Displaying results 1 - 100 of 409

Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2226 November 27, 2001 Commission members (left to right): Richard D. Land, Nina Shea, The Hon. Charles R. Stith, Executive Director Steven T. McFarland,…
Jan 11, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJanuary 11, 2013| By USCIRF The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom strongly condemns a series of terror attacks that took place on January 10 targeting Pakistani Shi'a Muslims.…
Jan 15, 2013 FOR YOUR INFORMATIONJanuary 14, 2013 | By Katrina Lantos Swett The following appeared in the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs on January 14, 2013. Former Soviet prisoner and refusenik Natan Sharansky,…
Mar 2, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMARCH 1, 2013| By USCIRF The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) marked the 2nd anniversary of the murder of Shahbaz Bhatti with a renewed call for the Pakistani government…
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…
May 14, 2013 FOR YOUR INFORMATIONMay 14, 2013 | By Katrina Lantos Swett The following was published in the Washington Post, On Faith on May 14, 2013. Fifteen years ago, on May 14, 1998, U.S. House of Representatives voted in…
May 20, 2013 FOR YOUR INFORMATION May 20, 2013| By William Shaw and M. Zuhdi Jasser , and Azizah al-Hibri When President Obama meets with President Thein Sein of Myanmar (Burma) today, he should emphasize…
May 21, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMay 21, 2013 | By USCIRF WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today welcomed the State Department's release of its 2012 International Religious Freedom…
...that particularly severe religious freedom violations are increasingly perpetrated by non-state actors in failing or failed states?One of the greatest emerging threats to freedom of religion or belief comes not from the actions of governments but from…
Jul 2, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJuly 2, 2013 | By USCIRF WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A suicide bomber attacked a Shia neighborhood in Quetta, the capital city of Pakistan's Baluchistan province, on Sunday June 30, killing at least 36…
Jul 8, 2013 FOR YOUR INFORMATIONJuly 8, 2013 | By Katrina Lantos Swett The following appeared in Eurasia Review on July 4th, 2013. Last Saturday, on June 29, I was honored to speak in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to the Ahmadiyya…
Click here to view the July 2013 Factsheet: Pakistan’s History of Violence: A Chronology of Targeted Violence against Religious CommunitiesClick here to view the July 2013 Briefing on the Future of Religious Freedom in Pakistan…
Aug 12, 2013 For Your Information August 12, 2013 | By Robert P. George The following op-ed appeared in Foreign Policy on August 9, 2013: On Sunday, August 11, Pakistan will celebrate National Minorities Day, giving recently-…
Aug 22, 2013 FOR YOUR INFORMATIONAugust 21, 2013 | By Robert P. George and Katrina Lantos Swett The following op-ed appeared in The Washington Post on August 21, 2013. Although religious freedom is a pivotal human right,…
Click here to view the August 2013 Policy Brief, Burma: Implications of Religious and Ethnic Violence
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…
Sep 25, 2013 FOR YOUR INFORMATION September 20, 2013 | By Robert P. George The following op-ed appeared in the Christian Science Monitor on September 20, 2013. As the UN General Assembly begins its new session,…
Sep 25, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESeptember 25, 2013| By USCIRF On Sunday September 22, reportedly the worst attack on Pakistani Christians in that nation's history took place. On that day, two suicide bombers attacked the All…
Oct 18, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEOctober 18, 2013| USCIRF During his October 23 White House meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, USCIRF urges President Obama to raise concerns about the dire religious freedom…
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…
Dec 3, 2013 FOR YOUR INFORMATIONDecember 2, 2013 | By Robert P. George The following op-ed appeared in the Providence Journal on November 30, 2013. Washington - As the nation celebrates Thanksgiving, Jewish Americans are also…
Jan 28, 2014 FOR YOUR INFORMATION January 27, 2014 | By  Robert P. George    The following op-ed appeared in  The Hill  on January 27, 2014. I testified before the Congressional Tom Lantos Human…
Jun 11, 2014 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 11, 2014 | USCIRF  Washington, D.C. – The draft of the ill-advised “Religious Conversion Law” which Burma’s parliament released for public comment would further restrict religious…
Click here to view the August 2014 Factsheet: Pakistan: Violence Towards Religious Communities in Pakistan 
Aug 23, 2014 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEAugust 23, 2014 | USCIRF Statement of Commissioners M. Zuhdi Jasser and Eric P. Schwartz upon completing a five-day visit to Burma. This is our first Commissioner-level visit to the…
Click here to view the September 2014 Factsheet: Burma: USCIRF Examines Religious Freedom Violations During Fact-finding Trip to Burma
USCIRF’s report, “Burma: Religious Freedom and Related Human Rights Violations are Hindering Broader Reforms,” reflects findings from a Commissioner-level visit in August 2014.  In the report released in November, USCIRF urges the U.S.…
Oct 6, 2014 FOR YOUR INFORMATIONOctober 6, 2014 | By M. Zuhdi Jasser and Hannah Rosenthal The following op-ed appeared in The Detroit News on October 4, 2014. On Saturday we will witness a confluence of two holy days of…
Click here to view USCIRF's report, Burma: USCIRF Issues Report on Religious Freedom and Related Human Rights Violations.
Nov 10, 2014 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENovember 10, 2014  | USCIRF WASHINGTON, D.C. –  In the face of escalating violations worldwide of religious freedom, an initiative that the U.S. Commission on International…
Many countries around the world have laws that punish expression deemed blasphemous, defamatory of religion, or contemptuous or insulting to religion or religious symbols, figures, or feelings.  The application of these laws has resulted in…
Jan 22, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 22, 2015 | USCIRF WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) strongly condemns the package of race and religion bills that Burma’s parliament is…
Mar 17, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMarch 17, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Sunday, March 15, the day an official U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) delegation to Pakistan departed the country, Pakistani…
May 14, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMay 14, 2015 | USCIRF  WASHINGTON, D.C. – A Pakistani Taliban splinter group now reportedly affiliated with ISIL, on May 13 murdered at least 45 Ismaili Muslims in Karachi.  The killers…
Jun 3, 2015 FOR YOUR INFORMATIONJune 3, 2015 | Katrina Lantos Swett and Mary Ann Glendon The following op-ed appeared in The National Interest on June 3, 2015 A court in Afghanistan recently sentenced eleven police officers…
Aug 11, 2015 FOR YOUR INFORMATIONAugust 11, 2015 | Katrina Lantos Swett and Mary Ann Glendon The following op-ed appeared in Foreign Policy on August 10, 2015 As their nation celebrates National Minorities Day on Tuesday, August…
Sep 28, 2015 FOR YOUR INFORMATION September 28, 2015 | Daniel I. Mark and Katrina Lantos Swett The following op-ed appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer on September 27, 2015 Washington hosted two dramatically…
Oct 21, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEOctober 21, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomed the October 14 release by the U.S. State Department of its International Religious…
USCIRF Chairman Robert P. George testified on October 27, 2015 before Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee at a hearing titled "The Global Crisis of Religious…
Nov 13, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENovember 13, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) calls on the government of Burma to protect religious and ethnic minorities during the post-…
Nov 30, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENovember 30, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemns in the strongest possible terms the heinous attack on an Ahmadi Muslim factory and…
Feb 1, 2016 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 1, 2016   WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) strongly condemns the arrest, detention, and sentencing of Abul Shakoor, an 80-year…
Mar 1, 2016 Pakistan: On Fifth Anniversary of Shahbaz Bhatti Assassination, USCIRF Calls for Reform and Repeal of Blasphemy Law   WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) on March…
Apr 14, 2016 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 14, 2016   WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) sends warm New Year’s greetings to the people of Burma and urges the new government…
Apr 20, 2016 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 20, 2016   WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomes Secretary of State John Kerry’s re-designation on April 15, 2016 of Burma,…
USCIRF Chair Thomas J. Reese, S.J. testified on July 15, 2016 before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission at a hearing titled "Blasphemy Laws and Censorship by States and Non-State Actors: Examining Global Threats to Freedom of Expression." From the…
Oct 14, 2016 FOR YOUR INFORMATION October 14, 2016 | Kristina Arriaga and Sandra Jolley  The following op-ed appeard in Newsweek Pakistan on October 14, 2016   “I raise my voice… not so I can shout, but so that…
Oct 27, 2016 FOR YOUR INFORMATION October 27, 2016 | By Thomas J. Reese, S.J. and Daniel Mark The following op-ed appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer on October 27, 2016    Abdul Shakoor is a member of the…
Dec 9, 2016 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 9, 2016   WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemns the raid by Pakistan’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on the…
Dec 9, 2016 The following op-ed appeared in Religion New Service on December 9, 2016 By former USCIRF Commissioners Kristina Arriaga and John Ruskay   Pwint Phyu Latt is a Muslim peace activist in Burma who sought to…
Click here to view the English versionClick here to view the Burmese version The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has monitored religious freedom conditions in Burma (also known as Myanmar) since the Commission first began…
English version Burmese version Each year since 1999, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate Burma as a “country of particular concern” (CPC) for its systematic,…
Dec 13, 2016 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 13, 2016                      WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released…
 December 13, 2016 USCIRF at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. publicly released two reports highlighting Burma’s serious religious freedom challenges: Hidden Plight: Christian Minorities in Burma and Suspended in Time: The…
Burma Chapter - 2017 Annual Report Burmese Translation
The report documents ASEAN’s and the Member States’ approaches to the freedom of religion or belief, underscores the religious freedom-related chal­lenges in the region that transcend country borders, and emphasizes the strategic importance of robust U.S…
Oct 11, 2017  USCIRF Vice Chairwoman Kristina Arriaga Testifies Before the House Oversight Committee Arriaga tells Members that religious freedom violations “have security implications for the United States"  …
Nov 16, 2017 The following originally op-ed appeared in The Hill on November 16, 2017   By former USCIRF Commissioners Daniel Mark and Sandra Jolley   People love lists. And when those lists are in the news,…
Feb 13, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEFebruary 13, 2018 USCIRF Mourns Death of Leading Pakistani Human Rights Defender USCIRF Chairman Mark says Ms. Jahangir “will always be remembered as a fearless advocate for human rights”…
Click here to view the April 2018 Country Update, Burma: Insights from USCIRF’s Visits to Burma and Bangladesh
Jul 24, 2018 This op-ed originally appeared in Religion News Service on July 24, 2018. By Gayle Manchin and Johnnie Moore (RNS) - This week, as hundreds of religious leaders, nonprofit heads and government officials…
Aug 7, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 7, 2018   At Gathering of 37,000 Ahmadi Muslims, USCIRF Commissioner Johnnie Moore Vows to Make Religious Freedom in Pakistan a Priority Commissioner Moore also formally adopts…
Oct 9, 2018 This op-ed originally appeared in The Christian Post on September 18, 2018. By Tenzin Dorjee and Nadine Maenza It has been more than a year since Burmese authorities began a brutal campaign…
Oct 31, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 31, 2018   USCIRF Welcomes Pakistani Supreme Court’s Decision to Overturn Death Sentence Against Asia Bibi   WASHINGTON, DC — The United States Commission on International…
Oct 31, 2018  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 31, 2018   Burma Not Safe for Returning Rohingyas, Warns USCIRF WASHINGTON, DC — Responding to the recent announcement by the governments of Burma and Bangladesh that…
Dec 3, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 3, 2018   USCIRF Presses for Targeted Sanctions for Atrocities Committed Against Burma’s Rohingya Muslims and Other Religious and Ethnic Communities Call comes days before…
The full report may be found here.Summary of Findings The right to freely choose and change one’s religion is protected under international law, as is the right to manifest one’s beliefs through teaching those beliefs. While there is a right to propagate…
Dec 11, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 11, 2018   New USCIRF Report: Anti-Conversion Laws on the Rise in South Asia USCIRF Calls on U.S. to Press South Asian Governments to Rescind These Laws   WASHINGTON, DC –…
Dec 12, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 12, 2018   State Department Names the World’s Worst Violators of Religious Freedom USCIRF Praises CPC Designation of Pakistan WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on…
Feb 26, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 26, 2019   USCIRF Commissioner Johnnie Moore Calls on Pakistan to Release Prisoner of Conscience Abdul Shakoor   WASHINGTON, DC – Johnnie Moore, Commissioner of the United…
Mar 19, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 19, 2019   USCIRF Welcomes Release of Religious Prisoner of Conscience Abdul Shakoor     WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (…
Apr 16, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 16, 2019       USCIRF Condemns Terrorist Attack on Shi’a Muslims in Pakistan   WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF…
 Burma Chapter - 2019 Annual Report Burmese Translation
May 8, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 8, 2019   USCIRF Statement on Asia Bibi’s Arrival in Canada and Bombing in Lahore   WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today…
Host: Anurima Bhargava, Commissioner Country Expert: Tina Mufford, Deputy Director of Research and Policy
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 18, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 18, 2019   USCIRF Responds to Travel Ban on Burmese Military Officials   WASHINGTON, DC – On Tuesday, the State Department designated four Burmese military leaders as…
Aug 23, 2019 USCIRF Statement on UN Report of “Genocidal Intent” by Burmese Military in Sexual Violence Against Rohingya Muslims and Others WASHINGTON, DC -- In response to a report released yesterday by United…
Aug 23, 2019 This op-ed was originally published by Inter Press Service, on August 26, 2019. By Nadine Maenza and Anurima Bhargava Monsoon season is currently wreaking havoc on the more than 911,000 Rohingya refugees displaced…
Jul 24 WHEN: Jul 24th 1:00pm - Jul 24th 1:00pm…
Jan 08 WHEN: Jan 8th 1:30pm…
Click here to view the Pakistan Blasphemy Law Policy Update.
Oct 30, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 30, 2019   USCIRF Alarmed Over Systematic Church Closures in Algeria   WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is deeply concerned by…
Gender: Male Current Location: Central Jail, Multan, Punjab Perpetrator: Pakistan Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other…
Additional Name(s): Ayaz Nizami Gender: Male Current Location: Central Jail Rawalpindi, Rawalpindi, Punjab Perpetrator: Pakistan Religion or Belief…
Dec 9, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 9, 2019 USCIRF Raises Alarm about Speech Laws that Restrict Religious Freedom in More than Half of African Countries Briefing Tomorrow to Feature New Report and Recommendations  …
Dec 11, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 11, 2019 USCIRF Applauds Sanctions against Senior Burmese Military Officials WASHINGTON, DC—The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomes the…
Jan 23, 2020 USCIRF Applauds International Court’s Ruling on Measures to Protect Rohingya in Burma WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) applauds today’s ruling by the…
Mar 12, 2020 USCIRF Releases New Factsheet on International Crimes Against the Rohingya of Burma Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new factsheet on accountability for…
This factsheet provides an overview of the legal accountability processes for alleged international crimes – including genocide and crimes against humanity – committed against the Rohingya in Burma, implications of these actions, and possible outcomes.…
Mar 27, 2020 USCIRF Alarmed by Worsening Conditions in Rakhine State Following International Court Ruling Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) expressed its alarm over the…
Mar 31, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 31, 2020 USCIRF Troubled with Targeting of Hazara Shi’a in Pakistan amid Coronavirus Lockdown Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)…
Apr 2, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 2, 2020 USCIRF Dismayed by Lack of Accountability for the Murder of Daniel Pearl Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) expressed its…
Apr 13, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 13, 2020 USCIRF Troubled by Denial of Food Aid to Pakistani Hindus and Christians Washington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is troubled by the…
Apr 17, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 17, 2020 USCIRF Welcomes Release of Hundreds of Imprisoned Rohingya in Burma, Calls for More to be Released Washington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF…
Algeria Chapter - 2020 Annual ReportAlgeria Chapter - 2020 Annual Report Arabic translation
May 8, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 8, 2020 USCIRF Welcomes Establishment of Pakistan’s National Commission for Minorities as a First Step Washington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)…