Displaying results 31 - 40 of 93

Pakistan: On Fifth Anniversary of Shahbaz Bhatti Assassination, USCIRF Calls for Reform and Repeal of Blasphemy Law
March 01, 2016
Mar 1, 2016 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 1, 2016   WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) on March 2 will mark the fifth anniversary of the assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan’s Federal Minister of Minorities Affairs, who was slain by Tehrik-i-Taliban, the Pakistani Taliban.  USCIRF renews its call for the Pakistani government to bring to justice his killers and end the culture of violence and impunity that the blasphemy law fuels. “Shahbaz Bhatti, a close friend of USCIRF, was murdered for his tireless support of religious freedom and his campaign against Pakistan’s blasphemy law, a law that conflicts with fundamental human rights protections. It is long past time for the Pakistani government to bring to justice Bhatti’s killers, reform and then repeal the blasphemy law, and release, pardon and ensure the safety of all individuals imprisoned for blasphemy,” said USCIRF Chairman Robert P. George. The only Christian in Pakistan’s government, Bhatti was assassinated on March 2, 2011 outside his mother's home in Islamabad.  Bhatti’s murder followed the assassination of Salman Taseer, the Muslim governor of Punjab province, who also was killed for his opposition to Pakistan’s blasphemy law. Both men had championed Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman who was sentenced to death for blasphemy and today languishes in prison. Taseer’s bodyguard, who killed him while invoking the Qur’an, was hung on February 29, after having been convicted by an anti-terrorism court and sentenced to death.  It is shocking to note that many in Pakistan view the bodyguard as a hero. Bhatti’s killers remain at large. Pakistan’s blasphemy law often is used against members of religious minority communities, including Ahmadis, Christians, and Hindus, as well as Muslims who hold views that extremists and others deem “un-Islamic” or offensive. Pakistan detains the greatest number of individuals for blasphemy of any country in the world; USCIRF knows of at least 38 prisoners of conscience who currently are being detained. “The Pakistani government’s enforcement of its blasphemy law fosters a climate of impunity that emboldens religious extremist groups, their sympathizers, and others to target religious minorities and those with whom they disagree,” said Chairman George. “Given the Pakistani government’s perpetration and toleration of particularly severe violations of religious freedom, USCIRF continues to urge that Pakistan be designated a ‘country of particular concern’ (CPC) by the U.S. government.” USCIRF since 2002 has recommended that the State Department name Pakistan as a CPC under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 for its “systematic, ongoing and egregious” violations of religious freedom. The State Department has not designated Pakistan a CPC. For more information on religious freedom conditions in Pakistan and recommendations for U.S. policy, please see USCIRF’s 2015 Annual Report chapter on Pakistan and a press release on a March 2015 trip to Pakistan. To interview a USCIRF Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at media@uscirf.gov or 202-786-0615.
USCIRF Statement on Asia Bibi's Arrival in Canada and Bombing in Lahore
May 08, 2019
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 welcomed the departure from Pakistan of Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian mother who spent nearly a decade in prison after being sentenced to death for blasphemy. According to her lawyer, she arrived in Canada today, where she joined two of her daughters. Sadly, the news came on the same day as reports of a bombing in Lahore targeting a Sufi shrine that resulted in the deaths of at least 10 people. “We are greatly relieved that Asia Bibi has finally been able to leave Pakistan and reunite with her family,” said USCIRF Chair Tenzin Dorjee. “While we are grateful that Asia Bibi will be able to start anew in Canada, she lost nearly a decade of her life in prison after being falsely accused of blasphemy. Unfortunately, there are at least 40 other individuals in Pakistan sentenced to death or serving life sentences on blasphemy charges. We ask the Pakistani government to nullify the blasphemy law and acquit them of the charges.” “The news of Asia Bibi’s safety is marred by the tragic bombing outside a Sufi shrine in Lahore, reminding us of the dangers members of religious minorities continue to face in Pakistan,” continued Dorjee. “The targeting of Sufi Muslims—and others—by nonstate actors and extremist groups perpetuates a deadly cycle of sectarian violence that impedes freedom of religion or belief in Pakistan.” 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 November the State Department for the first time designated Pakistan as a CPC. In its 2019 Annual Report, USCIRF continued to press for appropriate policy actions to improve religious freedom conditions in Pakistan.   ###   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.  
USCIRF Troubled with Targeting of Hazara Shi’a in Pakistan amid Coronavirus Lockdown
March 31, 2020
Mar 31, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 31, 2020 USCIRF Troubled with Targeting of Hazara Shi’a in Pakistan amid Coronavirus Lockdown Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today expressed its concern over reports of the provincial government of Balochistan, Pakistan targeting Hazara Shi’a for the spread of coronavirus. “We are troubled that government officials in Balochistan are scapegoating the already vulnerable and marginalized Hazara Shi’a community for this public health crisis,” stated USCIRF Commissioner Anurima Bhargava. “This virus does not recognize religion, ethnicity, or border and should not be used as an excuse to discriminate against a single community.” In the provincial capital Quetta, the government completely sealed off two Hazara areas—Hazara Town and Marriabad—as part of a lockdown in the city; forbade government employees from traveling into Hazara neighborhoods; and reportedly forced Hazara policemen to go on leave under suspicion they are infected by relatives. Social media users have made allusions to coronavirus as the “Shi’a virus,” given fears of its spread by pilgrims returning from Iran. This isolation and further stigmatization of the Hazara minority could limit their ability to receive proper medical care as the coronavirus continues to spread within Pakistan and stretch its public health infrastructure. USCIRF Commissioner Johnnie Moore added, “We are gravely concerned about Pakistan’s Hazara Shi’a community. We understand the many challenges the Pakistani government, and many other governments around the world, are facing to contain this deadly virus. Yet, we urge the Pakistani leadership to work to protect all its citizens, regardless of religion or belief, and ensure that everyone has equal access to the necessary medical treatment. In fact, governments have a greater obligation to protect the most vulnerable in an emergency like this one.” In its 2019 Annual Report, USCIRF noted the rise in sectarian violence in Pakistan in recent years, and how Hazara Shi’a Muslims have been targeted by extremist groups including the Islamic State, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and the Pakistani Taliban. ### 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.  
USCIRF Troubled by Denial of Food Aid to Pakistani Hindus and Christians
April 13, 2020
Apr 13, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 13, 2020 USCIRF Troubled by Denial of Food Aid to Pakistani Hindus and Christians Washington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is troubled by the reports of food aid being denied to Hindus and Christians amid the spread of COVID-19 in Pakistan. “These actions are simply reprehensible,” stated USCIRF Commissioner Anurima Bhargava. “As COVID-19 continues to spread, vulnerable communities within Pakistan are fighting hunger and to keep their families safe and healthy.  Food aid must not be denied because of one’s faith. We urge the Pakistani government to ensure that food aid from distributing organizations is shared equally with Hindus, Christians, and other religions minorities.” In Karachi, for example, there have been reports that the Saylani Welfare International Trust, a non-government organization established to assist the homeless and seasonal workers, has been refusing food assistance to Hindus and Christians, arguing that the aid is reserved for Muslims alone. USCIRF Commissioner Johnnie Moore added, “In a recent address by Prime Minister Khan to the international community, he highlighted that the challenge facing governments in the developing world is to save people from dying of hunger while also trying to halt the spread of COVID-19. This is a monumental task laying before many countries. Prime Minister Khan’s government has the opportunity to lead the way but they must not leave religious minorities behind. Otherwise, they may add on top of it all one more crisis, created by religious discrimination and inter-communal strife.” In its 2019 Annual Report, USCIRF noted that Hindus and Christians in Pakistan “face continued threats to their security and are subject to various forms of harassment and social exclusion.” For more information on how governments’ response to COVID-19 is impacting religious freedom around the world, see USCIRF’s latest factsheet: The Global Response to the Coronavirus: Impact on Religious Practice and Religious Freedom. ### 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.  
New USCIRF Report: Anti-Conversion Laws on the Rise in South Asia
December 11, 2018
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 – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released a special report on anti-conversion laws in South Asia. This report examines laws in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, that limit the ability of religious groups to proselytize and the freedom of individuals to convert to a different religion. “Anti-conversion laws are frequently abused by extremists who seek to prevent anyone from leaving the majority religion,” said USCIRF Commissioner Nadine Maenza. “These laws abrogate the religious freedom rights of minority communities, such as Hindus in Pakistan or Christians in Nepal, and as such they should be rescinded.” The report finds numerous problems with these laws. For example, in India and Pakistan, vague and discriminatorily enforced anti-conversion and blasphemy laws have contributed to rising numbers of hate crimes and false accusations against members of minority religion groups. Also, despite persistent allegations of coerced conversions by international and domestic religious groups, supporters of these restrictive laws have not presented credible data supporting these claims. “These laws are a major obstacle to efforts pursuing peace and tolerance among those of different faith as extremist and majority religious groups use these laws as tools to intimidate and prevent religious minorities from exercising their right to freedom of religion and freedom of conscience,” added USCIRF Commissioner Tony Perkins. “These laws also disproportionately affect vulnerable and disfavored groups, such as Dalit Hindus and foreign humanitarian and aid workers.”   ###   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 Kellie Boyle at kboyle@uscirf.gov or +1-703-898-6554.
At Gathering of 37,000 Ahmadi Muslims, USCIRF Commissioner Johnnie Moore Vows to Make Religious Freedom in Pakistan a Priority
August 07, 2018
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 religious prisoner of conscience Abdul Shakoor WASHINGTON, DC - Commissioner Johnnie Moore, of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), promised to make religious freedom in Pakistan a priority at this week’s gathering of nearly 37,000 Ahmadis at the 52nd Annual Convention (Jalsa Salana) of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the United Kingdom. Following this event, Commissioner Moore also formally adopted Abdul Shakoor, an Ahmadi Muslim imprisoned in Pakistan since 2015 on false terrorism charges. “I have a personal commitment to make sure that you are not forgotten,” Commissioner Moore said, alluding to the physical, social, and legal threats Ahmadis face in many countries where they reside, particularly Pakistan. Speaking before convention attendees and a television audience of millions, he added, “USCIRF will continue to make it a priority to raise a voice for the Ahmadiyya community.” During the gathering, Commissioner Moore met the leader of the global Ahmadiyya community, His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, and other Ahmadi leaders from Canada, the U.K., and delegations from Africa and Asia. Commissioner Moore also met with Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, the U.K.’s Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief. “USCIRF will be unrelenting in advocating for the Ahmadi’s religious freedom,” Commissioner Moore told the Jalsa Salana audience, which gathered in the English countryside under a banner proclaiming “Love for All, Hatred for None.” He continued, “The best war against an ideology that aims to promote fear is to stand in solidarity with those who promote peace.” Since 2002, USCIRF has recommended that the State Department designate Pakistan 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. In addition, Commissioner Moore recently co-authored with Vice Chair Gayle Manchin an op-ed published in Religion News Service entitled, “Stop the Weaponization of Religion in Pakistani Politics.” Abdul Shakoor is part of USCIRF’s Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project, which highlights individuals imprisoned for exercising their freedom of religion or belief.   ###   The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission. USCIRF’s mission is to elevate and promote international religious freedom as a norm and practice. USCIRF reviews the facts and circumstances of religious freedom violations abroad and makes policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress. USCIRF Commissioners are appointed by the President and the Congressional leadership of both political parties. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at Media@USCIRF.gov or Javier Peña at jpena@uscirf.gov or +1-202-674-2598.  
State Department Names the World’s Worst Violators of Religious Freedom
December 12, 2018
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 International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomed the State Department’s announcement that it had named 10 “Countries of Particular Concern” (CPCs) for particularly severe religious freedom violations, including, for the first time, Pakistan. The naming of Russia and Uzbekistan to a “Special Watch List” elicited a mixed response, said USCIRF Chair Tenzin Dorjee. “We are gratified that, after years of reporting systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom in Pakistan, the State Department has finally added that country to the list of the world’s worst violators,” said Dorjee. “While we welcome the addition of Russia as a severe violator on the Special Watch List, USCIRF recommended in April 2018 that Russia be named a CPC. USCIRF made the same recommendation for Uzbekistan. We question whether Uzbekistan has sufficiently improved to be moved from the CPC list to the Special Watch List.” The other nations designated as CPCs by the State Department were Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. In its 2018 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that, in addition to Russia and Uzbekistan, the State Department name Vietnam, Syria, Central African Republic, and Nigeria as CPCs. Congress created the Special Watch List in 2016 for countries that engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom but may not rise to the level of CPC. While the State Department named Pakistan to the Special Watch List last year, the Pakistani government continued to harass its religious minorities, carry out state-sanctioned discrimination against groups such as the Ahmadis, and tolerate extrajudicial violence in the guise of opposing blasphemy. Today, approximately 40 individuals in Pakistan are incarcerated on charges of blasphemy. ###   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 Kellie Boyle at kboyle@uscirf.gov or +1-703-898-6554.  
Remarks by USCIRF Chair Katrina Lantos Swett, 2013 Annual Report, National Endowment for Democracy
May 07, 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, 2013Introduction Thank you for that kind introduction. It truly is a pleasure to join you today at the National Endowment for Democracy as we discuss USCIRF's findings and recommendations in our 2013 Annual Report, which we released just last week. For most of us who currently serve as USCIRF commissioners, the reporting year actually was our first year on the Commission.   It also coincided with my time as USCIR Chair, which is about to end since it is a one-year position.   While I no longer will be USCIRF's Chair, I look forward to continuing as a USCIRF Commissioner.    The past year has been both a joy and a challenge, as my esteemed colleagues and I have labored together with our able staff in confronting the realities of a changing global landscape and its implications for freedom.  In recent years, our staff has had the pleasure of working with NED's World Movement of Democracy to help build vibrant, open, and law- abiding societies.   Today's event is further evidence of the blossoming relationship between our two organizations. And let me commend your organization for doing a splendid job supporting freedom for the past three decades.  During this time, we have all seen wondrous changes that have touched the lives of hundreds of millions of people.  When the Berlin Wall came down, when the Iron Curtain was rent, when the Soviet Union dissolved, we witnessed a historic triumph of freedom. But since that amazing time, the fight for liberty has become a bit more challenging.  This is especially the case regarding freedom of religion or belief. Indeed, most of the world's people live in countries where religious freedom is protected poorly -- if at all.  And as we see in our annual report, the state of religious freedom abroad has not improved over the past year, but remains problematic. Today, I'm going to talk about the findings in our report. I will also talk about the role of violent religious extremism in perpetrating and triggering much of the religious freedom abuses we see today. And I will discuss solutions - concrete recommendations on how our country can help others to counter extremism by expanding freedom.   Tier 1 and Tier 2 Countries As part of our report, we recommend that the State Department re-designate the following eight nations as "countries of particular concern” or CPCs, marking them as among the worst religious freedom violators:
  1. Burma
  2. China
  3. Eritrea
  4. Iran
  5. North Korea
  6. Saudi Arabia
  7. Sudan
  8. Uzbekistan 
We find that seven other states also meet the CPC threshold and should be designated:  
  1. Egypt
  2. Iraq
  3. Nigeria
  4. Pakistan
  5. Tajikistan
  6. Turkmenistan
  7. Vietnam
This year, we've placed eight countries on our Tier 2 List, which replaces our Watch List designation:
  1. Afghanistan
  2. Azerbaijan
  3. Cuba
  4. India
  5. Indonesia
  6. Kazakhstan
  7. Laos
  8. Russia 
We found that the abuses are serious enough to meet at least one of three criteria, but not all, of the "systematic, ongoing, and egregious” CPC benchmark language as specified by the IRFA Act of 1998.  These abuses are affecting billions of our fellow human beings. From Rohingya Muslims in Burma to Coptic Christians in Egypt; from Buddhists, Uighur Muslims, Protestant house church members and Falun Gong in China to Baha'is in Iran; from Ahmadis and Christians in Pakistan to Muslims in Muslim-majority nations like Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan and in non-Muslim nations like Russia, when the right of religious freedom is violated, real people suffer. And this suffering is occurring in far too many countries. In Burma, despite political reforms, sectarian violence and severe abuses against ethnic minority Christians and Muslims continue with impunity. In Egypt, despite some progress after Mubarak, the government has repeatedly failed to protect religious minorities, including Coptic Christians, from violence, while prosecuting and jailing people for "defamation” of religion.   In addition, Egypt's new constitution includes problematic provisions relating to religious freedom. In China, conditions continue to deteriorate, particularly for Tibetan Buddhists and Uighur Muslims.  To stem the growth of independent Catholic and Protestant groups, the government arrested leaders and shut churches down.  Members of Falun Gong, as well as those of other groups deemed "evil cults,” face long jail terms, forced renunciations of faith, and torture in detention.     In Nigeria, protection of religious freedom continued to falter, as the terrorist group Boko Haram attacked Christians, as well as fellow Muslims opposing them, and inflamed tensions between Christians and Muslims.  Nigeria's government has repeatedly failed to prosecute perpetrators of religiously-related violence that has killed more than 14,000 Nigerians, both Christian and Muslim, fostering a climate of impunity. In Pakistan, as historic elections approach, religious freedom abuses have risen dramatically due to chronic sectarian violence targeting Shi'i Muslims.  The government's continued failure to protect Christians, Ahmadis, and Hindus, along with its repressive blasphemy law and anti-Ahmadi laws, have fueled religious freedom abuses and vigilante violence. In Russia, conditions continue to worsen, as the government uses extremism laws against certain Muslim groups and so-called "non-traditional” religious communities, particularly Jehovah's Witnesses, through raids, detentions, and imprisonment. In addition, massive violations continue in Chechnya.  Outside of Russia, similar repression occurs across Central Asia as well. In Indonesia, extremist violence coupled by government arrests of individuals considered religiously deviant threatens its tradition of tolerance and pluralism. Spotlighting Other Countries and Themes Besides documenting abuses and formulating recommendations for Tier 1 and Tier 2 countries, our Annual Report also spotlights countries and regions in which current trends are worth monitoring - Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Ethiopia, Turkey, Venezuela and Western Europe. And this year's report also addresses several themes relating to religious freedom.   These themes range from legal retreat from religious freedom in post-communist countries to severe religious freedom violations by non-state actors. And let me add that recently, USCIRF released a separate report on religious freedom conditions in Syria, including how our government can help Christian and Alawite minorities, as well as members of the Sunni majority. Violent Religious Extremism and Governmental Failur Among the themes I've just cited, the role of non-state actors leads us to the phenomenon known as violent religious extremism, in which religion is hijacked to advance radical agendas by force. This extremism not only violates the rights of others, but contributes to the destabilizing of countries.   Since our USCIRF mandate includes encouraging Washington to hold other governments accountable for religious freedom abuses, the Commission looks at religious extremism from the lens of government actions or inactions. When it comes to such extremism, we focus on how governments either perpetrate or tolerate religious freedom abuses. Governments perpetrate these abuses in at least three ways.  First, some governments actually embody the extremism itself.   Both the Iranian and Sudanese governments, for example, are run by religious extremists who violently impose their worldview on others.  As for Iran, it remains a world-class religious-freedom violator.  As for Sudan, USCIRF deemed it the world's most violent religious-freedom abuser due to its conduct during the North-South civil war of 1983-2005 when it called for jihad against the south.  Since South Sudan became independent, conditions in Sudan have deteriorated, as its leaders continue to repress their people.  While Iran and Sudan repress freedom on behalf of extremism, other governments engage in repression in the name of opposing it.  Both China and Russia, for example, repress Muslims in the name of fighting extremism in Muslim communities. And finally, by their actions, other governments embolden extremists to commit abuses.   One example is Pakistan with its anti-Ahmadi and blasphemy laws which encourage extremists to commit violence against those they perceive as transgressing them.   These are examples of how governments can harm religious freedom in connection with their stance on extremism.   But it is also true that governments are responsible for extremist-driven violations through their toleration of them -- that is, by their failure to prevent violence or bring justice to the responsible parties.   Such failures create and perpetuate a climate of impunity.  Egypt's failure to protect Coptic Christians and Nigeria's failure to protect both Christians and Muslims from sectarian violence are two examples of this problem. Religious Freedom = Antidote to Religious Extremism Thus, through sins of commission and omission, governments are responsible for religious freedom abuses within their borders, including those driven by violent religious extremism.    Such abuses are harmful not only to human rights, but also to the stability of their societies and other countries.  Indeed, studies show how countries that honor religious freedom enjoy greater stability, harmony, and prosperity, while those whose governments perpetrate or tolerate violations create the conditions for failed societies. There are at least three reasons for this correlation.  First, governments that persecute or fail to protect people against religious persecution can drive them into extremist hands.  When our Commission visited Ethiopia last year, we saw disturbing signs of this danger.  Ethiopia's recent efforts to combat extremism by forcing its Muslim community to embrace a foreign form of Islam run the risk of producing exactly what it fears - the radicalization of individuals within that community. Second, as I noted with Pakistan, governments that enforce laws which violate religious freedom unwittingly encourage people to monitor others for signs of trespass and take violent actions against perceived transgressors.   And third, governments that restrict religious freedom in the name of fighting religious extremist groups end up strengthening these groups by weakening their more moderate but less resilient competition.   In Egypt, for example, President Mubarak's restrictions weakened the hand of pro-freedom movements, making it easier for the Salafists to emerge in the post-Mubarak era on a much stronger footing than their more democratic competition. Clearly, during times of severe governmental repression, extremists are driven by their fanaticism to cut corners and break rules in order to survive.   Unlike their more democratic opponents, their fanaticism drives them to believe that all things are permissible in service to their cause. U.S. Leadership Needed So when it comes to violent religious extremism, it is clear that religious freedom abuses not only offend human rights, but pose a grave threat to the security and stability of countries.   And unfortunately, this instability and violence often spills beyond national borders into neighboring countries, threatening entire regions.  As Americans living in a post-9/11 world, we of all people know what happens when violent religious extremism is exported globally as terrorism. This is why the U.S. government must prioritize religious freedom not just as a core human right, but a global security imperative, and a vital part of any counter-extremism strategy.  Our government must recognize the pivotal role of religion in countries that top our foreign policy agenda and how limitations on religious liberty can harm entire societies. Religious freedom has national security relevance.  Conditions favoring it can help counter extremism by undercutting the message of extremists and fostering religious diversity and minority rights.  As a fundamental right, religious freedom is a core component of a healthy society, as it encompasses other freedoms - including those of expression, association, and assembly.  To further the religious freedom agenda, our Commission recommends the following:
  • The Obama administration should issue a National Security Strategy on supporting religious freedom abroad, combining all U.S. government activities in a "whole-of- government” effort to confront this challenge. 
  • Congress should hold hearings and embrace legislation that prioritizes religious freedom and reflects its critical importance to national security and global stability.  
  • The State Department should prioritize this pivotal freedom by pressing countries to implement reforms that will confront extremism and protect liberty. 
  • And the State Department should also make CPC designations soon, before previously designated actions expire later this year. 
Naming countries as CPCs isn't the end of engagement, but rather the beginning of a high-level process to encourage governments to improve. When combined with the prospect of sanctions, the CPC designation can create political will where none existed, moving repressive governments to undertake needed changes.  Conclusion And so, as I conclude, let me stress to all of you that despite the bleak picture we see of religious freedom abroad, progress remains possible. If we as a country reaffirm our commitment to religious freedom by making it a permanent and integral part of our foreign policy, it can be a game-changer - both for us and for the world.   Change will not happen overnight, but if Washington supports a truly free and vibrant marketplace of ideas, including religious ideas, I believe that in spite of many obstacles, the desire for a better life on the part of hundreds of millions of our fellow human beings is going to prevail. I believe that if truly given the chance, a critical mass of humanity will say "no” to more repression, "no” to more extremism, and "yes” to more freedom. In accordance with our mandate, we who serve on the Commission will do our part.   It is our deepest hope that in the coming months and years, Washington will fully do its part on behalf of religious freedom. Thank you.
CNN World -- Fight Terrorism with Religious Freedom
September 11, 2013
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 Religious Freedom (USCIRF). The views expressed are his own. A dozen years ago today, the 9/11 attacks brutally awakened the American people to the global reality of terrorism - of lethal groups like al Qaeda and the Taliban, which manipulate religion in violent pursuit of totalitarian aims. In the ensuing years, the nation rightly focused on these groups, and especially on the regions of South Asia - including Afghanistan and Pakistan - and the Middle East. Yet in many ways, an overlooked story of the past few years has been the disturbing rise of like-minded organizations elsewhere, particularly in Africa. As the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has documented, the forces of violent religious extremism have gained footholds on the continent, terrorizing populations, violating fundamental rights including religious freedom, and posing a serious security threat to the region and potentially beyond. Read full article here. To interview a USCIRF Commissioner, please contact Kalinda Stephenson at (202) 786-0613 or kstephenson@uscirf.gov .
Newsweek Pakistan -- The Fight for Equal Rights: Can Global Religious Freedom Help Support Women's Rights?
October 14, 2016
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 those without a voice can be heard… We cannot succeed when half of us are held back.” These are the words of Malala Yousafzai, a 19-year-old Pakistani Muslim woman devoted to the rights of girls. With Oct. 11 designated the International Day of the Girl Child by the United Nations, it is fitting to recall the powerful words and advocacy that helped her become the youngest Nobel Peace Prize recipient in the award’s history. Yousafzai’s father, Ziauddin, used to operate a local private school in northwest Pakistan and strongly supported educating girls. Sharing her father’s passion, she wrote a blog for the BBC that focused on her life under Taliban occupation; she used a pseudonym, fearing the Taliban militants would kill her and her family if her identity were revealed to the public. On Oct. 9, 2012, after the Taliban had been officially ousted from the region, militant gunmen shot Malala, hospitalizing her for months. Despite her life-threatening injuries, she recovered and refused to end her efforts to raise awareness of the importance of educating girls. In 2014, her advocacy and unflinching bravery won her the Nobel Peace Prize, of which she used her $1.1 million award to help build a secondary school for Pakistani girls. The brutal attack on Malala created new momentum, in Pakistan and worldwide, to recognize the plight of vulnerable girls. Suffering depredations ranging from forced marriage to slavery and sex trafficking, young girls in troubled regions lack both the protections of childhood and the rights and status of adulthood. Often, religion is used as a crutch for these atrocities. The attack on Malala and the Taliban’s flawed interpretation of Islam—the militants claim young girls should not be educated in an environment that brings them into contact with any man—raised serious questions, including the following: Are the rights of girls and women in conflict with another key human right—religious freedom? The Taliban isn’t the only group to consider female status and aspiration a lethal threat to its interpretation of religion. Others’ interpretations are often used to justify assaults such as female genital mutilation or severe punishment when girls and women opt for a religion different from their fathers, brothers or husbands or simply resist cultural norms forced upon them. As such abuses are rampant throughout the world, it is understandable that some people feel religion is a barrier to ensuring equal rights for women. But there is a glaring problem with the argument that religion and religious freedom are inherently a woman’s foe. The problem rests on a faulty understanding of religious freedom and assumes that it protects specific beliefs rather than the persons who hold them. This could not be more wrong. The right to religious freedom—along with women’s rights and other human rights such as freedom of speech—belongs not to any particular set of beliefs, but to people who speak and act, either by themselves or in community with others. As affirmed by international human rights documents, religious freedom is the inalienable right of all people, acting on their own or together with others, to think as they please, believe or not believe as their conscience leads, and live out their beliefs openly, peacefully, and without fear. No government—or non-state actor like the Taliban—has the right to compel others to act against their conscience or restrain them from answering its call. By the same token, governments have a duty to protect people from being targets of violence for exercising their fundamental rights, be they the rights of women and girls, freedom of speech or assembly, or freedom of religion or belief. It is thus clear that those who would erroneously call the attack on Malala an exercise of religious freedom—albeit a terrible one—are missing the real issue: It was a violation of religious freedom. It denied Malala’s right to reject the Taliban’s religious interpretation and their attempts to impose it on her. In the end, it was Malala’s religious freedom that was at stake, not the Taliban’s. Malala has made it clear that her crucial work on behalf of women and girls is empowered by her personal Muslim religious beliefs. She fights for women and girls because she is Muslim, not in spite of it. Seen in this light, religious freedom, rather than holding back girls and women, affirms their right to make their own decisions about what to believe and how to live. The real problem is not religious beliefs, but the failure of so many governments to protect people who are merely exercising their religious freedom. In fact, religious freedom usually goes hand-in-hand with other human rights. In their book, The Price of Freedom Denied, Brian J. Grim and Roger Finke note this correlation. When one civil liberty is protected, it enhances the chances of all liberties—including the rights of women and girls and minorities—being protected. Across the world, societies and governments that protect religious freedom tend to create vital space for views—religious and secular—that peacefully challenge the status quo of girls and women, creating opportunities for them and their allies to advance their rights. Religious freedom, in essence, helps create a truly open society. And when religious freedom is unprotected, other rights often are as well. As members of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), we see this in a number of nations. Among them is Malala’s native Pakistan, which we recommend the U.S. State Department designate as a “country of particular concern” or CPC. A CPC designation would mark Pakistan’s government as one of the world’s most serious religious freedom violators. USCIRF has recommended this designation for Pakistan since 2002. We feel this is merited due to Islamabad’s continued use of archaic blasphemy laws to convict and imprison people—primarily members of religious minorities. Similarly, the government has continued to stumble over protecting religious minorities from extremists, including but not limited to the Taliban, who assaulted Malala, launched a suicide attack on Christians this Easter, and have repeatedly targeted minority Shia and members of the Ahmadiyya community with impunity. Clearly, the rights of women and girls and the right to have religious beliefs and act on them are bound together. As we look back at the International Day of the Girl Child, let us stand with the Malala Yousafzais of the world by upholding both religious freedom and equality between men and women. Arriaga and Jolley are commissioners at the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.