Displaying results 61 - 70 of 111

H.R. 390: Senate Foreign Relations Committee Passes Genocide Bill
October 05, 2017
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”   WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) praises the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s passage of H.R. 390, the “Iraq and Syria Genocide Emergency Relief and Accountability Act of 2017.”   USCIRF urges the full Senate to quickly take up this urgently needed legislation, the House to swiftly reconsider it, and the President to expeditiously sign it into law. “The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has targeted religious and ethnic minorities and others throughout Iraq and Syria,” said USCIRF’s Chairman Daniel Mark.  “Two U.S. administrations have singled out ISIS for committing genocide against Yazidis, Christians, and Shi’a Muslims.  Now greater steps must be taken to give these groups the aid, protection, and justice they deserve. Delay only further endangers them and makes accountability more difficult.” As passed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, H.R. 390 would provide emergency relief for victims of genocide, crimes against humanity in Iraq and Syria, address urgent humanitarian, stabilization, and recovery needs, and provide accountability for perpetrators of these crimes. “This past April, pursuant to the 2016 Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act, USCIRF recommended that ISIS in Iraq and Syria be designated as an Entity of Particular Concern,” said Chairman Mark.  “This latest legislation is a key step toward helping victims of ISIS genocide.”   ### The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission, the first of its kind in the world. 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 John D. Lawrence, Director of Communications (JLawrence@USCIRF.gov/ +1-202-786-0611).
USCIRF Welcomes President Trump Signing the Iraq and Syria Genocide Emergency Relief and Accountability Act
December 11, 2018
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 International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today welcomed President Donald Trump signing H.R. 390, the Iraq and Syria Genocide Emergency Relief and Accountability Act. This bill promotes accountability for crimes committed by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and provides for the urgent needs of persecuted religious and ethnic communities such as Christians and Yazidis. USCIRF has recommended that the Congress pass this bill since June 2017. “I commend President Trump for signing this important bill providing relief and assistance to communities who desperately need our help,” said USCIRF Vice Chair Kristina Arriaga, who attended the White House luncheon Vice President Pence hosted in honor of victims of religious persecution. “Through this bill we send the message that those responsible for these crimes, including genocide, will not escape justice. I also commend Representatives Chris Smith and Anna Eshoo for their commitment and hard work to craft this legislation and help ensure its passage.” Present at the White House Oval Office signing ceremony were USCIRF Commissioner Tony Perkins and former Commissioners Elizabeth Prodromou and Nina Shea, who worked jointly and in a bipartisan way on the passage of the legislation.   ###   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 Condemns Turkish Air Strikes on Sinjar
November 07, 2019
Nov 7, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 7, 2019     USCIRF Condemns Turkish Air Strikes on Sinjar   WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemns recent Turkish air strikes near civilian areas in Sinjar, Iraq. Turkey claims that these air strikes, the most recent in a series of similar operations that it has conducted in the Sinjar area since 2017, are targeting Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters who have remained in northwestern Iraq since participating in anti-ISIS operations. However, these indiscriminate strikes have taken place in close proximity to towns and camps in which displaced Yazidi families have taken refuge since the 2014 genocide at the hands of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters. USCIRF Chair Tony Perkins said, “USCIRF calls on Turkey to immediately cease its brutal airstrikes on Sinjar, Iraq. Despite Turkey’s claim that its successive military operations in the Sinjar area are targeting PKK positions, they are in fact victimizing Yazidi genocide survivors who remain displaced in and around Sinjar.” “Iraqi Yazidis have already suffered immeasurable trauma over the last several years, beginning with the 2014 genocide and continuing with their unheeded calls for justice; their ongoing, mass displacement; and now their helplessness in the crosshairs of Turkey’s cross-border air strikes.” said Commissioner Anurima Bhargava. “Neither Turkey nor any other regional power should continue to victimize this long-suffering community with impunity.” Since 1984, Turkey has waged an intermittent war against the PKK, an organization of Marxist Kurdish separatists that the U.S. has also designated as a terrorist group. As part of that long-running conflict, historically centered in eastern Turkey, the Turkish military has frequently sought to destroy PKK positions—or those of groups directly or indirectly tied to the PKK—in neighboring Iraq and Syria. However, it has repeatedly carried out such operations with disregard for vulnerable religious and ethnic minorities who live in, or have been displaced to, those same areas. In its 2019 annual report, USCIRF placed Turkey on its Tier 2 list. ###   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 call 202-523-3240.
USCIRF Applauds Passage of H.R. 390 by Congress
November 29, 2018
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 U.S. Congress’s unanimous vote to approve H.R. 390, the Iraq and Syria Genocide Emergency Relief and Accountability Act, which was introduced in 2017 by Representatives Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA). This bill promotes accountability for crimes committed by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and provides for the urgent humanitarian and stabilization needs of persecuted religious and ethnic communities. Since June 2017, USCIRF has recommended that the Senate pass H.R. 390. “I enthusiastically commend the U.S. Congress for taking this important step in support of those communities who have been the targets of genocide in Iraq and Syria,” said USCIRF Chair Tenzin Dorjee. “When I visited Iraq with Vice Chair Kristina Arriaga in March, we witnessed firsthand the immense suffering of Yazidis, Christians, and other religious minorities and listened to their stories of egregious violations of their fundamental rights. These communities desperately need all the help they can get to reconstruct their lives. This bill supports them and also ensures that those responsible for these horrible crimes face some measure of justice.”   ###   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.  
From Sinjar to Mosul
November 10, 2016
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 anniversary of the liberation of Sinjar from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).  ISIL’s two-week August 2014 assault on Sinjar and the Tal Afar districts of northern Iraq’s Nineveh Province resulted in the deaths of more than 5,000 Yazidi men, the rape and enslavement of 5,000 Yazidi women, and the displacement of at least 200,000 civilians. ISIL also destroyed Yazidi temples and shrines and looted and demolished Yazidi homes. Likewise, ISIL’s occupation of Mosul resulted in thousands of victims and its liberation could result in hundreds of thousands of refugees. “ISIL’s unspeakable crimes in northern Iraq have permanently altered the country’s religious landscape, including the decimation of the Yazidis, a minority religious community which was given only two options: convert or die,” said USCIRF Chair Thomas J. Reese, S.J. “The ongoingmilitary offensive against ISIL in Mosul will liberate the city, but it may also increase the number of refugees and further aggravate sectarian tensions in the region. ISIL’s crimes must not lead to massive retaliation against Sunni Muslims. USCIRF acknowledges the administration’s efforts to return people to their homes and secure vulnerable communities. USCIRF also urges the U.S. government and the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL to work to develop measures to protect freedom of religion or belief.” ISIL’s violent religious and political ideology allows no religious diversity or freedom of thought or expression. USCIRF welcomed the State Department’s declaration in March 2016 that Yazidis, Christians, and Shi’a Muslims in Iraq and Syria are victims of genocide by ISIL. USCIRF continues to urge the U.S. government to call for a referral by the UN Security Council to the International Criminal Court to investigate ISIL’s violations in Iraq and Syria. USCIRF urges the U.S. government to initiate an effort among relevant UN agencies, NGOs, and the Global Coalition to fund and develop programs that bolster religious tolerance, alleviate sectarian tensions, and promote respect for religious freedom and related rights for refugees in host countries. For more information on religious freedom conditions in Iraq, see USCIRF’s 2016 Annual Report (in English, in Arabic, and in Kurdish). To interview a USCIRF Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at media@uscirf.gov or 202-786-0615.
KURDISTAN REGION OF IRAQ: New USCIRF Report on Religious Minorities in the KRI
May 30, 2017
May 30, 2017 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 1, 2017     KURDISTAN REGION OF IRAQ: New USCIRF Report on Religious Minorities in the KRI USCIRF recognizes the KRI’s religious freedoms as “comparatively robust” as opposed to its regional neighbors       WASHINGTON, DC – Today the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released a report on the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) titled Wilting in the Kurdish Sun:  The Hopes and Fears of Religious Minorities in Northern Iraq.  This groundbreaking report is the first independent report of its kind to involve in-person interviews with representatives of almost all the religious minority groups in the KRI. The report notes that “the KRI remains far more welcoming and tolerant to minorities than its regional neighbors” and expresses hope that special effort will be taken to “preserve [the] freedoms and rights” of minorities. USCIRF Chair Thomas J. Reese, S.J. stated: “Since the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria came to power in 2014, it has committed genocide and threatened the very existence of the region’s religious minority communities. These communities, including Yezidis, Christians, Shabaks, and Turkmen, have now fled to the KRI. We praise the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) for sheltering and protecting these oppressed groups and urge it to continue to take steps to ensure that these communities realize their rights and fully participate in society.” This optimism, however, is tempered by research indicating that “troubling issues related to discrimination and even violence targeting ethnic and religious minorities exist, exacerbated by the KRI’s strained resources and security situations.” The deteriorating political and economic condition in the KRI and Iraq, combined with poorly enforced protections for the KRG’s internally-displaced persons (IDPs) communities in the KRI, could put minorities increasingly at risk. Based on interviews with numerous relevant actors and detailed research, including trips to the region, the authors also found that:
  • Kurdish authorities are accused of attempting to “Kurdify” more ethnically diverse parts of the disputed territories. In some instances, groups have reported the destruction of properties and IDPs have been prevented from returning home.
  • The Yezidis face discrimination from authorities in Sinjar and report pressure to identify as Kurds.
  • Christians have complained of land appropriation by Kurdish landowners and have been prevented from protesting such measures.
Both the full report and a condensed version, titled Executive Summary and Key Findings, may be found at www.USCIRF.gov.  Follow USCIRF’s posting about this report on Twitter (@USCIRF/#WiltingInTheSun) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/USCIRF/). For more information, please see the chapter on Iraq in USCIRF’s 2017 Annual Report.  Read the chapter in Arabic or Kurdish. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission, the first of its kind in the world. USCIRF reviews the facts and circumstances of religious freedom violations 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 John D. Lawrence, Director of Communications (JLawrence@USCIRF.gov/+1-202-786-0611).
USCIRF Releases New Reports on Religious Freedom Conditions in Bahrain and Iraq
February 13, 2020
Feb 13, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  February 13, 2020 USCIRF Releases New Reports on Religious Freedom Conditions in Bahrain and Iraq Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new reports:  Bahrain Policy Brief – This report highlights improvements and notes areas of concern regarding religious freedom in Bahrain in 2019. While Bahrain continues to allow freedom of worship to most religious groups, Shi’a Bahrainis face systematic and ongoing discrimination on the basis of their religious identity. In April, the government stripped citizenship from 138 Bahrainis following a mass trial, though it restored 551 citizenships following international pressure. It also summoned Shi’a religious leaders ahead of the Ashura holiday and questioned them over the content of their sermons. Throughout the summer and fall of 2019, Bahrain denied Shi’a prisoners access to religious texts and limited the time available to conduct Ashura rituals, though it granted more time following an intervention from the National Institute of Human Rights. Iraq Policy Brief – This report examines the ways in which religious minorities in northern Iraq — especially the Nineveh Plains, Sinjar, and Mosul — continue to face serious barriers to their safe return to their homes in the short term and to their secure, ongoing presence in the long term. Although substantial humanitarian assistance from the United States and other international donors has aided reconstruction and stabilization efforts in those areas, tens of thousands of civilians from religious and ethnic minority communities remain internally displaced. More than any other single factor, it is the multi-faceted lack of security, mainly due to the corrosive presence of largely Iranian-backed militias, which continues to impede progress toward improved religious freedom conditions for Iraq’s religiously and ethnically diverse population. In its 2019 Annual Report, USCIRF placed both Bahrain and Iraq on its Tier 2 list. #     #     # 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 call (202) 523-3240.  
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.
Remarks by USCIRF Chair Katrina Lantos Swett, 2013 Annual Report, National Endowment for Democracy
August 24, 2020
May 7, 2013 USCIRF Chair Katrina Lantos Swett gave the following remarks at a conference, cosponsored by USCIRF and the National Endowment for Democracy on May 7, 2013 Introduction Thank you for that kind introduction. It 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.
Washington Examiner: Agony of Yazidis extends to sixth anniversary of their genocide
August 03, 2020
Aug 3, 2020 This op-ed originally appeared in the Washington Examiner, on August 3, 2020. By USCIRF Commissioner Nadine Maenza and Mural Ismael. Tomorrow, August 3rd, the Yazidis will commemorate the sixth anniversary of the genocide committed by the so-called Islamic State, ISIS, that took place in Sinjar, located in northern Iraq. Yazidis will not have the chance to consider how to protect themselves from a future one. Instead, they will be haunted and reminded by the genocide they still endure. However, Yazidis should not be the only ones commemorating their tragedy, we all must. Despite how the situation may appear, the genocide is not over; more than 2700 Yazidi women, girls, and children remain missing. Fewer than a third of the 400,000 Yazidis have returned, and their homeland of Sinjar is in shambles. They do not feel safe. It was in the early hours of Sunday, August 3, 2014 when ISIS started its systematic campaign to kill thousands of Yazidi men and nearly one hundred women. Except for several mass graves in Kocho exhumed by Iraqi authorities and UNITAD, most of their remains lay unexhumed on the bare land where the sun of the summers and winds and rain of winters have been washing them away. While the murder of men and elderly women that did not have “sexual value” to the group was horrific, it was the mass enslavement of more than 6800 Yazidi women, girls, and children that broke the community and brought it down to its knees. What happened to Yazidis is a tragedy for humanity as a whole and will not be healed within six centuries, let alone six years In Sinjar, Yazidi women and girls have long sought a life with dignity, to marry and have a family, but they were also recently finding how to play a larger role in their conservative community. From almost no girls in school in the 1970s and 1980s, tens of thousands of Yazidis girls began to receive equal education in the 1990s. Additionally, after decades of negligence and injustice toward this religious minority, it was only in 2003 when the community started a path to economic prosperity. For the first time, thousands of homes were turned from clay to concrete, small factories were built, and towns and villages received electricity and better services.  This all changed when ISIS’ massacre devastated the Yazidi community as the world watched in 2014. After initial denial, international attention increased thanks to the advocacy and resilience of Yazidi advocates, survivors, and supporters around the world. This genocide was recognized by more than ten countries, including United States, France, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Armenia, and others. The United Nations Commission on Syria also concluded a genocide was committed, and finally, the UN created an investigative team, UNITAD, which Yazidis hope it will give a legal recognition for the genocide. While a platform for investigation was created with UNITAD, there has been no judicial process, domestically in Iraq or Syria, or internationally, that leads to accountability against perpetrators. More than 20,000 ISIS members remain in prison in Syria alone without a path to accountability. From tens of thousands of Yazidi victims and their families, only a handful have had the opportunity to participate in trial proceedings. So far, only Germany has begun a process to prosecute ISIS capital crimes. Justice for the Yazidi community does not stop at accountability. The community deserves the right to protection of their homeland as well. It is troubling that the Yazidi areas remain disputed per Article 140 of the Constitution between the governments of Baghdad and Erbil, which the subsequent Iraqi governments have and International community failed to address. It is without a local administration, under threat of Turkish air strikes, and is continually torn apart by the interests of various militia groups. Houses and infrastructure have not been rebuilt. Justice should also have meant a return of two thirds of Yazidi IDPs who continue to endure a challenging life in more than 15 camps in the Kurdistan Region in northern Iraq. But Yazidis do not only deserve to exist, they deserve to thrive. The progress once made in local education, infrastructure, and the economy illustrates what the Yazidi community in Sinjar is capable of achieving. Before this, however, there must be stability, which means an resolution to local disputes, end of era of militias, immediate ceasing of Turkish airstrikes, and an economic and humanitarian plan. Yazidis are not ungrateful people, their leaders have acknowledged the support of international community, the Kurdish People who embraced them, the NGOs, and international humanitarian agencies who contributed generously over the past six years and made up the backbone of genocide response.  The Iraqi government, with the support of the United States and the international community, must address issues that still remain in both Sinjar as well as the entire Nineveh Plains, home to Christians, Yazidis, and other religious communities of Iraq. Stabilization and economic prosperity should be a priority if we want to help Iraq build a just society where everyone is treated equally, especially the weakest. The international community should support the Yazidis and other minorities to build resilience in their homeland so that their rich cultures can be preserved. Only then will the Yazidi community be able to rebuild a homeland with opportunities for economic prosperity and a life with dignity.