Displaying results 1 - 10 of 19

Fulani Communities
Oct 16, 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…
Nigeria: A Country of Particular Concern
Jan 15, 2021   In December 2020, the U.S. Department of State designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for the first time ever due to systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious…
Shifting Trends of Religious Freedom in Egypt
Mar 19, 2021 Egypt has historically faced many challenges to religious freedom. There has been recurring violence and discrimination against Coptic Christians, who represent 10-15% of the population, as well as other…
Governments Using Shari’a to Impose Death Sentences on LGBTI Persons
Mar 26, 2021 In some countries around the world, religion-based laws are used by governments to impose capital punishment against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) persons. All of the 10 countries…
Do USCIRF Policy Recommendations Get Implemented?
Jun 17, 2021 The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA) mandates USCIRF to make policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress. In addition to making recommendations, USCIRF’s mandate…
Qur’anists in Egypt
Jul 23, 2021 Egypt is home to over 100 million people—of which the majority identify as Sunni Muslim with a significant Coptic Christian minority. A variety of smaller religious minorities also call Egypt home such as Baha’is,…
Why the State Department Should Re-designate Nigeria as a CPC
Sep 24, 2021 Since 2009, USCIRF has recommended that the U.S. State Department designate Nigeria a country of particular concern, or CPC, for engaging in or tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations. In December…
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…
Worrying Trends for Religious Freedom in Central and Eastern Africa
Jan 21, 2022 Across central and eastern Africa there are many dynamics at play, including political crises and violent insurgencies, both of which pose challenges to freedom of religion or belief. These trends and developments…
Persecuted Christians Around the World
Apr 22, 2022 According to the Pew Research Center’s most recent global data, Christianity’s diverse set of traditions comprise the single largest religious group on earth, of some 2.3 billion people—or nearly a third of the…