Displaying results 1 - 14 of 14

How Current Unrest Impacts Religious Freedom in Belarus
Oct 9, 2020     Welcome to USCIRF's new series! In USCIRF Spotlight, we discuss major topics in the news and explore how they impact religious freedom around the globe. For this week's episode, listen to what our…
Global Blasphemy Laws
Dec 7, 2020       There are 84 countries across the globe with criminal blasphemy laws on the books as of 2020. While only a handful of countries enforce these laws, there are still 84 countries in which a…
2021 Update on Religious Freedom Conditions
Jan 22, 2021       Targeting of religious minorities in Russia, mass atrocities in China, Nigeria as a country of particular concern, and Antisemitism on the rise worldwide. The events of 2020 cast a long…
Unrest in Russia
Feb 12, 2021     Russia is currently experiencing ongoing, widespread anti-corruption protests. These protests demonstrate the largest challenge to government control in almost a decade. Meanwhile, the State Duma…
Enforcing Blasphemy Laws Have Dire Consequences
May 27, 2021 Blasphemy laws criminalize expression that insults or offends religious doctrines. Such laws are often used to restrict freedom of religion or belief. As of 2020, 84 countries still had blasphemy laws. The severity…
Bahrain Takes Steps to Improve Religious Freedom
Jun 4, 2021 For the first time in years, Bahrain was not included in the list of countries that USCIRF recommends for the State Department’s Special Watch List (SWL). The government of Bahrain has made incremental improvements…
Abuses of Traditional Religion in Russia
Oct 29, 2021 USCIRF is deeply concerned about religious freedom conditions in the Russian Federation, which have rapidly deteriorated in recent years as the government increasingly mistreats “traditional” religious communities…
Religious Tolerance Efforts in the Middle East
Nov 16, 2021 The United Nations marks November 16 each year as the International Day for Tolerance. Religious tolerance is one key component of tolerance overall. Governments in the Middle East have increasingly espoused a doctrine of religious tolerance…
State Department Designations and USCIRF Recommendations: Where do they line up?
Dec 17, 2021 Pursuant to the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA), the State Department is required to issue annual designations for the most egregious violators of religious freedom. In advance of these…
Implications of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Part 1: The “Denazification” Narrative
Mar 4, 2022 *Special note: This podcast was recorded on March 3, 2022 and only reflects the events that have occurred up to this date* The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine has shocked the world and created a humanitarian…
Implications of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Part 2: The Religious Regulation Framework
Mar 10, 2022 *Special note: This podcast was recorded on March 8, 2022 and only reflects the events that have occurred up to this date* The Russian government has long used religious freedom violations in its efforts to…
Russia’s Religious Freedom Violations in Ukraine
Aug 4, 2022 In February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale and unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine, falsely claiming that it aimed to “demilitarize” and “denazify” the country. While many people are broadly aware of the…
Russia’s Persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Oct 14, 2022 In April 2017, the Russian Federation banned Jehovah’s Witnesses as an “extremist” organization. In the five years since that designation, law enforcement authorities across Russia have made it a regular practice to raid, detain, and arrest…
Differences Between Religious Tolerance and Religious Freedom
Jan 5, 2023 Authoritarian states promote religious tolerance without necessarily ensuring freedom of religion or belief. Last month, USCIRF released a report distinguishing between these two concepts and explains the origins of religious tolerance…