in this role led to the adoption of the Marrakech Declaration, the most recognized Islamic theological document advocating for improved religious freedom. He is the founding Executive Committee Member of Shoulder to Shoulder and co-chair of the Multi-Faith Advisory Council to the United Nations. Additionally, he serves on the boards of directors and trustees for numerous interfaith organizations, including the Center for Interreligious Dialogue at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City and the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies.
“Mohamed Elsanousi’s contributions to the issue of international religious freedom provides a significant depth of expertise that the Commission can draw upon,” USCIRF Vice Chair Eric Ueland added. “His appointment to USCIRF brings additional experience to the broad backgrounds of Commissioners.”
USCIRF Commissioners are appointed by the President and leadership of both political parties in the Senate and House of Representatives.
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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].