USCIRF Releases New Report about Countering Violent Extremism in Tajikistan

USCIRF Releases New Report about Countering Violent Extremism in Tajikistan

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:

Issue Update: Promoting Religious Freedom and Countering Violent Extremism in Tajikistan —This update describes Tajikistan’s official campaign to control and restrict Islamic practice, ostensibly an effort to combat the spread of terrorism and violent extremism but, in reality, represents harsh and counterproductive religious freedom restrictions. Contemporary research on effectively countering violent extremism demonstrates that religious freedom and security are symbiotic rather than mutually exclusive. This report recommends that U.S. government engagement with Tajikistan reflect best practices by integrating religious freedom requirements into all security assistance.

In its 2020 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. State Department designate Tajikistan a “country of particular concern” for its ongoing, systematic, and egregious religious freedom violations.

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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 [email protected].