Displaying results 1 - 100 of 366

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,…
Click here to view USCIRF's report, Promoting and Protecting Religuous Freedom in Syria .
Apr 19, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an independent federal agency created to monitor religious freedom abuses abroad and make policy recommendations to the…
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 16, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMay 16, 2013 | By USCIRF WASHINGTON, D.C.- The two-year armed conflict in Syria has left at least 80,000 people dead and more than 5 million displaced. In his May 13, 2013 press conference with…
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…
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: Syria’s Refugee Crisis and its Implications
Click here to view the August 2013 Policy Brief, Burma: Implications of Religious and Ethnic Violence
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…
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 15, 2014 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJanuary 14, 2014| USCIRF The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today urged the U.S. government to emphasize the plight of religious minorities and the protection of…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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 27, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEFebruary 27, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) strongly condemns the abduction of more than 200 Assyrian Christians by militants of the…
Mar 16, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMarch 16, 2015 | USCIRF WASHINGTON, D.C. — March 15 marked the 4th anniversary of the protests in Damascus, Aleppo and Daraa which set the stage for the Syrian conflict.  On this sad…
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…
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-…
Dec 1, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEDecember 1, 2015 USCIRF Calls for Continued Syrian Refugee Resettlement Rigorous individualized vetting allows the United States to both welcome Syrian refugees and protect security.…
Dec 7, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEDecember 7, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today issued the following statement:   USCIRF calls on the U.S. government to…
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…
Mar 14, 2016 For Immediate Release March 14, 2016   WASHINGTON, D.C. — March 15 marks the 5th anniversary of the peaceful protests that set the stage for the Syrian conflict.  This conflict has spawned a…
Mar 18, 2016 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MArch 18, 2016   Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomes the State Department’s decision proclaiming that groups including Yazidis,…
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 Chairman Robert P. George testified on Tuesday, April 19, 2016 before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission at a hearing entitled "Confronting the Genocide of Religious Minorities: A Way Forward."From the testimony: "USCIRF in 2015 called on the U…
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…
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…
Nov 10, 2016 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WASHINGTON, D.C. – As coalition forces begin the liberation of Mosul, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) notes that November 13 is the one-year…
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…
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…
Mar 15, 2017 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 15, 2017   WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 15 marks the 6th anniversary of the start of the Syrian conflict. Since the conflict began, an estimated 400,000 people have been killed;…
Burma Chapter - 2017 Annual Report Burmese Translation
Apr 27, 2017 The following op-ed appeared in the Georgetown University Berkley Forum on April 26, 2017. The op-ed also appeared in Religious Freedom Institute: Cornerstone.   By former USCIRF Commissioner Thomas J. Reese…
Jun 9, 2017 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   USCIRF Commends House Passage of Genocide Accountability Act Urges Senate Action USCIRF declares that “the perpetrators of genocide must be held to account”   WASHINGTON, D.C. –…
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 5, 2017 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEOctober 5, 2017   H.R. 390: Senate Foreign Relations Committee Passes Genocide Bill USCIRF Chairman Mark calls committee action “a key step toward helping victims of ISIS genocide”  …
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,…
Click here to view the April 2018 Country Update, Burma: Insights from USCIRF’s Visits to Burma and Bangladesh
Jul 30, 2018 This op-ed originally appeared in The Hill on July 27, 2018. By former USCIRF Commissioners Tenzin Dorjee and Kristina Arriaga To the surprise of many, there is a foreign policy issue on which…
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   Burma Not Safe for Returning Rohingyas, Warns USCIRF WASHINGTON, DC — Responding to the recent announcement by the governments of Burma and Bangladesh that…
Nov 29, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 29, 2018   USCIRF Applauds Passage of H.R. 390 by Congress    WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today applauded…
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 11, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 11, 2018   USCIRF Welcomes President Trump Signing the Iraq and Syria Genocide Emergency Relief and Accountability Act    WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Commission on…
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…
 Burma Chapter - 2019 Annual Report Burmese Translation
Host: Anurima Bhargava, Commissioner Country Expert: Tina Mufford, Deputy Director of Research and Policy
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…
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…
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…
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Oct 1, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 2, 2019 On October 2, the world will commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. In honor of Gandhi’s life and principles, United States Commission on International…
Oct 9, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 9, 2019   USCIRF Statement on Turkish Offensive in Northeast Syria   WASHINGTON, DC – In response to news reports that Turkey has launched airstrikes on the border region of…
Click here to view the India Issue Brief.
Nov 19, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 19, 2019     Fate of Nearly 2 million in Assam, India Examined in New USCIRF Report   WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (…
Dec 9, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 9, 2019 USCIRF Raises Serious Concerns and Eyes Sanctions Recommendations for Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in India, Which Passed Lower House Today WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Commission…
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…
Feb 19, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  February 19, 2020   USCIRF Releases New Factsheet on India’s Citizenship (Amendment) Act Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF…
Click here to view the February 2020 Factsheet on The Citizenship (Amendment) Act in IndiaIn December 2019, the Indian Parliament passed into law the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). This law provides a fast track to Indian citizenship for non-Muslim…
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…
Apr 14, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 14, 2020 USCIRF Welcomes Indian Supreme Court Decision on Assam Detention Centers as a First Step Washington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomed…
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…
Gender: Female Perpetrator: China Ethnic Group: Han Religion or Belief: Christian – Church of Almighty God Reports of…
Jul 20, 2020 This op-ed was originally published by The Washington Examiner, on July 20, 2020. By USCIRF Chair Gayle Manchin and USCIRF Vice Chair Tony Perkins In Iraq, the 50th Brigade of the Popular Mobilization Forces has…
Jul 25, 2020 This op-ed originally appeared in Newsweek, on July 25, 2020. By USCIRF Vice Chair Anurima Bhargava and Commissioner Nadine Maenza As the world passively watches, Turkey is currently amassing troops on its…
Jul 28, 2020 This op-ed originally appeared in The Diplomat, on July 28, 2020. By USCIRF Chair Gayle Manchin and Commissioner James W. Carr Several airlines offer direct flights from Burma to Malaysia, but many Rohingya…
USCIRF ADVOCATE: Daniel Mark Advocacy: Press Release: BURMA: Interfaith Prisoners of Conscience Pwint Phyu Latt and…
Title 2026 Annual Report - Burma Chapter File Upload USCIRF 2026 Annual Report Burma.pdf Language English Year 2026…
Title 2026 Annual Report - India Chapter File Upload USCIRF 2026 Annual Report India.pdf Language English Year 2026…
Title 2026 Annual Report - Syria Chapter File Upload USCIRF 2026 Annual Report Syria.pdf Language English Year 2026…
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…
Aug 25, 2020 USCIRF Urges Justice for the Rohingya People on Third Anniversary of Genocidal Campaign Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today marked the third anniversary of…