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Hearings on Religious Persecution in Sudan
February 15, 2000
(Note: These are unedited and uncorrected transcripts)
Commission members (left to right) Firuz Kazemzadeh, Nina Shea, Executive Director Steven McFarland, Chair David Saperstein, Vice…
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. …
...that Sudan repeatedly has used its apostasy law over the past two years against Christians and Muslims?Apostasy is the formal abandonment, or renunciation, of a religious faith. Under Article 126 of Sudan’s 1991 Criminal Act, apostasy from Islam is…
...that police detained over 900 people from Beijing’s Shouwang Church last year for trying to hold outdoor worship services? For the past two years, Shouwang members have tried to hold weekly services in Beijing parks only to face repeated detentions,…
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 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 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…
Jun 26, 2013
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONJune 26, 2013 |By Katrina Lantos Swett
Editor"s note: Katrina Lantos Swett is the chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. The views expressed are the writer"s own.
The…
...that Uighur Muslims experience some of the most severe religious freedom restrictions in China. In response to July 5, 2009 demonstrations that broke out after Uighur and Han Chinese men clashed in a factory dispute, the Chinese government expanded its…
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…
...that approximately 500,000 South Sudanese in Sudan are stateless?The status of South Sudanese in Sudan became precarious after South Sudan achieved independence on July 9, 2011. While South Sudan has offered citizenship to Sudanese residents, the…
Jul 25, 2013
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONJuly 24, 2013 | By Katrina Lantos Swett and Mary Ann Glendon
The following appeared in CNN World/GPS on July 23rd, 2013.
Editor"s note: Katrina Lantos Swett is chairwoman of the U.S. Commission…
Click here to view the October 2013 Factsheet: China: 20 Questions on Religious Freedom for China's Universal Periodic Review
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…
Nov 13, 2013
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONNovember 12, 2013 | By Katrina Lantos Swett and Mary Ann Glendon
The following op-ed appeared in CNN World on November 12, 2013.
Editor's note: Katrina Lantos Swett is Vice Chairwoman of…
Click here to view the November 2013 Policy Brief,Sudan's Enduring Question: The Role of Shari'ah in the Constitution and Law
The Sudanese government’s imposition of Shari’ah countrywide in 1983, including on the predominantly animist and Christian South, significantly contributed to the onset of Sudan’s 20 year North-South civil war. Today, concerns about Shari’ah being central…
Nov 27, 2013
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONNovember 26, 2013 | By Robert P. George
The following op-ed appeared in the Washington Times on November 25, 2013.
WASHINGTON,November 24, 2013 - Earlier this fall, a Sudanese business owner and…
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…
Dec 11, 2013
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
December 11, 2013 | By Katrina Lantos Swett and Mary Ann Glendon
The following op-ed appeared in Reuters & the Chicago Tribune on December 10, 2013.
December 10 marks Human Rights Day,…
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…
USCIRF Vice Chair Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett testified on Friday, April 4 before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission during a hearing entitled, "The Plight of Religious Minorities in India."
Click here to view the full written testimony…
May 16, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMay 16, 2014 | USCIRF
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) strongly condemns the death sentence against Meriam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag, a Sudanese Christian woman…
Jun 25, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 25, 2014 | USCIRF
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is gravely concerned about the Sudanese government’s arrest of Meriam Ibrahim Ishag on document…
Jul 7, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 7, 2014 | USCIRF
WASHINGTON, DC – As Muslims around the world observe the holy month of Ramadan, Uighur Muslims in China face far-reaching restrictions on their religious practices. …
USCIRF Vice Chair Dr. Zuhdi Jasser testified on July 23 before the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations of the House Foreign Affairs Committee at a hearing entitled “The Troubling Case of Meriam…
Jul 30, 2014
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONJuly 30, 2014 | By Katrina Lantos Swett and M. Zuhdi Jasser
The following op-ed appeared on RNS on July 29, 2014. This op-ed also appeared in the Washington Post.
While last month marked the…
Sep 25, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 25, 2014 | USCIRF
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) strongly condemns the life sentence handed down to respected Uighur Muslim scholar…
Oct 30, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEOctober 30, 2014 | USCIRF
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemns the recent formal arrest of Wu Zeheng, also known as Buddhist Zen…
In December 2012, the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, in conjunction with the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and Amnesty International USA, launched the Defending Freedoms Project with the aim of supporting human rights and…
The Chinese government continues to perpetrate particularly severe violations of religious freedom. In May 2014, USCIRF released its 2014 Annual Report and again recommended that China be designated as a “country of particular concern,” or…
Feb 6, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEFebruary 6, 2015 | USCIRF
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) commends President Obama for deepening relations with India while also recognizing…
Feb 26, 2015
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONFebruary 26, 2015 | By Katrina Lantos Swett & Robert P. George
The following op-ed appeared in Al Jazeera America on February 26, 2015.
By all accounts, the past year in China…
Jun 1, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJune 1, 2015
Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemns the continuing prosecution of Rev. Yat Michael and Rev. Peter Reith who face the death…
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom sent the following letter to Secretary Kerry on June 18, 2015.
The Honorable John F. Kerry
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
Washington, DC 20520
Dear Secretary Kerry:
I write…
Jun 18, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJune 18, 2015
For Uighur Muslims in China’s autonomous region of Xinjiang, observing Ramadan – a month-long period of introspection, fasting, prayer, and devotion – is difficult, if not…
Jul 6, 2015
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONJuly 6, 2015 | Robert P. George and Katrina Lantos Swett
The following op-ed appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer on July 5, 2015
Today, July 6, the Dalai Lama of Tibet, a modern-day exemplar of…
Aug 6, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEAugust 6, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom welcomes yesterday’s release from detention of Rev. Yat Michael Ruot and Rev. Peter Yein Reith. Rev.…
Sep 22, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESeptember 22, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) solemnly marks the one-year anniversary of the life sentence handed down to Chinese Uighur…
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…
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…
Dec 10, 2015
FOR YOUR INFORMATIONDecember 10, 2015 | Mary Ann Glendon and Katrina Lantos Swett
The following op-ed appeared in The National Interest on December 10, 2015
December 10 marks Human Rights Day, the sixty-seventh…
Dec 21, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEDecember 21, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today condemned the Sudanese government for charging 25 Muslims with apostasy and public…
Mar 3, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 3, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Indian government today failed to issue visas to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) in time for a long planned…
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,…
Jul 6, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 6, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As Muslims around the world mark the end of Ramadan with Eid al-Fitr celebrations, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)…
Aug 25, 2016
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
August 25, 2016 | Kristina Arriaga and Rev. Thomas J. Reese, S.J.
The following op/ed appeared in The Hill on August 25, 2016.
Many men, women, and children each year…
Aug 30, 2016
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
August 30, 2016 | Daniel I. Mark and Sandra Jolley
The following op/ed appeared in Religion News Service on August 30, 2016
(RNS) Gedhun Choekyi Nyima was a 6-year-old boy when he…
Aug 31, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 31, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Religious freedom conditions in China have deteriorated under the leadership of President Xi Jinping. Given this deterioration, the U.S.…
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 Constitutional and Legal Challenges Faced by Religious Minorities in India
Feb 8, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 8, 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new report, Constitutional and Legal Challenges Faced by Religious Minorities in India, examines India’s constitution and national and state laws…
Apr 25, 2017
Click here to read the Chinese translation of the letter. Click here to read the Tibetan translation of the letter.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 25, 2017
OPEN LETTER FROM USCIRF…
Jun 22, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 22, 2017
SUDAN: USCIRF Urges Secretary of State to Maintain Sanctions
“Sudan has not shown sufficient progress on allowing greater religious freedom”
WASHINGTON, D.C. –…
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom sent the following letter to Secretary Tillerson on May 30, 2017. Click here to read a PDF version of the letter.
The Honorable Rex Tillerson
Secretary of State
2201 C Street, NW…
Jul 5, 2017
Click here to see coverage from The Economist on USCIRF's press release. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 5, 2017
CHINA: USCIRF Condemns Ramadan Restrictions in Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region
“The Chinese government…
USCIRF Commissioner Tenzin Dorjee testified on July 12, 2017 before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission at a hearing titled: "Tibet: Freedom of Religion." Commissioner Dorjee is the first Tibetan Buddhist appointed to serve on USCIRF and was…
Jul 13, 2017
Click here to read Vice Chair Jolley's letter to Gulmira Imin.
Click here to read the Uyghur translation of the letter to Gulmira Imin
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 14, 2017
Open Letter from…
Aug 3, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 3, 2017
USCIRF Condemns Egypt’s Deportation of Uighur Muslims to China
“These latest moves show a calculated indifference to the Uighur Muslim community”
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S…
Oct 7, 2017
USCIRF Chairman Mark says “Sudan is an egregious violator of religious freedom”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is disappointed by the decision to permanently…
Oct 12, 2017
The following op-ed appeared in Huffington Post on October 12, 2017
By former Commissioner Tenzin Dorjee and Congressman Jim Mcgovern
Imagine you are a 6-year-old. Your world is your family, friends…
Nov 1, 2017
The following op-ed appeared in The Diplomat on November 1, 2017
By former Commissioners Sandra Jolley and Tenzin Dorjee
As U.S. President Donald Trump prepares to travel to China in early…
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,…
On February 14, 2018, Commissioner Dorjee testified before the Congressional-Executive Commission on China on religious freedom violations in Tibet.Written Testimony
Oral Statement
Video Recording of the Hearing…
Feb 28, 2018
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) mourns the sudden passing of Chinese human rights lawyer Dr. Li Baiguang, a devoted advocate for religious freedom who represented falsely accused…
Apr 24, 2018
Click here for a Chinese translation of this letter
Click here for a Tibetan translation of this letter
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 24, 2018
Open Letter from USCIRF Commissioner Tenzin Dorjee to the Panchen Lama on…
May 14, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 14, 2018
CHINA: USCIRF Deeply Concerned About Increasing Repression of Uighur Muslims
“The Chinese government’s restrictions on Uighur Muslims are an attempt to assimilate a besieged…
Sep 11, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 11, 2018
USCIRF Highly Concerned by Latest Chinese Government Abuses Against Religious Communities
USCIRF is highly concerned by reports of Chinese authorities’…
On September 27, 2018, then Chair Tenzin Dorjee testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations at a hearing entitled, "China's War on Christianity and Other…
Oct 5, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 5, 2018
USCIRF Calls for Release of Prisoner of Conscience as White House Takes Harder Line on Religious Freedom Violations in China
Christian Underground Church Leader Hu…
Oct 16, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 16, 2018
USCIRF Strongly Condemns Codification of Repression in Western China
“This is a deeply troubling development because it signals that the Chinese
government believes it…
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…
Dec 12, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 12, 2018
USCIRF Statement on Chinese Authorities’ Crackdown on Early Rain Covenant Church Pastor and Congregants
USCIRF is extremely concerned by reports that on…
Dec 20, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 20, 2018
USCIRF Welcomes Enactment of Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act
WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF…
Jan 28, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 28, 2019
USCIRF Denounces Violence Against Demonstrators in Sudan
WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is concerned…
Feb 15, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 15, 2019
As Uighur Muslims Demand Video Evidence of Loved Ones, USCIRF Chair Tenzin Dorjee Calls on China to Release Prisoner of Conscience Gulmira Imin
WASHINGTON, DC –…
Additional Name(s):
Gulmire Imin, گۈلمىرە ئىمىن, 古丽米拉
Gender:
Female
Current Location:
Xinjiang Women’s Prison (Xinjiang No. 2 Prison), Urumqi
Perpetrator:
China…
Additional Name(s):
Hu Shenglun, 胡石根, 胡胜伦
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
China
Religion or Belief:
Christian – Protestant
Health Concerns:…
Additional Name(s):
Gengdeng Queji Nima, 更登确吉*尼玛, དགེ་འདུན་ཆོས་ཀྱི་ཉི་མ་
Gender:
Male
Perpetrator:
China
Ethnic Group:
Tibetan
Religion or Belief…
Apr 8, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 9, 2019
USCIRF Commissioners Adopt American Pastor David Lin Through the Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project
WASHINGTON, DC – Kristina Arriaga and Tony Perkins…
Apr 25, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE APRIL 25, 2019
Open Letter to the Missing Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Nyima on His 30th Birthday
Your Holiness Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Nyima,
Tashi Delek or Happy 30th Birthday…
May 10, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 10, 2019
USCIRF Strongly Urges Administration to Raise Religious Freedom Violations in China Trade Talks
WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Commission on International…
May 23, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 23, 2019
USCIRF Statement on Senate Committee’s Holding China’s Human Rights Abusers Accountable
WASHINGTON, DC – In response to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s…
Jun 4, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 4, 2019
On Tiananmen Square Anniversary, USCIRF Calls for Sanctions on Officials Responsible for Religious Freedom Violations
WASHINGTON, DC – On the 30th anniversary of the…
Jun 18, 2019
For Immediate Release June 18, 2019
USCIRF Encouraged by Appointment of Special Envoy to Sudan, Urges Close Scrutiny of Religious Freedom During Transition
Washington, DC -- In response to an…
Jun 24
WHEN:
Jun 24th 6:59pm…
Jun 26, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 26, 2019
USCIRF Statement on Mob Lynching of Muslim Man in India
WASHINGTON, DC – In response to the reported murder of Tabrez Ansari by a mob in the eastern state of Jharkhand in India…
Jul 2, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 2, 2019
USCIRF Chair Tony Perkins to Advocate for Release of Imprisoned Uighur Muslim Dilshat Perhat Ataman
WASHINGTON, DC – Tony Perkins, chair of the United States…
Jul 8, 2019
This op-ed was originally published by The Hill on July 5, 2019.
By Gary Bauer and Tenzin Dorjee
In a country where as many as 2 million Uighurs and other Muslims are imprisoned in concentration…
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
Aug 5, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 5, 2019
USCIRF Commissioner Gary Bauer Calls for Release of Imprisoned Underground Church Leader Hu Shigen
WASHINGTON, DC – United States Commission on International…
Aug 8, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 8, 2019
USCIRF Commissioner Tenzin Dorjee Calls for Release of Religious Prisoner of Conscience Gulmira Imin
WASHINGTON, DC – United States Commission on International…
Aug 17, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 16, 2019
USCIRF Applauds Sanctions on Salah Gosh for Gross Human Rights Violations
WASHINGTON, DC – On Wednesday, August 14, 2019, the U.S. Department of State publicly…
Aug 27, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE [AUGUST 27, 2019]
USCIRF Statement on Indian Government’s “Religious Test” for Muslims in Assam
WASHINGTON, DC – Residents of the northeastern Indian state of Assam face an August…
Jul 24
WHEN:
Jul 24th 1:00pm
-
Jul 24th 1:00pm…