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September 29, 2020
Sep 29, 2020
This op-ed was originally published in The Globe Post, on September 29, 2020.
By Vice Chair Tony Perkins and Commissioner Frederick A. Davie
In the west African country of Burkina Faso, the Grand Imam of Djibo Souaisou Cisse was found dead last month, just days after armed assailants abducted him from a public transport bus. Imam Cisse was a powerful voice calling for peace and interfaith tolerance in Burkina Faso, a country where violent jihadists have been making gains in recent years. He brought together Christians and Muslims in the country, and was seen as a moderate religious figure who refused to leave his town despite repeated terrorist threats.
This is one of many recent attacks against religious leaders across conflict zones in west and central Africa in the past few years.
Throughout west and central Africa, both religiously and politically motivated armed groups have committed atrocities against civilians, escalating humanitarian crises and triggering catastrophic levels of displacement and food insecurity.
In many of these conflict zones, religious leaders have been facing particularly grave threats. In August 2020 alone, armed actors attacked religious leaders of both Muslim and Christian congregations in Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and Cameroon.
Religious leaders are often important voices calling for peace, nonviolence, and tolerance in some of the most vulnerable areas of west and central Africa. Attacks on these pivotal figures in civil society threaten not only their rights as individuals to freedom of belief and expression, but also broader efforts to promote peace and mutual trust across different religious groups. These attacks devastate religious communities, as worshippers lose their revered religious leaders and also fear that they could be targeted next.
Armed assailants in these countries target religious leaders for several reasons. Some attackers seek to enforce their religious beliefs and ideology on others. Earlier this year, Boko Haram fighters abducted and beheaded Rev. Lawan Andimi, chair of a local branch of the Christian Association of Nigeria, reportedly because he would not renounce his faith. Last month in northern Cameroon, Boko Haram insurgents attacked community leaders during a prayer service in a mosque in retaliation for those leaders having utilized the Quran to encourage villagers not to support jihadist groups.
In other instances, armed actors target religious leaders as symbols of authority who support a political or social status quo that the armed groups oppose. For example, analysts believe that jihadists targeted Imam Cisse because they perceived his efforts to promote interfaith tolerance as supportive of a secular Burkinabe state. In Nigeria, gunmen abducted the chief imam of Taraba Police Command in July after he had preached against increasing rates of crime and kidnapping during a Jummat sermon.
USCIRF’s 2020 Annual Report highlighted trends of armed non-state actors targeting religious leaders as a result of their political advocacy in Cameroon, where armed Cameroonian separatists have attacked Catholic priests reportedly because the Catholic church called for nonviolence and an end to separatist-enforced school boycotts.
Leaders of faith communities have also fallen victim to the growing kidnap-for-ransom industry in many of these volatile regions. Armed actors and insurgents seeking to raise funds for their campaigns equate religious figures with wealth and believe abducting them will fetch a high ransom price. When ransom negotiations go wrong, the captors often execute these individuals.
The increase of violent attacks on religious leaders is unacceptable and the trend is particularly concerning since it is occurring alongside attacks on houses of worship and worshippers. Religious leaders have a vital role to play in promoting religious freedom and interfaith harmony in west and central Africa.
The U.S. government can help by investing more to help protect religious institutions in these varied contexts. Policymakers should prioritize and expand efforts to enhance local security forces’ capacity to protect leaders of faith communities. This should include increasing funding for equipping and training authorities to prevent and respond to attacks against houses of worship as well as specifically to prevent and respond to attacks targeting religious leaders. Support to local courts and judicial systems will also deter future assailants and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice.
Leaders of faith communities play an integral role in promoting religious freedom and interfaith harmony in west and central Africa – they must be protected in carrying out this important work in such a fragile region of the world.
December 17, 2020
Dec 17, 2020
USCIRF Condemns Boko Haram Attacks and Threats against Christians
WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today condemned recent attacks by Boko Haram in Niger and northwest Nigeria, as well as threats by the group against Christians in the run up to the Christmas holiday.
“Boko Haram continues to commit gross violations of religious freedom in the Lake Chad Basin,” said USCIRF Vice Chair Tony Perkins. “These atrocious acts and religiously motivated threats are nothing short of deplorable.”
Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau claimed responsibility for a December 11 attack on an all-boys school in northwest Nigeria that has left over 300 students missing. The group also claimed responsibility for a December 12 attack in Niger that left 27 people dead. In a three-minute video sent to French news agency AFP, Boko Haram promised Christians more attacks ahead of Christmas.
“The U.S. government must pressure the Nigerian and Nigerien governments to act fast to protect Christian communities from these despicable threats of violence in the coming days,” added Commissioner Fred Davie. “Christians have the right to celebrate free from fear and intimidation no matter where they live.”
In its 2020 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” or CPC, and that Boko Haram be designated an “entity of particular concern,” or EPC, under the International Religious Freedom Act for engaging in or tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.
Earlier this month, the State Department designated Nigeria a CPC for the first time ever.
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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze and report on threats to religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion or belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at Media@USCIRF.gov.
January 15, 2021
Jan 15, 2021
In December 2020, the U.S. Department of State designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for the first time ever due to systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom. Violent attacks by Boko Haram and ethno-religious conflict have become more frequent, and are exacerbated by the judiciary system.
In this week's episode of USCIRF Spotlight, we discuss why the situation in Nigeria merits CPC designation, and what role the US could play in addressing religious freedom concerns there.
Featuring:
Dwight Bashir, Director of Outreach and Policy, USCIRF
John Campbell, Former Ambassador to Nigeria, currently Ralph Bunche Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies, Council on Foreign Relations
Read USCIRF's 2020 report on Religious Freedom Conditions in Nigeria
July 28, 2020
Jul 28, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USCIRF Condemns Execution of Aid Workers by ISWAP Militants
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) denounced the execution of five aid workers on July 19 in northeast Nigeria by the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), a Boko Haram faction. ISWAP militants claimed responsibility for the killings of these workers they had abducted last month. In a video, the fighters said that the executions were a warning to “all those being used by infidels to convert Muslims to Christianity.”
“ISWAP’s execution of aid workers is beyond reprehensible. The militant Islamic group shows no remorse as it continues to target civilians based on their faith, such as Leah Sharibu who was abducted by Boko Haram over two years ago,” said USCIRF Vice Chair Tony Perkins who advocates for Leah Sharibu as part of USCIRF’s Religious Prisoner of Conscience Project.
Analysis conducted by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies found that African militant Islamist groups like Boko Haram have demonstrated a decade of “nearly uninterrupted growth” in activity, including a 31 percent jump in violent events involving militant Islamist groups in Africa just in the last year.
“These militant groups represent neither the history nor the future of Islam in Africa,” said USCIRF Commissioner Frederick A. Davie. “Their violent actions are a disgrace to the region’s vibrant Islamic heritage, and they must be countered by strong, inclusive partnerships between African nations and the international community, including the U.S. government.”
In its 2020 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” or CPC, and that Boko Haram be designated an “entity of particular concern,” or EPC, under the International Religious Freedom Act for engaging in or tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.
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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze and report on threats to religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion or belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at Media@USCIRF.gov or Danielle Ashbahian at dashbahian@uscirf.gov.
August 29, 2019
Jan 08
WHEN:
Jan 8th 1:30pm
U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Hearing
Global Efforts to Counter Anti-Semitism
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
1:30 – 3:00 PM
325 Russell Senate Office Building
Hearing Summary
Hearing Transcript
Please join the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for a hearing about how U.S. foreign policy and the international community can counter the growing threat of anti-Semitism around the world.
The global Jewish community is facing a rising tide of anti-Semitic hatred characterized by vandalism, Holocaust denial, violent attacks, hate speech, and the perpetuation of vicious stereotypes. Devastating attacks on synagogues, like the one in October in Halle, Germany on Yom Kippur, illustrate the risks Jews take by seeking to worship and live out their religious identity. Jews in some regions are even refraining from wearing kippahs, Star of David necklaces, and other identifying clothing in order to prevent targeted attacks against them.
Nations around the world have sought to respond to the threat by increasing security at synagogues and schools, strengthening education aimed at countering prejudice and Holocaust denial, and by supporting interfaith dialogue and understanding. The U.N. Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief recently released a comprehensive report on anti-Semitic trends globally and offered policy recommendations to governments, and the European Union recently held a summit to develop strategies to address anti-Semitism. In the United States, Congress continues to work on these issues, most recently through bipartisan taskforces aimed at combatting anti-Semitism.
Witnesses will highlight recommendations to counter anti-Semitism and discuss how the international community can more effectively ensure that the global Jewish community can worship freely and without fear.
Opening Remarks
- Senator Jacky Rosen, D-NV, Co-Chair, Senate Taskforce for Combating Anti-Semitism
- Tony Perkins, Chair, USCIRF
- Gayle Manchin, Vice Chair, USCIRF Written remarks
- Gary Bauer, Commissioner, USCIRF Written remarks
- Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief Written testimony
- Elan Carr, Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, U.S. Department of State Written testimony
- Dr. Deborah Lipstadt, Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies, Tam Institute for Jewish Studies and the Department of Religion, Emory University Written testimony
- Sharon Nazarian, Senior Vice President of International Affairs, Anti-Defamation League Written testimony
- Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies and Professor of International Relations, American University Written testimony
- Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean and Director of the Global Social Action Agenda, Simon Wiesenthal Center Written testimony
August 28, 2019
Jul 24
WHEN:
Jul 24th 1:00pm
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Jul 24th 1:00pm
Summer Seminar #2 — Anti-Semitism: The World's Oldest Hatred — New Again?
Wednesday, July 24
2168 Rayburn House Office Building
Speakers:
The Honorable Elan Carr, Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism
The Honorable Nita Lowey, Chair, Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism, and Member, U.S. House of Representatives
The Honorable Lee Zeldin, Member, U.S. House of Representatives
Rabbi David Saperstein, former Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom
Gary Bauer, Commissioner, USCIRF
Tad Stahnke, William and Sheila Konar Director of International Outreach, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Anti-Semitism Factsheet Anti-Semitism Around the World
June 24, 2019
Jun 24
WHEN:
Jun 24th 6:59pm
Summer Seminar #1 — A Foundational Human Right: Why International Religious Freedom Matters
Monday, June 24, 2019
Capitol Visitor Center, Room SVC 203-02
Speakers:
Brian Grim, President, Religious Freedom and Business Foundation
Presentation
The Honorable Frank Wolf, former member, House of Representatives
Commissioner Kristina Arriaga, USCIRF
March 26, 2021
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 where consensual same-sex relationships are punishable by death (Afghanistan, Iran, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen) justify denial of rights and personhood based on official interpretations of Shari’a (Islamic law).
International standards are clear that governments should not desecrate the rights of LGBTI persons through the imposition of the death penalty under interpretations of Shari’a or any other religion-based laws. Laws that make same-sex relationships subject to the death penalty violate the human dignity and rights of LGBTI persons and embolden societal hostility, discrimination, and violence against them.
This week, USCIRF Vice Chair Anurima Bhargava joins us to discuss USCIRF’s recently-released factsheet on Shari'a and LGBTI Persons.
Featuring:
Dwight Bashir, Director of Outreach and Policy, USCIRF
Anurima Bhargava, Vice Chair, USCIRF
April 14, 2021
Apr 14, 2021
USCIRF Alarmed by Deteriorating Religious Freedom Conditions & Security in Nigeria
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today expressed its alarm and outrage regarding deteriorating religious freedom conditions in Nigeria in the context of increased violence. On this seventh anniversary of Boko Haram’s abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok, the security situation remains dire.
“Nigerians have waited too long for the violence to stop,” USCIRF Vice Chair Tony Perkins stated. “Seven years since the outrageous abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls, copycats are still popping up all over, taking inspiration from Boko Haram and other extremist groups. It is the Nigerian people who pay the price – people like Leah Sharibu, who just passed her third year in captivity having been abducted from her school in 2018 and is still held for refusing to abandon her Christian faith.”
Religious freedom conditions in Nigeria deteriorated over the past year, with recent and ongoing attacks against Christian communities, Muslim congregations, and houses of worship. In this context, more than 600 students have been abducted from schools in northwest Nigeria since December. These abductions, perpetrated by armed criminal gangs, resemble tactics commonly employed by Boko Haram and other militant Islamist groups in northern Nigeria. Meanwhile, recent intercommunal tensions and organized violence in the south of the country demonstrate the insecurity is spreading.
“USCIRF is deeply concerned these violent trends will only exacerbate the challenges Nigerians face in exercising their right to freedom of religion and belief. Many in Nigeria’s government are apathetic and negligent in the face of these egregious acts,” said USCIRF Commissioner Frederick A. Davie. “Nigerian officials at all levels, from the President and federal officials to local governors, police commissioners, and courts need to do more to prevent growing insecurity and hold accountable those who perpetrate violent acts. We urge the U.S. government to leverage the recent decision of the State Department to designate Nigeria a country of particular concern to ensure progress is made on this urgent problem.”
In its 2020 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” or CPC, and Boko Haram as an “entity of particular concern,” or EPC. USCIRF has also produced recent analyses on religious freedom conditions in Nigeria and violations committed by militant Islamist groups in northern Nigeria.
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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion or belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at Media@USCIRF.gov or Danielle Ashbahian at dashbahian@uscirf.gov.
April 21, 2021
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 (USCIRF) today released its 2021 Annual Report documenting developments during 2020, including significant progress in countries such as Sudan. Meanwhile, other nations implemented laws and policies that further target religious communities, and in some cases amount to genocide and crimes against humanity. USCIRF’s 2021 Annual Report provides recommendations to enhance the U.S. government’s promotion of freedom of religion or belief abroad.
In its report, USCIRF also monitored public health measures put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and their impact on freedom of religion or belief. In many cases, these measures complied with international human rights standards, but in some countries, already marginalized religious communities faced official and societal stigmatization, harassment, and discrimination for allegedly causing or spreading the virus.
“This past year was challenging for most nations trying to balance public health concerns alongside the fundamental right to freedom of religion or belief. Though some governments took advantage of the restrictions to target specific religious communities, we were encouraged by the positive steps various countries took. For example, as a result of COVID-19 outbreaks, many prisoners of conscience were furloughed or released, such as in Eritrea,” USCIRF Chair Gayle Manchin said. “USCIRF will continue to monitor how countries respond to and recover from COVID-19, and whether the loosening of restrictions is fair to people of all faiths and nonbelievers.”
USCIRF’s independence and bipartisanship enables it to unflinchingly identify threats to religious freedom around the world. In the 2021 Annual Report, USCIRF recommends 14 countries to the State Department for designation as “countries of particular concern” (CPCs) because their governments engage in or tolerate “systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations.” These include 10 that the State Department designated as CPCs in December 2020—Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan—as well as four others—India, Russia, Syria, and Vietnam. For the first time ever, the State Department designated Nigeria as a CPC in 2020, which USCIRF had been recommending since 2009.
The 2021 Annual Report also recommends 12 countries for placement on the State Department’s Special Watch List (SWL) based on their governments’ perpetration or toleration of severe violations. These include two that the State Department placed on that list in December 2020—Cuba and Nicaragua—as well as 10 others—Afghanistan, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Turkey, and Uzbekistan. In 2021, USCIRF is not recommending SWL placement for Bahrain, the Central African Republic (CAR), and Sudan, which were among its SWL recommendations in its 2020 Annual Report. USCIRF has concluded that, although religious freedom concerns remain in all three countries, conditions last year did not meet the high threshold required to recommend SWL status.
The 2021 Annual Report further recommends to the State Department seven non-state actors for redesignation as “entities of particular concern” (EPCs) for systematic, ongoing, egregious violations. The State Department designated all seven of these groups as EPCs in December 2020—al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, the Houthis, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), Jamaat Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), and the Taliban.
“In 2020, the Trump administration continued to prioritize international religious freedom. Much progress was made, and our 2021 Annual Report makes recommendations about how Congress and the Executive Branch, now under President Biden, can further advance the U.S. commitment to freedom of religion abroad,” USCIRF Vice Chair Tony Perkins stated. “In order to maintain the crucial momentum of international religious freedom as a U.S. foreign policy priority, USCIRF strongly urges the Biden administration to take a unique action for each country designated as a CPC to provide accountability for religious freedom abuses and to implement the other recommendations contained in our report.”
In addition to chapters with key findings and U.S. policy recommendations for these 26 countries, the annual report describes and assesses U.S. international religious freedom policy overall. The report also highlights important global developments and trends related to religious freedom during 2020, including in countries that do not meet the criteria for CPC or SWL recommendations. These include: COVID-19 and religious freedom; attacks on houses of worship; political unrest leading to religious freedom violations; blasphemy laws; global antisemitism; and China’s international influence on religious freedom and human rights.
“USCIRF’s 2021 Annual Report documents both the deepening of religious divides, and intensified religious persecution and violence during the global pandemics; and the swift and significant progress that can and has been made, as in Sudan, to support and strengthen religious communities of all faiths,” USCIRF Vice Chair Anurima Bhargava added. “We urge the Biden administration and Congress to champion religious freedom and to center the safety and dignity of religious communities as foreign policy priorities. USCIRF recommends that the administration should immediately increase the annual ceiling for refugees; and definitively and publicly conclude that the atrocities committed against the Rohingya people by the Burmese military constitute genocide and take action accordingly; as the State Department recently determined regarding China’s genocide against Uyghur and other Turkic Muslims.”
The report includes two new sections, one highlighting key USCIRF recommendations that the U.S. government has implemented from USCIRF 2020 annual report, and the other addressing human rights violations perpetrated based on the coercive enforcement of interpretations of religion.
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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at Media@USCIRF.gov or Danielle Ashbahian at dashbahian@uscirf.gov or +1-202-702-2778.