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October 09, 2020
Click here for the Factsheet on Attacks in Burkina Faso.
In the context of the upcoming presidential election in Burkina Faso scheduled for November 22, 2020, this factsheet details the drivers of and responses to attacks against religious institutions in Burkina Faso in recent years, including threats to houses of worship, religious ceremonies, and faith community leaders. Burkina Faso was long viewed as a bastion of religious tolerance and interfaith harmony in west Africa. Yet, in recent years religious freedom conditions in Burkina Faso have worsened, with the country facing interrelated security and humanitarian crises. Attacks on both Muslim and Christian houses of worship and religious leaders have spiked as jihadist and other militia groups have expanded their area of influence throughout the country. The government has struggled to rein in the violence and bring about accountability to perpetrators, and poor performance and misconduct by government affiliated forces are exacerbating the situation.
October 09, 2020
Oct 9, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USCIRF Releases New Report about Attacks against Houses of Worship and Religious Leaders in Burkina Faso
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report on attacks against houses of worship and religious leaders in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso Factsheet– In the context of the upcoming presidential election in Burkina Faso scheduled for November 22, 2020, this factsheet details the drivers of and responses to attacks against religious institutions in Burkina Faso in recent years, including threats to houses of worship, religious ceremonies, and faith community leaders. Burkina Faso was long viewed as a bastion of religious tolerance and interfaith harmony in west Africa. Yet, in recent years religious freedom conditions in Burkina Faso have worsened, with the country facing interrelated security and humanitarian crises. Attacks on both Muslim and Christian houses of worship and religious leaders have spiked as jihadist and other militia groups have expanded their area of influence throughout the country. The government has struggled to rein in the violence and bring about accountability to perpetrators, and poor performance and misconduct by government affiliated forces are exacerbating the situation.
In its 2020 Annual Report, USCIRF raised concern regarding the global spike on attacks targeting places of worships and holy sites. In October 2019, USCIRF held a hearing on Protecting Houses of Worship and Holy Sites to consider how the international community can better work together to stem the global violent targeting of houses of worship. USCIRF continues to recommend that the U.S. government expand programs to train and equip local officials and communities to protect places of worship and other holy sites, especially in countries where such sites face a high risk of attacks, such as Burkina Faso.
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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on threats to religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at media@uscirf.gov.
October 07, 2020
Oct 7, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 7, 2020
USCIRF Releases Ritual Slaughter Factsheet Highlighting Range of Restrictions across Europe
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report on ritual slaughter laws and the range of restrictions across Europe:
Ritual Slaughter Factsheet – This factsheet shows the spectrum of restrictions on ritual slaughter in Europe, and provides information on the impact that such regulations have on religious freedom in select countries. Pursuant to international human rights law, religious freedom extends to the observance and practice of religion or beliefs, including dietary regulations. European Union laws and regulations require stunning before slaughter to protect this right, but countries are authorized to make their own regulations concerning “slaughtering in accordance with religious rituals.” While a majority of European countries either have no restrictions on ritual slaughter or offer exemptions to religious groups whose dietary laws mandate that animals are uninjured (unstunned) prior to killing, nearly a third of European countries limit the practice, causing individuals to abandon deeply held religious practices and imply a message of exclusion to all those who seek to follow their religion’s dietary laws.
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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on threats to religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at media@uscirf.gov or Danielle Ashbahian at dashbahian@uscirf.gov.
December 30, 2020
Dec 30, 2020
Since it's independence in 1984, Brunei has operated with a dual legal system: one secular and one Shari’a, the latter only enforceable for Bruneian Muslims. However, the Syariah Penal Code Order 2013 blurs those lines. The country started fully implementing this new penal code in 2019. It is the end result of decades of pushing by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah for a hardline interpretation of Shari’a to be incorporated in the penal code.
Listen to our discussion about the religious freedom implications of Brunei's legal system in USCIRF Spotlight.
Featuring:
Dwight Bashir, Director of Policy and Outreach, USCIRF
Patrick Greenwalt, Researcher, USCIRF
November 17, 2020
Nov 17, 2020
The United Nations system has several structures and entities that were created to address human rights concerns globally, many of which are relevant to universal right to freedom of religion or belief. Although some of these bodies have limitations, they provide opportunities for advocacy by and collaboration among governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working to promote and protect freedom of religion or belief internationally.
In this episode of USCIRF Spotlight, we discuss the UN human rights mechanisms and structures related to international religious freedom and the limitations.
Featuring:
Dwight Bashir, Director of Outreach and Policy, USCIRF
Kirsten Lavery, Supervisory Policy Analyst, USCIRF
Read our recent report on UN Human Rights Systems here: https://www.uscirf.gov/publication/fa...
February 11, 2021
Feb 11, 2021
USCIRF Condemns Houthis for Summoning 19 Baha’is to Stand Trial on Spurious Charges
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today condemned Houthi authorities for summoning 19 members of Yemen’s Baha’i community to stand trial on spurious charges and risk lengthy prison sentences. The Houthis have persecuted Baha’is and other religious minorities in Yemen for years solely because of their beliefs.
“We unequivocally condemn the Houthis’ latest targeting of Yemen's Baha'i community,” said USCIRF Chair Gayle Manchin. “This reckless endangerment of people's lives flagrantly violates freedom of religion or belief. The U.S. government must make clear to the Houthis and their supporters that it will not tolerate the systematic oppression of religious minorities."
Since coming to power in Yemen in 2015, the Houthis have been persecuting religious minorities. In July 2020, they agreed as part of a UN-backed campaign to release six jailed Baha’is on the condition they be deported from Yemen, including religious prisoner of conscience Hamid bin Haydara. The Houthis have since declared the six as “fugitives” despite having agreed to their release.
“It is imperative that the United States hold the Houthi authorities accountable for their ceaseless persecution of Baha’is on the basis of their faith,” said USCIRF Commissioner Johnnie Moore. “The U.S. government and the international community must also make clear to the movement’s backers in Iran that the export of intolerance and religious persecution is a nonstarter. In fact, we must have a zero-tolerance policy with regard to Houthi terrorism and those who enable it.”
In its 2020 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended the State Department designate the Houthis an “Entity of Particular Concern,” or EPC, for systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations. In December 2020, the State Department re-designated the Houthis as an EPC.
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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.
March 30, 2021
Mar 30, 2021
USCIRF Highlights Impact of Financial Restrictions on Civil Society
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following factsheet on the impact of financial regulations on religious organizations and religious freedom:
Factsheet on Controlling Civil Society’s Purse Strings – Around the globe, some governments misuse financial restrictions to hamper civil society actors, which can negatively impact religious communities. This factsheet explores the religious freedom implications from the use of excessive financial restrictions to harass and limit the activities of civil society organizations. The ability to solicit and receive financial contributions is an integral component of freedom of religion or belief, and these restrictions can be in violation of international human rights law. Financial harassment can take many forms, from attempts to delegitimize the work of foreign-funded civil society by enacting requirements to register as “foreign agents,” to excessive and intrusive reporting requirements, to exorbitant fees and fines for religious activity, to the seizure of assets or religious property. The factsheet also examines examples of government financial harassment of civil society organizations and its impact on religious freedom and communities in Belarus, China, India, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Russia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.
In its 2020 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S State Department designate China, India, Nigeria, Russia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan as Countries of Particular Concern (CPCs) for engaging in or tolerating particularly severe violations of religious freedom. USCIRF also recommended that the U.S. State Department place Nicaragua on its Special Watch List (SWL) for engaging in or tolerating severe violations of religious freedom. The State Department designated China, Nigeria, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan as CPCs, and placed Nicaragua on its SWL, in December 2020.
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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 or Danielle Ashbahian at dashbahian@uscirf.gov.
March 30, 2021
Factsheet on Controlling Civil Society’s Purse Strings – Around the globe, some governments misuse financial restrictions to hamper civil society actors, which can negatively impact religious communities. This factsheet explores the religious freedom implications from the use of excessive financial restrictions to harass and limit the activities of civil society organizations. The ability to solicit and receive financial contributions is an integral component of freedom of religion or belief, and these restrictions can be in violation of international human rights law. Financial harassment can take many forms, from attempts to delegitimize the work of foreign-funded civil society by enacting requirements to register as “foreign agents,” to excessive and intrusive reporting requirements, to exorbitant fees and fines for religious activity, to the seizure of assets or religious property. The factsheet also examines examples of government financial harassment of civil society organizations and its impact on religious freedom and communities in Belarus, China, India, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Russia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.
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