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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…
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.…
...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…
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…
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 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 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 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…
...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…
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…
Click here to view the July 2013 Factsheet: Syria’s Refugee Crisis and its Implications
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Click here to view the August 2014 Factsheet: Pakistan: Violence Towards Religious Communities in Pakistan
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…
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…
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 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…
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 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.…
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 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…
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…
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…
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…
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 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…
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…
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
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…
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;…
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. –…
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…
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 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…
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”…
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…
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…
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 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…
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…
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…
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 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…
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…
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…
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 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…
Jul 24
WHEN:
Jul 24th 1:00pm
-
Jul 24th 1:00pm…
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…
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
…
Feb 11
WHEN:
Feb 11th 10:30am…
Mar 2, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 2, 2020
USCIRF Delegation Travels to Sudan to Assess Post-Revolution Progress toward Greater Religious Freedom
Washington, DC – United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (…