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August 27, 2018
Aug 27, 2018
This op-ed originally appeared in The Globe Post on September 18, 2018.
By former Commission Chair Daniel Mark
Hamed bin Haydara, a leader of the Baha’i faith in Yemen, has been imprisoned since 2013 over charges of apostasy and insulting the Islam. He has reportedly been tortured and denied both medical and legal assistance. Over the past five years, his trial date has repeatedly been postponed, raising and dashing the hopes of his community. When the Houthi courts of northern Yemen finally issued a ruling on January 2, 2018, their decision brought shock, not relief. Not only is bin Haydara sentenced to public execution, but the country’s Baha’i institutions are to be legally disbanded, leaving the community leaderless and in fear of further persecution.
Tragically, in the five months since this blatant act of religious persecution, conditions for Baha’is in Yemen have worsened, prompting the U.S. State Department to issue a statement in May condemning “actions and rhetoric by Houthi leaders [that] exemplify the vilification and oppression of the Baha’is in Yemen” and calling on the Houthis to “end their unacceptable treatment of Baha’is” and to “allow the Baha’i community to practice their religion without fear of intimidation or reprisals.”
This comes following a baseless claim by the leader of the oppressive Houthi regime that Christians, Baha’is, Ahmadi Muslims, and other religious minorities are waging a “Satanic war” against Muslim Yemenis. He urged his followers to engage in cultural and religious warfare against these religious minorities and since, Houthi authorities have organized official training on fighting this “soft war.” Houthi-affiliated media and clerics have also warned of the dangers posed by Baha’is, and a prominent Houthi activist has called for the slaughter of all Baha’is.
This escalation of hateful rhetoric conjures up frightening memories of what Baha’is in Iran faced immediately after the 1979 revolution: nearly 200 Baha’i leaders were executed, and thousands were imprisoned. A 1991 Iranian government memo called for the eradication of Baha’is, not only in Iran but beyond its borders. Nearly four decades later, the execution of this policy continues and has now spread to Yemen.
Houthi forces have been receiving training and political support from Iran since the early days of the Yemeni conflict. After taking control of northern Yemen, they arrested dozens of Baha’i youth at a 2016 meeting and issued arrest orders without cause for more than 20 Baha’i leaders and teachers in April 2017. Local sources have reported that Iranian authorities are directing the Houthis in this crackdown, and there can be no doubt of the similarity in rhetoric: both the Iranian government and the Houthi authorities deny that the Baha’i faith is a religion at all, rather, a heretical “sect” or “movement.”
At the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, a bipartisan government agency tasked with monitoring and advising the State Department, Congress, and Administration on violations of freedom of conscience, we strenuously denounce the death sentence issued to bin Haydara and the threats issued against Baha’is and other religious minorities in Yemen. We join the State Department and organizations worldwide in calling upon the Houthi authorities to immediately release bin Haydara and the other five Baha’is who are imprisoned in northern Yemen solely for their beliefs.
Many of the young Baha’is of Iran who are today denied education and employment have never known a world in which they were not demonized by the government ruling their country; we cannot let the same fate befall the Baha’is of Yemen.
Daniel Mark is a former U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom commissioner and is currently Assistant Professor of Political Science at Villanova University.
February 05, 2021
Feb 5, 2021
USCIRF Welcomes Announcement that Refugee Ceiling will Increase Next Fiscal Year
Encourages Prioritization of the Most Vulnerable
Washington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) applauded President Joseph R. Biden for announcing his intent to raise the numerical ceiling to 125,000 for refugees accepted from abroad through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) for the next Fiscal Year, which starts on October 1, 2021. The International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) requires that religious persecution should be considered in determining the refugee ceiling.
USCIRF also welcomed the Executive Order on Rebuilding and Enhancing Programs to Resettle Refugees and Planning for the Impact of Climate Change on Migration signed yesterday, which will position the Administration to be able to raise the ceiling.
“Unprecedented numbers of individuals worldwide are forcibly displaced by conflict or persecution, including based on their religion or belief. USCIRF is encouraged that the Biden Administration is taking steps to ensure that the United States can be a safe haven to those targeted for their faith by restoring a robust resettlement program,” said USCIRF Chair Gayle Manchin. We hope to see the Administration prioritize the most vulnerable refugees, such as members of severely persecuted religious communities, those targeted for having no faith, and survivors of genocide or other atrocity crimes.”
Since the USRAP began in 1980, the maximum for refugees accepted into the United States has averaged 95,000 per year. The refugee ceiling for the current fiscal year is 15,000.
“The U.S. refugee resettlement program is a vital lifeline for those fleeing religious persecution,” said USCIRF Commissioner Nadine Maenza. “However, only a small number of the world’s almost 80 million refugees and internally displaced persons will ultimately be resettled in a third country. We also call on the U.S. government to continue to support humanitarian efforts to aid those who are displaced and enable them to safely and voluntarily return home where possible.”
USCIRF recommended in its 2020 Annual Report that the U.S. government return the annual ceiling for the USRAP to the previously-typical 95,000. USCIRF will be holding a virtual hearing on Refugees Fleeing Religious Persecution on Wednesday, February 10th at 10:30 AM ET.
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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at Media@USCIRF.gov.
April 20, 2021
Apr 20, 2021
USCIRF Reiterates its Call to Urgently Increase the Refugee Ceiling
Encourages Prioritization of the Most Vulnerable
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) joins in the calls on President Joseph R. Biden to immediately sign the directive raising the numerical ceiling for refugees accepted from abroad through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) for the current Fiscal Year, which runs until October 1, 2021. The International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) requires that religious persecution should be considered in determining the refugee ceiling.
Since the USRAP began in 1980, the maximum for refugees accepted into the United States has averaged 95,000 per year. The refugee ceiling for the current fiscal year is 15,000, a historic low.
“The current refugee ceiling level fails to reflect that unprecedented numbers of individuals worldwide are forcibly displaced by conflict or persecution, including based on their religion or belief,” said USCIRF Chair Gayle Manchin. “We understand that the current situation at the U.S.-Mexico border may have delayed the decision to raise the ceiling. We hope that the United States will open its doors to more refugees as soon as possible.”
“The delay in increasing the refugee ceiling has left thousands of refugees stranded and struggling to survive in dangerous and life-threatening conditions,” said USCIRF Vice Chair Anurima Bhargava. “On top of the trauma these individuals and families have already experienced, some refugees who are fully vetted to come to the United States have had to wait indefinitely, with flights to their new home repeatedly cancelled and their clearances expired.”
On Friday, President Biden signed an emergency declaration to speed up refugee admissions and return to regional allocations, but did not raise the ceiling from the current 15,000 person low. Late Friday, the administration stated that President Biden is expected to increase the refugee ceiling for this fiscal year by May 15th. The declaration followed the Biden administration announcement in February that the ceiling would be increased to 62,500 for this fiscal year and 125,000 for the fiscal year that starts on October 1. At that time, the Biden administration also noted the possible creation of several new priority categories for access to the resettlement program, including for certain severely persecuted religious groups.
“We urge the Biden administration to prioritize the most vulnerable refugees, which includes survivors of the most egregious forms of religious persecution,” said USCIRF Vice Chair Tony Perkins. “To stand by our nation’s commitment to religious freedom, the United States should be a safe haven for persecuted religious communities, including those who have fled genocide and crimes against humanity.”
USCIRF recommended in its 2020 Annual Report that the U.S. government return the annual ceiling for the USRAP to the previously-typical 95,000. USCIRF held a hearing on “Refugees Fleeing Religious Persecution” in February that examined ways in which the U.S. government could better support refugees and asylum seekers.
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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at Media@USCIRF.gov.
January 29, 2021
Feb 10
WHEN:
Feb 10th 10:30am
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Feb 10th 12:30pm
U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Hearing
Refugees Fleeing Religious Persecution
Wednesday, February 10, 2021
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Virtual Hearing
Hearing Transcript
Hearing Summary
Please join the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for a virtual hearing about ways the U.S. government can better protect and support individuals fleeing religious persecution through the U.S. refugee resettlement program, the U.S. asylum system, and overseas assistance.
The United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) has been a critical pathway for refugees seeking safety in the United States. Since its creation through the Refugee Act of 1980, three million refugees have been resettled in this country. Today, however, there are 1.4 million extremely vulnerable refugees who urgently need to be resettled, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), many of whom have fled religious persecution. Overall, UNHCR estimates that as of the end of 2019, an unprecedented 79.5 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced—many in less developed countries that are struggling to host them—by conflict, persecution, or for other reasons. Managing this crisis will require the U.S. government to invest in refugee resettlement, improve its processing of asylum seekers, review vetting procedures, and improve its humanitarian assistance to refugees and internally displaced persons, and the countries hosting them, abroad.
Witnesses will provide an overview of U.S. refugee resettlement, asylum, and humanitarian aid policies and present recommendations for improving these programs to better protect the most vulnerable.
Opening Remarks
- Gayle Manchin, Chair, USCIRF Written Remarks
- Tony Perkins, Vice Chair, USCIRF Written Remarks
- Anurima Bhargava, Vice Chair, USCIRF Written Remarks
- Jenny Yang, Senior Vice President of Policy and Advocacy, World Relief Written Testimony
- Mark Hetfield, President and CEO, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) Written Testimony
- Leon Rodriguez, Immigration Attorney, Seyfarth; former Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Written Testimony
- Elizabeth Neumann, Senior Advisor, National Immigration Forum; former Assistant Secretary for Threat Prevention and Security, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Written Testimony
- Murad Ismael, Co-founder and former Executive Director, Yazda Written Testimony
May 04, 2021
May 4, 2021
USCIRF Welcomes President Biden’s Announcement to Raise the Refugee Ceiling
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomes President Joseph R. Biden’s announcement raising the numerical ceiling for refugees accepted from abroad through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) to 62,500 for the current fiscal year, which runs until October 1, 2021. According to the announcement, the new admissions cap will also reinforce efforts that are already underway to expand the United States’ capacity to admit refugees to reach the goal of 125,000 refugee admissions for the coming fiscal year.
The International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) requires that religious persecution should be considered in determining the refugee ceiling.
“Yesterday’s necessary increase in the refugee ceiling supports the dignity and human rights of the unprecedented number of people worldwide who have been forcibly displaced by religious conflict or persecution,” said USCIRF Chair Anurima Bhargava. “Providing a safe haven for more of these refugees this year protects religious freedom and is consistent with American values.”
Since the USRAP began in 1980, the maximum number of refugees accepted into the United States has averaged 95,000 per year. Until yesterday’s announcement, the refugee ceiling for the current fiscal year was 15,000, a historic low.
“USCIRF has continuously urged an increase in refugee admissions, and we welcome the administration’s action to do so this fiscal year and commitment to a further increase next year. We also urge the administration to prioritize the most vulnerable refugees, which includes survivors of the most egregious forms of religious persecution,” said USCIRF Vice Chair Tony Perkins. “Raising the ceiling with a focus on refugees fleeing religious persecution bolsters the Biden administration’s commitment to international religious freedom.”
USCIRF recommended in its 2021 Annual Report that the U.S. government return the annual ceiling for the USRAP to the previously-typical 95,000. USCIRF held a hearing on “Refugees Fleeing Religious Persecution” in February that examined ways in which the U.S. government could better support refugees and asylum seekers.
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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at Media@USCIRF.gov.