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August 28, 2020
Oct 23
WHEN:
Oct 23rd 3:00pm
U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Hearing
Protecting Houses of Worship and Holy Sites
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
3:00 – 4:30 PM
106 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Hearing Summary
Hearing Transcript
Please join the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for a hearing about the global targeting of houses of worship and holy sites around the world and how to protect them.
Houses of worship and other religious sites should be sanctuaries where worshippers feel safe to practice their faith. Tragically, as the 2019 incidents in New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Burkina Faso attest, attacks on houses of worship are increasingly occurring around the globe. These attacks aim to destroy the place of worship precisely for its religious significance, cause harm to a unique religious group, and instill fear in those that worship there.
Alongside these horrific attacks, places of worship are often harmed more subtly through the misuse of registration procedures to prevent their construction or renovation, the malicious surveillance of holy sites to intimidate worshippers, or acts of vandalism that aim to send a threatening message and harm property. Different types of buildings and properties that are significant to religious communities, such as cemeteries, monasteries, or community centers, also have been targeted. While violent attacks on such places are typically committed by non-state actors, less overt forms of harms and restrictions are often imposed by state authorities as well. This includes the failure of states to ensure the preservation of sacred places, places of worship, and cultural property that constitutes the cultural or spiritual heritage of people.
How can the international community better work together to stem the global violent targeting of houses of worship? Witnesses will highlight U.S. programs, intergovernmental initiatives, interfaith efforts, and other policy recommendations that aim to ensure that holy places remain safe havens and not sites of bloodshed.
Opening Remarks
- Tony Perkins, Chair, USCIRF Written Remarks
- Gayle Manchin, Vice Chair, USCIRF Written Remarks
- Nadine Maenza, Vice Chair, USCIRF Written Remarks
- Honorable Sam Brownback, Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, U.S. Department of State Written Testimony
- H.E. Miguel Moratinos, High Representative, U.N. Alliance of Civilizations Written Testimony
- Hassan Abbas, Distinguished Professor of International Relations at Near East South Asia Strategic Studies Center, National Defense University Written Testimony
- Sharon Rosen, Global Director for Religious Engagement, Search for Common Ground Written Testimony
February 11, 2020
Feb 11
WHEN:
Feb 11th 10:30am
U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Briefing
Freedom of Religion or Belief and Security:
New Policy Guidance from the OSCE
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Senate Visitors Center (SVC) 203-02
Please join the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for a briefing on the nexus of freedom of religion or belief and security, including findings from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights’ (ODIHR) recent publication, Freedom of Religion or Belief and Security: Policy Guidance.
In the OSCE region, freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) is violated by some governments who use the pretext of national security to justify repression. For example, in Russia’s Tatarstan region, cameras are installed in mosques to transmit videos of worshippers during their prayers to state security services. In Uzbekistan, thousands of religious prisoners remain incarcerated for “extremism” or the possession of “extremist” religious literature. In Azerbaijan, authorities continue to deny legal registration to Baptists and Jehovah’s Witnesses residing outside the capital. Although these actions aim to improve security, failure to balance security with freedom of religion or belief can actually undermine it.
Freedom of Religion or Belief: Policy Guidance clarifies the interrelationship between FoRB and security as mutually reinforcing objectives, in line with the OSCE’s comprehensive framework for peace and security. The document includes guiding principles, practical guidance, and recommendations to address pertinent issues at the intersection of the freedom of religion and security, including the registration of religious communities, religious literature deemed “extremist”, the monitoring of places of worship, and restrictions on conversion.
Panelists will present the policy guidance document, discuss its findings and recommendations, further explore the intersection of security and FoRB, and consider tools and strategies for governments and other relevant stakeholders to advance both objectives simultaneously. There will be an interactive question and answer period with audience members after the panelist presentations.
Remarks
- Tony Perkins, Chair, USCIRF Written Remarks
- Gayle Manchin, Vice Chair, USCIRF Written Remarks
- Kishan Manocha, Senior Advisor on Freedom of Religion or Belief, OSCE/ODIHR
- Douglas Padgett, U.S. Department of State, Office of International Religious Freedom
- Elizabeth Clark, Professor of Law, Brigham Young University School of Law
August 29, 2019
Jan 08
WHEN:
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
- Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief Written testimony
- Elan Carr, Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, U.S. Department of State Written testimony
- 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