Displaying results 1 - 10 of 10

Religious Freedom Priorities for the Biden Administration
Feb 4, 2021   As the Biden administration begins to formulate its broader human rights policy, USCIRF highlights several priority countries when it comes to international religious freedom. Condemning and preventing…
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…
The Impact of Majoritarianism on Religious Minorities in South Asia
Aug 19, 2021 We have seen a significant deterioration in religious freedom conditions in South Asia in recent years. Blasphemy cases, forced conversions, attacks on houses of worship, hate speech, and violence targeting…
Religion, Law and Citizenship in Assam, India
Sep 2, 2021 For the past two years, USCIRF has recommended that India be designated a Country of Particular of Concern (CPC) by the State Department due the government’s promotion of Hindu nationalist policies resulting in…
Ahmadiyya Muslims Face Persecution, Discrimination, and Hostility
Oct 22, 2021 The Ahmadiyya Muslim community was founded in 1889 in Punjab, India and today has an estimated tens of millions of members globally. Because of the differences between Ahmadiyya beliefs and beliefs in Sunni and Shi…
Algeria’s Increasing Hostility Towards Religious Minorities
Nov 5, 2021 In recent years, Algerian authorities have shown more hostility towards religious minorities, forcibly closing dozens of Protestant churches and prosecuting Ahmadiyya Muslims for gathering without authorization for…
Anti-Conversion Laws and Growing Intolerance in India
May 6, 2022 Since 2020, USCIRF has recommended that India be designated a Country of Particular of Concern, or CPC, due to the Indian government’s promotion of Hindu nationalism, and engagement and facilitation of systematic,…
Deteriorating Religious Freedom Conditions in South Asia
Jul 22, 2022 Several major political events occurred in South Asia over the last year. The Taliban, whom USCIRF has recommended for years as an “Entity of Particular Concern” (EPC), took control of Afghanistan in August 2021.…
Breaking Down the State Department’s IRF Designations
Dec 16, 2022 Pursuant to the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, the U.S. Department of State designates Countries of Particular Concern, places countries on its Special Watch List, and designates Entities of Particular Concern. As part of this…
The State of Religious Freedom in Algeria
Feb 10, 2023 In recent years USCIRF has reported that religious freedom conditions in Algeria have continued to deteriorate with the government increasingly enforcing blasphemy laws and restricting worship. These laws particularly impact religious…