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USCIRF Chair Katrina Lantos Swett made the following remarks at the announcement of the Defending Freedoms Project on December 6, 2012, a project of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, in conjunction with USCIRF and Amnesty International USA. …
Mar 18, 2013
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONMarch 18, 2013| By: Katrina Lantos Swett and M. Zuhdi Jasser
The following op-ed appeared in Roll Call on March 15, 2013.
While the world remains riveted to Egypt"s challenges and Syria"s…
Apr 30, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEApril 30, 2013| By USCIRF
Washington, D.C. -- The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an independent federal advisory body created by the International Religious Freedom…
USCIRF Chair Katrina Lantos Swett gave the following remarks at a conference, cosponsored by USCIRF and the National Endowment for Democracy on May 7, 2013Introduction
Thank you for that kind introduction.
It truly is a pleasure to join you today at the…
…that the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, in conjunction with USCIRF and Amnesty International USA, has launched the Defending Freedoms Project to increase attention to and support for human rights and religious freedom around the world?Through the…
Sep 11, 2013
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONSeptember 11, 2013 | By Robert P. George
The following op-ed appeared in CNN World on September 11, 2013.
Editor's note: Robert P. George is chairman of the U.S. Commission on International…
The Christian Science Monitor -- JFK's call for religious freedom can transform places like Pakistan
Nov 8, 2013
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONNovember 7, 2013 | By Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett
The following op-ed appeared in the Christian Science Monitor on November 7, 2013.
As the nation marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of…
Apr 14, 2014
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONApril 14, 2014 | By Katrina Lantos Swett and M. Zuhdi Jasser
The following op-ed appeared in the Global Post on April 10, 2014.
WASHINGTON — Last week's Formula 1 automotive racing event…
Jul 3, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 3, 2018
USCIRF Condemns Terrorist Attack Against Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan
Chair Dorjee said, “This attack is yet another reminder of the crucial link between security and religious…
Jun 24
WHEN:
Jun 24th 6:59pm…
On June 27, 2019, Vice Chair Nadine Maenza testified at a Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission hearing on violations of the right to freedom of religion of Christian communities around the world.Written Testimony
Hearing Webpage
Jul 24
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Jul 24th 1:00pm
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Feb 11
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Feb 13, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 13, 2020
USCIRF Releases New Reports on Religious Freedom Conditions in Bahrain and Iraq
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (…
Read the full report here.This report highlights improvements and notes areas of concern regarding religious freedom in Bahrain in 2019. While Bahrain continues to allow freedom of worship to most religious groups, Shi’a Bahrainis face systematic and…
Mar 25, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 25, 2020
USCIRF Strongly Condemns Terrorist Attack against Sikh House of Worship in Kabul
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) strongly…
Jun 9, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USCIRF Commends Bahrain for Release of Prisoner of Conscience Nabeel Rajab
Washington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today commended the government of…
Title
2026 Annual Report - Afghanistan Chapter
File Upload
USCIRF 2026 Annual Report Afghanistan.pdf
Language
English
Year…
Title
Bahrain Chapter - 2020 Arabic Translation
File Upload
Bahrain_Arabic_0.pdf
Language
Arabic
Year
2020…
May 7, 2013
USCIRF Chair Katrina Lantos Swett gave the following remarks at a conference, cosponsored by USCIRF and the National Endowment for Democracy on May 7, 2013
Introduction
Thank you for that kind introduction.
It…
Oct 23
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Oct 23rd 3:00pm…
Aug 05
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Read the full Issue Update:
The Global Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses
This update describes official discrimination against Jehovah’s Witnesses around the world, with a particular focus on countries where members have been imprisoned for…
Click here to view the report Violating Rights: Enforcing the World’s Blasphemy Laws
USCIRF’s groundbreaking report examines the enforcement of blasphemy laws worldwide. Blasphemy laws criminalize expressions that insults or offends religious doctrines.…
Click here for the Bahrain Country Update
This country update examines religious freedom conditions in Bahrain. Throughout 2020, Bahrain continued to systematically restrict religious freedom for its Shi’a Muslim population. The government…
Dec 17, 2020
USCIRF Releases New Report on Religious Freedom Conditions in Bahrain
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report on religious…
Factsheet on Shari’a and LGBTI Persons – In some countries around the world, criminal laws provide for the death penalty based on religious interpretations. This factsheet highlights countries with death penalty laws that target the LGBTI community…
Mar 16, 2021
USCIRF Releases New Report about Shari’a and LGBTI Persons
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following factsheet on governments’ use of…
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…
Apr 21, 2021
USCIRF Releases 2021 Annual Report with Recommendations for U.S. Policy
No Longer Recommends Three Countries for Special Watch List
Washington, D.C. – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom…
Apr 30, 2021
The program to resettle refugees to the United States has existed since 1980, with strong bipartisan support. Earlier this month, President Biden signed an emergency declaration to speed up refugee admissions into…
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…
Jun 23
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Jun 30
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Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Afghanistan
Recommended To: U.S. Department of State
Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Press the Afghan government to acknowledge the significant threat to freedom of religion or belief posed…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Afghanistan
Recommended To: U.S. Department of State
Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Press the Afghan government to acknowledge the significant threat to freedom of religion or belief posed…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Afghanistan
Recommended To: Administration
Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Ensure the integration of religious freedom concerns with related issues such as countering religious extremism and…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Afghanistan
Recommended To: Congress
Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Ensure the integration of religious freedom concerns with related issues such as countering religious extremism and…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Afghanistan
Recommended To: U.S. Department of State
Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Urge the Afghan government to revoke the 2004 media law prohibiting “un-Islamic” writings and overturn…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Afghanistan
Recommended To: Afghanistan Government
Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Urge the Afghan government to revoke the 2004 media law prohibiting “un-Islamic” writings and overturn…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Afghanistan
Recommended To: Administration
Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Encourage the Afghan Ministry of Education and Ministry of Information and Culture to ensure—and, if possible, in…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Afghanistan
Recommended To: Afghanistan Government
Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Encourage the Afghan Ministry of Education and Ministry of Information and Culture to ensure—and, if…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Afghanistan
Recommended To: U.S. Department of State
Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Encourage the Afghan Ministry of Education and Ministry of Information and Culture to create a civic…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Afghanistan
Recommended To: U.S. Department of State
Source: 2019 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Encourage the Afghan Ministry of Education and Ministry of Information and Culture to advocate for the…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Afghanistan
Recommended To: U.S. Department of State
Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Include Afghanistan on the State Department’s Special Watch List for engaging in or tolerating severe…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Afghanistan
Recommended To: U.S. Department of State
Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Ensure that protections for freedom of religion or belief are integrated into any future negotiations…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Afghanistan
Recommended To: Administration
Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report
Thematic Area: Houses of Worship
Recommendation:Integrate religious freedom concerns, including the protection of houses of…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Afghanistan
Recommended To: U.S. Department of State
Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Encourage the Afghan Ministries of Education, Information and Culture, and Hajj and Religious Affairs to…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Afghanistan
Recommended To: Congress
Source: 2020 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:The U.S. Congress should appropriate funding specifically for the protection of freedom of religion or belief in…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Afghanistan
Recommended To: U.S. Department of State
Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Include Afghanistan on the U.S. Department of State’s Special Watch List for engaging in or tolerating…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Afghanistan
Recommended To: U.S. Department of State
Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Incorporate protections for freedom of religion or belief into U.S.-supported peace negotiations between…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Afghanistan
Recommended To: Administration
Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report
Thematic Area: Houses of Worship
Recommendation:Integrate religious freedom concerns, including the protection of houses of…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Afghanistan
Recommended To: U.S. Department of State
Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:Facilitate cooperation between faith leaders and scholars of all religions in Afghanistan to foster…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Afghanistan
Recommended To: Congress
Source: 2021 USCIRF Annual Report
Recommendation:The U.S. Congress should appropriate funding specifically for the protection of freedom of religion or belief in…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Bahrain
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2019 Annual Report
Recommendation:Urge the Bahraini government to clarify the terms and enforcement of the 2016 amendment to article 5 of the 2005 Political…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Bahrain
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2019 Annual Report
Recommendation:Work with the Bahraini government to continue to implement reforms consistent with the Bahrain Indepen-dent Commission of…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Bahrain
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2019 Annual Report
Recommendation:Press the Bahraini government to enforce existing laws, including Royal Decree 36 of 2012 and Royal Decree 95 of 2018,…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Bahrain
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2019 Annual Report
Recommendation:Continue to train security officials, prosecutors, and judges to better address sectarian violence and incitement by enhancing…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Bahrain
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2019 Annual Report
Recommendation:Press Bahrain’s government to ensure freedom of religion and reduce sec-tarian incitement by passing the bill pending in the…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Bahrain
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2019 Bahrain Country Update
Recommendation:Release an updated assessment of the Bahraini government’s implementation of the BICI reportrecommendations, with a…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Bahrain
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2019 Bahrain Country Update
Recommendation:Continue to provide guidance and training for Bahrain’s security services to prepare for Ashura observances in ways…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Bahrain
Recommended To: U.S. Congress
Source: 2019 Bahrain Country Update
Recommendation:Continue to conduct periodic fact-finding missions and congressional delegation trips to Bahrain to assess religious…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Bahrain
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2020 Annual Report
Recommendation:Include Bahrain on the U.S. Department of State’s Special Watch List for engaging in or tolerating severe violations of…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Bahrain
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2020 Annual Report
Recommendation:Publish an updated assessment of Bahrain’s compliance with the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) report, with…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Bahrain
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2020 Annual Report
Recommendation:Continue to provide guidance and training for Bahrain’s security services to prepare for Ashura observances in ways that protect…
Status: partially_implemented
Year:
Country: Bahrain
Recommended To: U.S. Congress
Source: 2020 Annual Report
Recommendation:Highlight in religious freedom and human rights-related hearings and other official proceedings Bahrain’s treatment of…
Status: implemented
Year:
Country: Bahrain
Recommended To: State Department
Source: 2020 Bahrain Country Update
Recommendation:The United States should continue to raise these restrictions on religious freedom with Bahrain’s government…
Status: not_implemented
Year:
Country: Bahrain
Recommended To: U.S. Congress
Recommendation:When the next administration nominates a new U.S. ambassador to Bahrain, Congress should examine as part of the confirmation process what steps they will take…
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…
Aug 20, 2021
USCIRF Calls on U.S. Government to Include Religious Minority Communities in Afghanistan in Evacuations
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) called on the United States government to include…
Aug 23, 2021
USCIRF Calls on the State Department to Prioritize Refugee Resettlement of Afghan Religious Minorities
Encourages Expansion of U.S. Refugee Admissions Program Priority 2 Designation
Washington, DC – The U.S…
Sep 22
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Sep 17, 2021
When Afghanistan was under Taliban control in 1996-2001, the Taliban discriminated against and violently persecuted the Hazara Shi’a community—which they labeled as “heretical.” Subsequently, the Hazara community…
Sep 30
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Oct 06
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Oct 15, 2021
USCIRF Strongly Condemns Terrorist Attacks on Shi’a Mosques in Afghanistan
Reiterates Call for State Department to Include Afghan Religious Minorities in U.S. Refugee Admissions Program Priority 2 Designation…
This report catalogues deteriorating religious freedom conditions in Afghanistan since the Taliban took control of the country on August 15, 2021. Afghans who do not adhere to the Taliban’s harsh and strict interpretation of Islam, as well as those who…
Oct 28, 2021
USCIRF Releases New Report on Religious Minorities in Afghanistan
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:
Afghanistan…
Nov 5, 2021
USCIRF Releases Factsheet Reiterating its Recommendations for State Department CPC and SWL Designations
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the…
Some of the gravest threats to FoRB in recent years have come not from government actions, but from non-state actors. In recognition of this threat, the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2016, which amended the International Religious…
Nov 8, 2021
USCIRF Releases New Report about Entities of Particular Concern and Religious Freedom
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report…
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…
Feb 02
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Jan 28, 2022
The situation for the Christian community in Afghanistan has grown ever more perilous since the Taliban took control of the country in August 2021. There have been accounts of the Taliban going door to door seeking…
Mar 1, 2022
This op-ed was originally published by The Hill on March 1, 2022
By USCIRF Chair Nadine Maenza and USCIRF Commissioner Frederick A. Davie
Last August was a life changing moment for the world, as the Taliban…
Apr 25, 2022
USCIRF Releases 2022 Annual Report with Recommendations for U.S. Policy
Recommends Afghanistan as Country of Particular Concern
Washington, D.C. – The United States Commission on International Religious…
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…
View the 2022 Annual Report
Highlights from USCIRF’s 2022 Annual Report
Numbers-at-a-Glance
15 countries recommended for “country of particular concern” (CPC) designation
1 new country recommended for CPC designation
12…
Apr 25, 2022
This op-ed was originally published by The Hill on April 25, 2022.
By USCIRF Chair Nadine Maenza and Vice Chair Nury Turkel
As the world is trying to resume some semblance of normalcy, it is abundantly clear that…
Apr 26, 2022
On April 25, 2022, USCIRF released its 2022 Annual Report, which documents developments in international religious freedom from 2021. The report provides recommendations to enhance the U.S. government’s promotion…
This factsheet highlights the global scale of religious persecution by providing an overview of contexts where large populations have been displaced due to persecution or violence based on religion or belief, including in Afghanistan, Burma, the Central…
May 12, 2022
USCIRF Releases New Report on Refugees Fleeing Religious Persecution
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:
Global…
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.…
Aug 24
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Aug 24th 10:30am
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