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Briefing on Freedom of Religion or Belief and Security: New Policy Guidance from the OSCE
February 11, 2020
Feb 11 WHEN: Feb 11th 10:30am U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Briefing Freedom of Religion or Belief and Security: New Policy Guidance from the OSCE Tuesday, February 11, 2020 10:30 am – 12:00 pm Senate Visitors Center (SVC) 203-02 Please join the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for a briefing on the nexus of freedom of religion or belief and security, including findings from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights’ (ODIHR) recent publication, Freedom of Religion or Belief and Security: Policy Guidance. In the OSCE region, freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) is violated by some governments who use the pretext of national security to justify repression. For example, in Russia’s Tatarstan region, cameras are installed in mosques to transmit videos of worshippers during their prayers to state security services. In Uzbekistan, thousands of religious prisoners remain incarcerated for “extremism” or the possession of “extremist” religious literature. In Azerbaijan, authorities continue to deny legal registration to Baptists and Jehovah’s Witnesses residing outside the capital. Although these actions aim to improve security, failure to balance security with freedom of religion or belief can actually undermine it. Freedom of Religion or Belief: Policy Guidance clarifies the interrelationship between FoRB and security as mutually reinforcing objectives, in line with the OSCE’s comprehensive framework for peace and security. The document includes guiding principles, practical guidance, and recommendations to address pertinent issues at the intersection of the freedom of religion and security, including the registration of religious communities, religious literature deemed “extremist”, the monitoring of places of worship, and restrictions on conversion. Panelists will present the policy guidance document, discuss its findings and recommendations, further explore the intersection of security and FoRB, and consider tools and strategies for governments and other relevant stakeholders to advance both objectives simultaneously. There will be an interactive question and answer period with audience members after the panelist presentations. Remarks Panelists
  • Kishan Manocha, Senior Advisor on Freedom of Religion or Belief, OSCE/ODIHR
  • Douglas Padgett, U.S. Department of State, Office of International Religious Freedom
  • Elizabeth Clark, Professor of Law, Brigham Young University School of Law
              This briefing is open to Members of Congress, congressional staff, the public, and the media. RSVP is required. Please RSVP to events@uscirf.gov by Friday, February 7. For any questions please contact Jamie Staley at Jstaley@uscirf.gov or 202-786-0606. 732 NORTH CAPITOL STREET, NW SUITE A714 | WASHINGTON, DC 20401 | (202) 523-3240   Tony Perkins, Chair · Gayle Manchin, Vice Chair · Nadine Maenza, Vice Chair  Gary Bauer · Anurima Bhargava · James W. Carr · Tenzin Dorjee Sharon Kleinbaum · Johnnie Moore Erin D. Singshinsuk, Executive Director www.uscirf.gov 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.    
Factsheet: Islamists in Central Sahel
May 05, 2021
View PDF Central Sahel Factsheet – Over the past half decade, violent Islamist groups have gained ground in the central Sahel region of west Africa by controlling territory and conducting attacks in the tri-border region between Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. Both Islamic State and al-Qaeda affiliated armed groups are responsible for grave violations of international religious freedom in their areas of control, including executing individuals based on their beliefs and imposing a strict interpretation of Shari’a (Islamic law) on Sahelian citizens. This factsheet documents religious freedom violations committed by select militant Islamist groups such as Islamic State in Greater Sahara (ISGS) and Katiba Macina in the central Sahel, as well as challenges facing efforts to counter these groups. View PDF
USCIRF Releases New Report on Violent Islamist Groups in the Central Sahel
May 05, 2021
May 5, 2021 USCIRF Releases New Report on Violent Islamist Groups in the Central Sahel Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report on religious freedom violations committed by violent Islamist groups in the central Sahel region of west Africa: Central Sahel Factsheet – Over the past half decade, violent Islamist groups have gained ground in the central Sahel region of west Africa by controlling territory and conducting attacks in the tri-border region between Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. Both Islamic State and al-Qaeda affiliated armed groups are responsible for grave violations of international religious freedom in their areas of control, including executing individuals based on their beliefs and imposing a strict interpretation of Shari’a (Islamic law) on Sahelian citizens. This factsheet documents religious freedom violations committed by select militant Islamist groups such as Islamic State in Greater Sahara (ISGS) and Katiba Macina in the central Sahel, as well as challenges facing efforts to counter these groups. In its 2021 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate  ISGS and Katiba Macina’s parent organization Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin' (JNIM) as “entities of particular concern,” or EPCs, under the International Religious Freedom Act for engaging in or tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom in areas under their control. USCIRF also released a factsheet on Attacks on Houses of Worship and Religious Leaders in Burkina Faso in October 2020. ### 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.  
Violent Insurgents in the Sahel Region of Africa
May 14, 2021
May 14, 2021 The central Sahel region of West Africa is currently home to an extremely complex and fluid landscape of Islamist insurgent actors that stem from both locally grown and foreign movements. Several violent insurgent actors have been gaining power in the Sahel region, and committing religious freedom violations in the areas they control. Security challenges in the Central Sahel, compounded by climate change, have yielded a devastating humanitarian crisis with over 15 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, 5 million people facing food insecurity, and nearly 2 million people displaced. In one pocket of this region at the borders of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, growing violent Islamist insurgencies represent one facet of this complex crisis. Groups there are now engaging in violence and targeting individuals based on their religion or belief. USCIRF recently published a factsheet on Islamists in the Central Sahel region of West Africa. USCIRF Policy Analyst Madeline Vellturo, who authored the report, joins us on the USCIRF Spotlight Podcast to discuss these developments in the Sahel.