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September 25, 2013
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 Saints Church in Peshawar, Pakistan, as services were ending, killing at least 83 and wounding over 150 others.
"USCIRF condemns the vicious attack on peaceful worshipers leaving church services and calls for the Government of Pakistan to bring those involved to justice,” said Robert George, Chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). "Mere words will not do. The government of Newaz Sharif must take robust measures to end violence against Christians and other religious minorities and the cycle of impunity that plagues Pakistan. Arrests and prosecutions will send a powerful message that the government takes seriously its responsibility to protect citizens of all faiths.”
USCIRF's 2013 Annual Report underscored the fact that Pakistan represents the worst situation in the world for religious freedom for countries that the U.S. government does not currently designate as "countries of particular concern.” USCIRF's Religious Violence Project found that religious freedom violations in Pakistan have risen to unprecedented levels, and the government continues to fail to protect Christians, Shi'a, Ahmadis, and Hindus.
"Especially given this violence, it is long past time for the U.S. to designate Pakistan as a "country of particular concern” (CPC) for these ongoing and egregious violations, said Chairman George.
USCIRF calls on Pakistan to launch a nationwide effort to end the activities of banned militant groups and arrest and prosecute their leaders and any members perpetrating acts of violence against religious minorities. USCIRF also urges the Pakistani government to provide visible security protection for vulnerable minority religious communities, including Christians, Shi'a, Ahmadis, and Hindus.
To interview a USCIRF Commissioner, please contact Kalinda Stephenson at 202-786-0613 or kstephenson@uscirf.gov.
July 02, 2013
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 individuals and wounding scores more. Sunday's attack is the latest in a string of attacks against Shias and comes amid rising violence committed against other religious communities. Two weeks earlier, three extremists, including one suicide bomber, attacked a Shia religious school in Peshawar, killing 14 and wounding at least 28.
"The new Pakistani government must take resolute action against militant organizations that carry out acts of violence against religious groups and arrest and prosecute individuals involved in mob attacks against minorities,” said USCIRF Chair Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett. "Allowing violence to occur without holding killers accountable increases the climate of impunity that threatens all Pakistanis. Prime Minister Newaz Sharif needs to act swiftly.”
Over the past 18 months, USCIRF has become aware of over 250 attacks targeting religious communities in Pakistan. Over 650 individuals have been killed, the overwhelming majority coming from the Shia community. Nongovernmental organizations also recently reported several drive-by shootings targeting Ahmadis. The Hindu community continues to suffer discrimination and the threat of forced conversions to Islam. The Punjabi government has not taken effective measures against those who attacked the Christian community in Jacob colony in March 2013.
"For the sake of his country, Prime Minister Sharif must confront this rising tide of violent religious extremism and ensure that the perpetrators of violence are arrested, prosecuted, and jailed,” said Dr. Lantos Swett.
USCIRF welcomedPrime Minister Sharif's mention ofthe plight of religious minorities in his maiden speech before the parliament. "However, the closure of the Federal Ministry of Interfaith Harmony sent the opposite message. This Ministry served a unique and vitally importantfunction by bringing different faiths together. It is needed now more than ever and should be reestablished," concluded Dr. Lantos Swett.
USCIRF's 2013 Annual Report underscores the fact that Pakistan represents the worst situation in the world for religious freedom for countries that the U.S. government does not currently designate as "countries of particular concern.” In addition to chronic violence, Pakistan's laws, such as the blasphemy law and anti-Ahmadi laws, violate international human rights standards.
March 19, 2019
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 (USCIRF) today applauded the release of Abdul Shakoor, an Ahmadi Muslim who had been unjustly imprisoned since December 2, 2015. Shakoor had been adopted by Commissioner Johnnie Moore as part of USCIRF’s Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project.
“Last month, in Dubai at the World Government Summit, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan gave a profound speech about his desire to reform Pakistan. He remembered a more pluralistic Pakistan of his youth, and he professed his desire to have a society that protected humanity, embraced the rule of law, and saw knowledge as a sacred duty. Recalling the golden age of Medina, he argued that these values are not at enmity with a religious and mainly Islamic society. As I tweeted then, ‘one of the best ways he can prove his reform agenda is real -taking the country back to the era he fondly describes is ... Promote Tolerance, Embrace Religious Freedom, and Guard Minorities.’ Abdul Shakoor’s release comes as welcome news to those of us who have been engaging with Pakistan’s government and civil society on issues related to religious freedom and peaceful coexistence between religious communities. We hope and pray this once again becomes the trend in Pakistani society, and no longer the exception.”
Pakistan’s Ahmadiyya community has faced growing discrimination and persecution by authorities and society in recent decades. On December 2, 2015, officials from Pakistan’s Counter Terrorism Department raided Mr. Shakoor’s bookstore and arrested him. Authorities accused Mr. Shakoor of selling Ahmadiyya literature, which is illegal in Pakistan. He was subsequently sentenced to a total of eight years in prison. Mr. Shakoor, 83, had filed numerous appeals to his sentence before being released earlier this week.
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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 and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at Media@USCIRF.gov or Kellie Boyle at kboyle@uscirf.gov or +1-703-898-6554.
October 31, 2018
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 Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomes the decision by Pakistan’s Supreme Court to overturn the death sentence handed down in 2010 against Asia Bibi, a Roman Catholic mother of five. Following a 2009 accusation of blasphemy, Bibi was convicted and handed down a death sentence—a decision upheld by the Lahore High Court. Her execution was stayed following an appeal to the Supreme Court. Partly because of their defense of Bibi, two Pakistani government officials—Shahbaz Bhatti, a cabinet member, and Salmaan Taseer, the then governor of Punjab—were murdered in 2011.
USCIRF Chair Tenzin Dorjee said, “The case of Asia Bibi illustrates the extent to which blasphemy laws can be exploited to target minority communities. These laws seek to protect entire religions rather than the individual, as should be the case under international human rights standards. It is deeply troubling that Bibi’s case even reached this level, where she almost became the first person in Pakistan’s history to be executed for the crime of blasphemy.”
In anticipation of the likelihood of an outbreak of social unrest following this decision, USCIRF urges Pakistani authorities to ensure Asia Bibi’s safety upon her release. And while USCIRF welcomes this decision, it again calls on the government of Pakistan to release the 40 individuals imprisoned on blasphemy charges and to repeal its blasphemy laws. Among the imprisoned is Abdul Shakoor, an 80-year-old Ahmadi bookseller for whom USCIRF is advocating through its Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project.
Every year since 2002, USCIRF has recommended that Pakistan be designated as a “country of particular concern” for “ongoing, systematic, egregious violations of religious freedom.” USCIRF has also called for the use of tools such as the denial of visas and the freezing of assets against specific individuals who have participated in or have been responsible for severe 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 and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at Media@USCIRF.gov or Kellie Boyle at kboyle@uscirf.gov or +1-703-898-6554.
April 02, 2020
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 dismay at the Sindh High Court of Pakistan overturning the death penalty against Omar Saeed Sheikh for the murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl.
In 2002, while reporting on extremist groups in Karachi, Daniel Pearl was kidnapped by terrorists and decapitated on camera. After spending 18 years in prison, Omar Saeed Sheikh’s conviction for murder was downgraded to kidnapping, carrying a seven-year sentence, and he is expected to be released on time served. The court also overturned the life sentences imposed on three other men involved in the case. Government prosecutors are expected to appeal this decision in the Supreme Court.
“We are appalled by the court’s decision to overturn the murder conviction of Omar Saeed Sheikh and release him from prison,” stated USCIRF Commissioner Johnnie Moore. “After nearly two decades, there is still insufficient accountability for the horrific murder of Daniel Pearl who was executed, in part, for being Jewish. This terrible situation reminds us that freedom of religion and freedom of press are intertwined – they are two sides of the same coin. This Passover we grieve with Daniel’s loved ones whose pain will be relived through this renewed injustice. May his memory be a blessing.”
USCIRF Commissioner Anurima Bhargava added, “This verdict shows not only the lack of accountability for Daniel Pearl’s murder but the misplaced priorities of the Pakistani legal system. There are currently dozens of prisoners facing life sentences and the death penalty under the country’s blasphemy law, so often abused to convict religious minorities using false evidence. We urge the Pakistani government to prioritize the release of prisoners of conscience who are especially vulnerable now with the spread of the coronavirus.”
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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 and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at media@uscirf.gov or Danielle Ashbahian at dashbahian@uscirf.gov.
April 16, 2019
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) today condemned in the strongest possible terms Friday’s terrorist attack in Quetta, Pakistan, which left more than 20 dead and dozens injured. The attack, for which the Islamic State has reportedly claimed responsibility, took place in a neighborhood heavily populated by Hazaras, a mostly Shi’a Muslim ethnic group.
“We offer our deepest condolences to those affected by this horrific and cowardly attack against a community that already has suffered terribly in recent years at the hands of extremist groups,” said USCIRF Chair Tenzin Dorjee. “We urge Pakistani authorities to hold the perpetrators accountable and to provide adequate protection for Hazara and other Shi’a Muslims who face such grave risks because of their faith.”
Every year since 2002, USCIRF has recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate Pakistan a "country of particular concern" (CPC) for "ongoing, systematic, egregious" violations of religious freedom. In December 2018, the State Department designated Pakistan as a CPC.
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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 and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at Media@USCIRF.gov or Kellie Boyle at kboyle@uscirf.gov or +1-703-898-6554.
February 26, 2019
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 States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), today called on Pakistan to immediately release Abdul Shakoor, an imprisoned Ahmadiyya Muslim. Pakistani authorities arrested Shakoor in December 2015 for selling an Ahmadiyya commentary on the Qur’an. In January 2016, he was given an eight-year prison sentence. On February 26, 2016, seven members of the U.S. House of Representatives sent a bipartisan letter to then Secretary of State John Kerry seeking his support for Abdul Shakoor and a jailed Ahmadiyya newspaper editor, Tahir Mehdi. Three years later, the Pakistan government has yet to ensure justice for Shakoor.
“This is the third year in an eight-year sentence for the 82-year-old Abdul Shakoor, an innocent bookseller in Pakistan. USCIRF again condemns the charges levied against Mr. Shakoor, as well as the state-sponsored, legalized discrimination against the Ahmadiyya Muslim community,” said Commissioner Johnnie Moore who advocates on behalf of Mr. Shakoor through USCIRF’s Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project. “I call on Pakistan to immediately release Mr. Shakoor and, in the spirit of Pakistan’s founders more than 60 years ago, respect religious freedom.”
USCIRF began advocating for Mr. Shakoor in 2017, when it launched its Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project. Every year since 2002, USCIRF has recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate Pakistan a “country of particular concern” (CPC) for “ongoing, systematic, egregious” violations of religious freedom. In December 2018, the State Department designated Pakistan as a CPC.
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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 and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at Media@USCIRF.gov or Kellie Boyle at kboyle@uscirf.gov or +1-703-898-6554.
December 09, 2016
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 publications and audit offices of the Ahmadiyya community in Punjab province. During this raid, which took place on December 5, police beat and arrested several Ahmadis who later were charged under provisions in Pakistan’s penal code and Anti-Terrorism Act.
“USCIRF condemns the brutal raid on the Ahmadiyya offices, the first such raid since Pakistan amended its constitution 42 years ago, declaring that Ahmadis are ‘non-Muslims,’” said USCIRF Chair Rev. Thomas J. Reese, S.J. “These actions flow out of Pakistan’s constitution and penal code, both of which impede religious freedom as they prevent Ahmadis from exercising their faith and even calling themselves Muslim. Pakistan’s anti-terrorism law should not be applied to the peaceful Ahmadiyya community simply because they are Ahmadis.”
Pakistan’s constitution declares Ahmadis to be “non-Muslims.” Its penal code subjects Ahmadis to severe legal restrictions and officially-sanctioned discrimination, making it criminal for Ahmadis to call themselves Muslims, preach, propagate, or disseminate materials on their faith, or refer to their houses of worship as mosques. The government applies the anti-terrorism law as an unwarranted pretext to arrest members of the Ahmadiyya community. Ahmadis also continue to be murdered in religiously-motivated attacks that take place with impunity.
Punjab province, the site of the raid and home to the greatest number of religious minorities, has a deeply troubling religious freedom record. Two-thirds of all blasphemy cases originate there, including that of Abdul Shakoor, an optician and book store owner. The CTD raided his book store and arrested him. In January 2016, Mr. Shakoor was sentenced to five years in prison on blasphemy charges and three years on terrorism charges, to be served concurrently, for propagating the Ahmadiyya faith by selling copies of the Qur’an and Ahmadiyya publications.
Since 2002, USCIRF has recommended to the State Department that Pakistan be named a “country of particular concern” under the U.S. International Religious Freedom Act for its “systematic, ongoing and egregious” violations of religious freedom. For more information on religious freedom conditions in Pakistan and for recommendations for U.S. policy, please see the Pakistan chapter in USCIRF’s 2016 Annual Report (in English and Urdu).
To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at media@uscirf.gov or 202-523-3258
November 30, 2015
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 mosque on November 21 and 22 in the Jehlum district located in the Punjab province.
“USCIRF strongly condemns this attack against the Ahmadi Muslim community and is saddened by reports that people are fleeing their homes in fear for their lives,” said USCIRF Chairman Robert P. George. “While the Pakistani government reportedly has dispatched the army to restore peace and detained more than 40 suspects, the government needs to do much more to stem the climate of impunity that pervades Pakistan. To these ends and as a first step, the government should provide protection to the Ahmadi community and denounce language clerics use that incites hatred and violence.”
The attacks on the factory and mosque reportedly occurred when an Ahmadi factory worker was accused of desecrating the Qur’an, an act that under Pakistani law is considered blasphemous and punishable by death. A mob of several hundred people reportedly destroyed the factory by setting it ablaze. Additional reports indicate that inflammatory speech by religious clerics incited the additional violence that lead to the mosque attack.
USCIRF has long documented systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of freedom of religion or belief in Pakistan. Since 1974, Ahmadis have faced severe legal restrictions which are codified in both the country’s constitution and its criminal code and under which, for example, Ahmadis cannot refer to themselves as Muslims and can face criminal charges for professing, propagating, or practicing their faith. Additionally, the country’s blasphemy laws continue to be problematic for Ahmadis and others. These laws, which are contrary to international standards of the freedom of religion or belief, seek to punish individuals who allegedly defile a place of worship or the Qur’an, or insult religious beliefs or the Prophet Muhammad. At least 38 people in Pakistan have been convicted and sentenced to life in prison or death for blasphemy, the largest number of any country in the world.
“This latest attack against the Ahmadi community is yet another example in a long list that underscore the fact that Pakistan represents one of the worst situations in the world for religious freedom for countries not currently designated by the U.S. government as “countries of particular concern” (CPC). The United States government should designate Pakistan a CPC and vigorously urge the Pakistani government, among other measures, to repeal their anti-Ahmadi and blasphemy laws,” said Chairman George.
Since 2002, the Commission has recommended Pakistan be named a "Country of Particular Concern" by the State Department under the U.S. International Religious Freedom Act. For additional recommendations and analysis please see USCIRF’s 2015 Pakistan report here.
To interview a USCIRF Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at media@uscirf.gov or 202-786-0613.
February 01, 2016
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-old optician, for propagating the Ahmadiyya Muslim faith, which is banned in Pakistan.
On December 2, 2015, Mr. Shakoor was charged with propagating the Ahmadiyya Muslim faith, a crime under the Pakistani Penal Code, and stirring up “religious hatred” and “sectarianism,” a crime under the 1997 Anti-Terrorism Act. Mr. Shakoor was arrested in his optical store after he was falsely accused of selling an Ahmadiyya commentary on the Holy Qur’an, among other publications, to an undercover police officer. On January 2, 2016, he was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment under Penal Code Section 298C and three years under the Anti-Terrorism Act, with the sentences to run concurrently. His store manager Mazhar Sipra, a Shi’a, also was arrested and sentenced to five years under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
USCIRF Chairman Robert P. George said, “USCIRF calls on the Pakistani government to immediately release Mr. Shakoor and drop all charges against him. His arrest and sentencing are outrageous enough, but more egregious is the fact that Pakistani constitutional and penal code provisions prevent Ahmadis from exercising their faith and even calling themselves Muslim, and that the country uses anti-terrorism laws as pretexts for denying peaceful citizens the fundamental human right to religious freedom.”
Ahmadis in Pakistan are subject to severe legal restrictions, both in the constitution and criminal code, and suffer from officially-sanctioned discrimination. Ahmadis also continue to be murdered in religiously-motivated attacks that take place with impunity. Pakistan’s constitution declares Ahmadis to be “non-Muslims,” and the penal code make it criminal for Ahmadis to refer to themselves as Muslims; preach, propagate, or disseminate materials on their faith; or refer to their houses of worship as mosques.
“The arrest and sentencing of Mr. Shakoor is another example of Pakistan’s systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of freedom of religion or belief,” said Chairman George. “Both Mr. Shakoor and Mr. Sipra should be released immediately and all charges dropped. Furthermore, it is the duty of the Pakistani government to ensure the safety of both men. Members of Pakistan’s Ahmadiyya community, as well as Shi’a Muslims, Christians, Hindus and others, deserve to have their basic human right to religious freedom both respected and protected by their government.”
USCIRF since 2002 has recommended that Pakistan be named a “country of particular concern” (CPC) by the State Department under the U.S. International Religious Freedom Act for its “systematic, ongoing and egregious” violations of religious freedom. For more information on religious freedom conditions in Pakistan and for recommendations for U.S. policy, please see USCIRF’s 2015 Annual Report chapter on Pakistan.
To interview a USCIRF Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at media@uscirf.gov or 202-786-0615.