Shows
USCIRF Spotlight PodcastCriminalizing Faith: The Persecution of Ahmadiyya Muslims in PakistanPakistan’s Ahmadiyya Muslim community continues to be severely and systematically persecuted by the government. The Pakistani government has enacted a series of discriminatory laws and ordinances that restrict Ahmadiyya Muslims’ ability to observe their faith, including identifying as Muslim. In the first half of 2025, spikes in targeted violence against the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Pakistan have contributed to a growing climate of fear. Authorities have increasingly prevented Ahmadiyya Muslims from sacrificing animals during Eid and have conducted “preventative arrests” ahead of the religious holiday. On today’s episode of the USCIRF Spotlight Podcast, USCIRF Commissioner...
2025-12-1633 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastCuba and Nicaragua's Escalating Crackdown on Religious CommunitiesCuba and Nicaragua have ranked among the world’s most repressive governments toward religious freedom for years. In 2025, exiles and civil society organizations reported continuing severe restrictions on religious communities, including the banning of religious processions, surveillance and harassment of clergy, and legal constriction of religious groups. In some regards, the level of repression is escalating, considering indicators such as the re-imprisonment in June of a freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) victim previously released in January and the deaths of two religious freedom defenders in Nicaraguan custody in August. USCIRF has designated both nations as Countries of Particular Co...
2025-11-2134 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastA Former Prisoner's Story and the Path to Religious Freedom in EritreaThe Eritrean government does not recognize religious communities other than the Tewahedo Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Evangelical Lutheran churches, along with Sunni Islam. As a result, there are dozens religious minorities including Jehovah’s Witnesses (including several religious leaders), Baptists, and Pentecostals currently incarcerated in Eritrea. Authorities pressure prisoners to renounce their faith and ban praying aloud, singing, preaching, and possessing religious books. In 1994, police abducted Jehovah’s Witness Negede Teklemariam for “conscientiously objecting to performing compulsory military service.” He remained in prison for 26 years without being formally charged. The government finally released him in 2020. In its 2025 annual report, USCIRF r...
2025-10-1720 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastThe IRF Ambassador: A Key Component of U.S. Leadership on Religious FreedomThe U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, often referred to as the IRF Ambassador, plays a vital role in the U.S. government’s promotion of international religious freedom. Pursuant to the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA), the IRF Ambassador is mandated to head the Office of International Religious Freedom, or IRF Office, at the State Department. Additional duties include serving as the principal adviser to the President and Secretary of State on matters involving religious freedom abroad and representing the United States on IRF matters diplomatically. In April, President Trump nominated Mark Walker as the next IR...
2025-10-0333 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastChina’s Religious Freedom Violations on the Basis of Article 300China has perpetrated gross religious freedom violations against religious groups of recognized religions through its “sinicization of religion” policy. However, the government also persecutes many religious groups of unrecognized religions and spiritual movements, such as Falun Gong and Church of Almighty God, under the Article 300 of the Criminal Law. Article 300, which was adopted in 1997, punishes individuals who organize or participate in “any superstitious sect, secret society, or cult organization” (xie jiao). There are currently more than 20 groups the government recognizes as “cults” under Article 300. Increasingly, the government has also used this criminal statute to target religious groups belonging to recognized r...
2025-09-1232 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastReligious Freedom in Sudan: Navigating Instability and Civil WarReligious freedom concerns are increasing in Sudan’s current brutal civil war. There are increasing reports of attacks on places of worship and other incidents that violate freedom of religion or belief. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have entrenched Sudan in the war since April 2023. The subsequent four years of instability and violence have created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, placing civilians across religious, ethnic, and tribal distinctions under intense threat. Both sides have committed atrocities that the previous U.S. administration determined to be war crimes in December 2023 and as geno...
2025-08-2922 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastBlasphemy and FoRB in Nigeria: A Conversation with Mubarak BalaThe Nigerian federal government enforces blasphemy laws that include a penalty of up to two years’ imprisonment for acts “persons consider as a public insult on their religion.” Twelve Nigerian state governments also enforce their own more stringent blasphemy laws to prosecute and imprison individuals perceived to have insulted religion, including Christians, Muslims, and humanists. There are now four Nigerians incarcerated and convicted of blasphemy, including two religious leaders. In 2021, police arrested humanist Mubarak Bala for “insulting the Prophet,” and in 2022, a court sentenced him to decades in prison. Following an international outcry, an appeals court reduced his sentence to five year...
2025-08-1830 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastThe Status and Significance of CPC, SWL, and EPC Designations: A Conversation with Former USCIRF Chair Stephen SchneckOne of the most important elements of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 is the requirement for the U.S. Secretary of State to designate the world’s worst violators of religious freedom as Countries of Particular Concern and to enact accountability measures as a result of those designations. Subsequent legislation created a Special Watch List for other countries with significant violations and created a new category of Entities of Particular Concern for nonstate actors that commit such violations and control territory. However, the State Department last released its designations nearly two years ago, in December 2023—and they are now...
2025-07-3128 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastThe Extensive Reach of Chinese Transnational RepressionChina has been described as the “most prolific,” “sophisticated, far-reaching, and comprehensive” perpetrator of transnational repression in the world. It has targeted many religious communities in diaspora, including Uyghur Muslims, Protestant Christians, Tibetan Buddhists, Falun Gong practitioners, and members of the Church of Almighty God. Specific transnational repression tactics used by the Chinese government include stalking, harassment, intimidation or threats, assault, kidnapping, forcing or coercing the victim to return to China, and threatening or detaining family members in China. In its 2025 annual report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate China as a Country of Particular Concern...
2025-07-1414 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastThe Abuse of Extremism Laws in Central AsiaThe governments of Central Asia—that is Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan—influenced by decades of Soviet rule, maintain similar legislation to combat “extremism.” Each of these governments uses these laws beyond just addressing legitimate security threats to penalize individuals engaged in peaceful religious activities. Enforcement measures have included harassment, fines, forced renunciations of faith, detainment, imprisonment, and, at times, torture and extrajudicial killings. On today's episode, Jasmine Cameron, the Europe and Eurasia Senior Legal Advisor at the American Bar Association, and Edward Lemon, the President of the Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs...
2025-05-3030 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastReligious Freedom as Syria Transitions After AssadAt the end of 2024, over thirteen years since the onset of Syria’s protracted civil war, the country’s political landscape dramatically shifted when a rebel coalition toppled the government of President Bashar al-Assad. Religious freedom conditions had suffered over the course of the civil war under a variety of state and nonstate actors. Now, in the months since the fall of the Assad regime, freedom of religion or belief faces ongoing nationwide challenges as Damascus continues its political transition under members of U.S.-designated terrorist organization HTS, itself a violator of religious freedom. Meanwhile, Turkey’s military strike...
2025-05-2327 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastReflections on USCIRF's 2025 Trip to AzerbaijanThe religious freedom situation in Azerbaijan remains highly restricted. The government subjects virtually all religious practices to intrusive state oversight. Shi'a Muslims who do not operate within the government's preferred boundaries have faced imprisonment on dubious charges. Armenian religious sites in Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions remain threatened since Azerbaijan regained control. In its 2025 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State maintain Azerbaijan on the Special Watch List for severe violations of religious freedom. On today’s episode of the USCIRF Spotlight Podcast, USCIRF Chair Stephen Schneck, Commissioner Mohamed Elsanousi, and Com...
2025-05-1737 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastThe State of Religious Freedom in IndiaIn recent years, USCIRF has reported declining religious freedom conditions in India, as the government continues to enforce and strengthen legislation that disproportionately impacts religious minorities, including anti-conversion and cow slaughter laws. These laws often target Muslim and Christian communities. In its 2025 annual report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate India as a Country of Particular Concern. On today’s episode of the USCIRF Spotlight Podcast, USCIRF Chair Stephen Schneck joins Senior Policy Analyst Sema Hasan to discuss the decline of religious freedom in India with particular focus on legislation. ...
2025-05-0121 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastThe US-UK Special Relationship: FoRB in FocusOn today’s episode of the USCIRF Spotlight Podcast, USCIRF Chair Stephen Schneck joins Senior Strategic Advisor Elizabeth Cassidy to reflect on his trip to the United Kingdom. Marked by a special relationship, the United States, and the United Kingdom, aim to place a special focus on international religious freedom. Chair Schneck discusses USCIRF’s key engagements held with government and civil society actors and highlights the UK’s leadership role in the space. Read USCIRF’s 2024 Annual ReportWith Contributions from:Elizabeth Cassidy, Senior Strategic Advisor, USCIRFVeron...
2024-11-1522 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastResponses to Genocide: Two Former U.S. Officials Reflect on ISIS’s Genocide in Iraq and SyriaTen years ago, the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) launched a campaign of mass atrocities to achieve the religious and ethnic cleansing of religious minority groups in Iraq and Syria. In 2016, the U.S. State Department determined ISIS’s atrocities against Yazidis, Christians, and Shi’a Muslims constituted crimes against humanity and genocide. Ten years on, survivors face multiple threats to their religious freedom, security, and existence within their homelands.Today, Ambassador David Saperstein, former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, and the Hon. Frank Wolf, former U.S. Representative (R-VA...
2024-08-0933 minUSCIRF Spotlight Podcast10 Years On: Ongoing Threats to Religious Minority Survivors of ISIS’s GenocideTen years ago, the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) launched a campaign of mass atrocities to achieve the religious and ethnic cleansing of Yazidis, Assyrian-Chaldean-Syriac Christians, Shi’a and Sunni Muslim Turkmens, Shabaks, and other religious minorities in Iraq and Syria. In 2016, the U.S. State Department determined ISIS’s atrocities against Yazidis, Christians, and Shi’a Muslims constituted crimes against humanity and genocide. In 2019, an international coalition defeated ISIS’s last territorial hold in Iraq and Syria. However, ten years on, survivors face multiple threats to their religious freedom, security, and existence within their homelands.
2024-08-0228 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastThe Religious Garb Ban that Undermines the Olympic SpiritThe French government has prohibited French athletes from wearing religious garb while competing at the Paris 2024 Olympics. As such, French athletes who wish to wear religious garb are forced to choose between adhering to their sincerely held religious beliefs and competing at the highest level of sport. This tight regulation of religious expression is not unusual in France, where the government has enacted similarly strict restrictions on wearing religious garb in public spaces. France has also seen a proliferation of antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred, as well as governmental anti-cult efforts negatively impacting religious organizations. On...
2024-07-2520 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastUSCIRF's Spirit of BipartisanshipIn 1998, Republicans and Democrats came together to pass the International Religious Freedom Act, creating USCIRF as an independent government Commission led by a bipartisan group of nine Commissioners appointed by both political party leaders in Congress, and by the president. Twenty-five years later, USCIRF’s Commissioners continue to lead the non-partisan staff to monitor egregious religious freedom violations around the world and to make independent policy recommendations to the President, Secretary of State, and Congress.On today’s episode of the USCIRF Spotlight Podcast, USCIRF Chair Stephen Schneck and Vice Chair Eric Ueland join us t...
2024-07-0317 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastShortcomings of the State Department’s CPC DesignationsOne of USCIRF’s key functions is to make recommendations to the State Department about which countries we think should be designated as Countries of Particular Concern or CPCs, based on our independent research and analysis. Every year we await the State Department’s announcement of its religious freedom designations to assess how they match up with USCIRF’s recommendations. On today’s episode of the USCIRF Spotlight Podcast, USCIRF Chair Abraham Cooper and Vice Chair Frederick A. Davie join us to discuss the State Department’s most recent CPC designations—specifically the countries we think should...
2024-01-2531 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastViolence Against Tribal Christians in Manipur, IndiaIn May 2023, violent clashes between two communities erupted in India’s Manipur state, leaving entire villages burned and displacing tens of thousands. The ongoing conflict is between the state’s majority Hindu Meitei community and the Christian Kuki population and has seen the direct targeting of religious symbols and places of worship and refuge. More than 250 churches of different denominations have been burned or damaged across the state. Religious freedom in India has declined in recent years, marked by the promotion and enforcement of discriminatory laws and practices that negatively impact the country’s minori...
2023-06-2215 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastThe State of Religious Freedom in AlgeriaIn recent years USCIRF has reported that religious freedom conditions in Algeria have continued to deteriorate with the government increasingly enforcing blasphemy laws and restricting worship. These laws particularly impact religious minorities, such as Protestant Christians and Ahmadiyya Muslims. In 2022, the U.S. Department of State placed Algeria on its Special Watch List (SWL), following USCIRF’s recommendation. USCIRF Senior Policy Analyst, Madeline Vellturo, joins Researcher, Hilary Miller, to discuss the continued decline of religious freedom in Algeria.Read USCIRF’s Law and Religion in Algeria Factsheet
2023-02-1016 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastUSCIRF’s FoRB Victims List: Background and 2022 UpdatesIn 2016, Congress passed the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act which mandated that USCIRF maintain a list of individuals targeted for their religion or belief. In 2019, USCIRF launched its Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) Victims List – an online database that catalogues persons detained, imprisoned, placed under house arrest, disappeared, forced to renounce their faith, and tortured for their religious belief, religious activity, and religious freedom advocacy. Since then, the FoRB Victims List has documented almost 2,000 victims with that number unfortunately continuing to grow.USCIRF Researcher, Dylan Schexnaydre, joins Research Analyst, Zack Udin, to...
2023-01-1913 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastState Favored Religions’ Impact on Religious FreedomGovernments around the world use many different strategies to control or repress religion, but a common tactic is for the state to elevate a particular religion to a special status in ways that can marginalize different faiths or belief systems. USCIRF’s recently released report, “A Global Overview of Official and Favored Religions and Global Implications for Religious Freedom,” looks at 78 countries that identify an official or favored religion and subsequently enforce that religion, or a particular interpretation of that religion, through the law. While several countries that maintain these relevant laws do not enforce them or even have a legal...
2023-01-1222 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastDifferences Between Religious Tolerance and Religious FreedomAuthoritarian states promote religious tolerance without necessarily ensuring freedom of religion or belief. Last month, USCIRF released a report distinguishing between these two concepts and explains the origins of religious tolerance promotion as a tool of statecraft. The report presents case studies of countries engaged in religious tolerance promotion, such as Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Russia, and Uzbekistan. Dr. David Warren, the author of the report and lecturer in the Department of Jewish, Islamic, and Middle Eastern Studies at Washington University in St. Louis, join us to t...
2023-01-0522 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastBreaking Down the State Department’s IRF DesignationsPursuant to the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, the U.S. Department of State designates Countries of Particular Concern, places countries on its Special Watch List, and designates Entities of Particular Concern. As part of this mandate, USCIRF makes recommendations to the administration, including the State Department, regarding which countries and entities deserve designation on these three lists based on systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.On today’s 100th episode of the USCIRF Spotlight Podcast, USCIRF Chair Nury Turkel joins us to discuss the State Department’s most recent designations and asse...
2022-12-1616 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastReflecting on USCIRF’s Visit to Cox’s BazarIn November 2022, USCIRF visited Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh, to assess the current conditions and issues that Burmese Rohingya refugees are facing. The Rohingya community, a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority from Burma, have long fled religious persecution to neighboring Bangladesh. However, the most recent waves of refugees came in August 2017 following wide-scale atrocities that the Burmese authorities and military, known as the Tatmadaw, committed against them. These atrocities forced over a million Rohingya to flee the country, with a majority now temporarily residing in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. In March 2022, the Biden administration designated these atrocities as genocide and crim...
2022-12-0926 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastThe Alevi Struggle for Rights in TurkeyAlevis constitute the largest religious minority in Turkey and have faced persistent obstacles to the exercise of their religious freedom. In October 2022, the Turkish government announced its plan to create a new state-run Alevi institution—the Alevi Bektashi Culture and Cemevi Directorate—which officials say will oversee and address issues faced by Turkey’s Alevi community. The decision, however, has sparked controversy as the government itself has long refused to grant Alevis the recognition and rights that it has granted to other communities. Many observers view the decision as a politically motivated move intended to win over voters ahead of 202...
2022-11-2528 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastThe Suffocating Hold of HTS on Northwest SyriaMore than a decade after the onset of Syria’s civil war, the conflict continues with multiple state and non-state actors vying for power. Today, one of the most notable non-state actors is the militant Islamist rebel group and former al-Qaeda affiliate Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Although President Bashar al-Assad has regained control of about 70% of Syrian territory, HTS has maintained a strong resistance in the northwest, setting itself up as the civic authority in areas including the strategically important province of Idlib. Despite HTS’s recent efforts to rehabilitate its militant jihadist image and rebran...
2022-11-1826 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastThe Persecution of Muslims in TajikistanTajikistan’s population is majority Sunni Muslim, with a small Shi’a Muslim community which primarily consists of ethnic Pamiris located in the mountainous eastern part of the country known as the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO). The latest crackdown on civil society in the GBAO followed protests initially sparked in mid-May of this year. Since then, over 200 residents in the GBAO have been arrested and detained, including at least 90 activists. Journalists have been rounded up and Pamiris have been forcibly repatriated from Russia and given lengthy prison sentences.Religious freedom has declined in Taji...
2022-11-1024 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastRecovering from Genocide: The Yazidis’ Return to SinjarSince 2014, when ISIS launched its genocidal campaign against the Yazidis—a minority ethno-religious group within the Kurdish-majority areas of Iraq, Syria, Iran and Turkey, as well as in Armenia–hundreds of thousands of Yazidis have been displaced from their native home in the Sinjar region of Iraq.The U.S. government remains deeply invested in helping stabilize the Sinjar region and making it a viable home again for the displaced Yazidis. As USCIRF has consistently reported, Sinjar is not yet a hospitable environment for the Yazidi people. The United States and wider international community have...
2022-11-0441 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastCivil Society’s Important Role in Promoting Freedom of Religion or BeliefTo commemorate this year’s International Religious Freedom Day and the 24th Anniversary of the enactment of the International Religious Freedom Act in 1998, USCIRF reflects on the important role civil society plays in promoting freedom of religion or belief abroad. Greg Mitchell, Co-Chair of the IRF Roundtable, joins Elizabeth Cassidy, Director of Research and Policy at USCIRF, to assess the U.S. government’s efforts to promote freedom of religion or belief abroad over the past 24 years, and to discuss the IRF Roundtable’s establishment and civil society advocacy.Read t...
2022-10-2734 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastThe Legacy of Blasphemy Laws in Southeast AsiaSeven out of ten members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) nations have blasphemy laws currently enshrined in their legal codes. USCIRF’s recent issue update reviews these blasphemy laws and their enforcement within this region and highlights recent cases and provides analysis on related laws. Blasphemy is defined as “the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God or sacred things.” In particular, blasphemy laws remain an ongoing religious freedom violation in Indonesia and Malaysia as well as a potent tool for authoritarian and right-wing forces in Burma and Thailand. While many such la...
2022-10-2112 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastRussia’s Persecution of Jehovah’s WitnessesIn April 2017, the Russian Federation banned Jehovah’s Witnesses as an “extremist” organization. In the five years since that designation, law enforcement authorities across Russia have made it a regular practice to raid, detain, and arrest Jehovah’s Witnesses on “extremism” charges directly related to their peaceful religious activities. According to statistics published by Jehovah’s Witnesses, approximately 643 Witnesses have been charged with “organizing the activities of an extremist organization,” and nearly 350 individuals have been detained or arrested at some point in time. As of early October, 100 Witnesses are imprisoned in Russia for their beliefs.David Williams...
2022-10-1420 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastThe Nexus of Religious Freedom & Women’s Rights in IranOn September 16th, Iran’s morality police arrested 22-year old Mahsa Amini for wearing improper hijab. The morality police reportedly beat Amini until she suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and a stroke. Upon learning of her death days later at a hospital in Tehran, Iranians across the country took to the streets in protest of the government’s brutal repression. Since the 1979 Islamic revolution, Iran has mandated the hijab in public spaces for women on religious grounds. These laws have been met since that time by peaceful protests, often led by women. Iran’s government has put down these protests by for...
2022-10-1130 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastTurkmenistan’s Tight Grip on Religious FreedomSince 2014, the U.S. Department of State has designated Turkmenistan as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC), for its systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations. After Turkmenistan’s President stepped down in March of 2022, his son, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, came to power. Despite hopes of a loosening of these highly restrictive regulations on religious practice, they have remained in place. The Government of Turkmenistan continues to appoint Muslim clerics while also surveilling and dictating all religious practice, and punishing nonconformity through imprisonment, torture, and administrative harassment. Forum 18 News Service editor, Felix Corley, joins us today to disc...
2022-09-2320 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastReligious Prisoners of Conscience in KazakhstanIn 2018, Kazakhstan arrested a group of men for participating in a WhatsApp group chat about Islam and sentenced them to multiple years in prison on fictitious terrorism and incitement-related charges. Last fall, the UN Working Group issued an opinion that their detention was arbitrary and that they should be released. Although the government of Kazakhstan has released a few individuals related to this case, five men still remain imprisoned.Kazakhstan has regularly engaged with the U.S. government about possible religious freedom reforms, but it continues to severely limit this right through its 2011 religion...
2022-09-1628 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastDeteriorating Religious Freedom Conditions in NicaraguaSince 2020, USCIRF has recommended that Nicaragua be included on the State Department’s Special Watch List for severe violations of religious freedom. In 2022, the Nicaraguan government has greatly intensified its oppression of the Catholic Church. Last month, USCIRF released a Country Update on Nicaragua, which highlighted the persecution of the clergy and the elimination of Church-affiliated organizations.USCIRF Researcher, Zack Udin, the author of the new report, joins us today to discuss the deteriorating religious freedom conditions in Nicaragua.Read USCIRF's 2022 Country Update on Religious Freedom in Nicaragua...
2022-09-0918 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastThe Plight of Christians in ChinaIn its 2022 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended the U.S. Department of State redesignate China as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) for engaging in systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom. While the U.S. government designated the Chinese government’s ongoing atrocities against Uyghurs as genocide, China continues to severely persecute many different religious groups throughout the country, including Catholic and Protestant Christians. Founder and President of the ChinaAid Association, Dr. Bob Fu, joins us today to discuss the Chinese Communist Party’s sinicization policy, its treatment of various Christian communities, and other political...
2022-09-0224 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastThe 5th Anniversary of the Rohingya GenocideAugust 25 marks the fifth anniversary of the start of the Burmese military’s genocidal campaign against the Rohingya people. The violence resulted in thousands of Rohingya dead, hundreds of thousands internally displaced, and millions dispersed throughout the region. On March 21, 2021, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the U.S. government had determined that the atrocities committed against the Rohingya by Burmese authorities constituted genocide. USCIRF Policy Analyst Patrick Greenwalt joins us today to discuss the beginnings of the genocide, the situation of Rohingya inside and outside of Burma, and the steps the int...
2022-08-2520 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastTroubling Signs of Religious Freedom in Sri LankaSri Lanka is an ethnically and religiously diverse country but has had a history of intercommunal violence, most recently heightened in the decade following the end of a civil war in 2009. Conflict among the various ethnic and religious groups has remained at a heightened level in recent years impacting political, social, and economic life in the country, including freedom of religion or belief. Although Sri Lanka is not currently among the countries designated as a Country of Particular Concern or included on the State Department’s Special Watch List, USCIRF has documented a number of the country’s deteriorating reli...
2022-08-1925 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastThe Impact of Malaysia’s Dual Legal System on Religious FreedomMalaysia maintains a unique dual legal system divided into civil and religious courts. In recent decades, the influence of these religious courts, which are based on the Shaf’i school of Sunni Islamic jurisprudence, have grown, adversely impacting religious freedom. Since 2014, USCIRF has been reporting on Malaysia and most recently in 2022 recommended that the U.S. State Department place Malaysia on its Special Watch List (SWL) for religious freedom violations. USCIRF Policy Analyst Patrick Greenwalt joins us today to provide an overview of Malaysia’s legal system and discuss some high-profile cases directly related to f...
2022-08-1119 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastRussia’s Religious Freedom Violations in UkraineIn February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale and unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine, falsely claiming that it aimed to “demilitarize” and “denazify” the country. While many people are broadly aware of the terrible toll that Russia’s war has wrought on civilians, there is less awareness about the religious ramifications of the Russian invasion.Ruslan Khalikov and Liliia Pidgorna, two scholars with the Workshop for the Academic Study of Religion in Ukraine, join us today to discuss the impact Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has had on religious freedom.Read USCIRF’s 202...
2022-08-0422 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastU.S. Policy Advances for International Religious Freedom Over the Past YearUSCIRF is mandated by Congress to make independent policy recommendations to the president, secretary of state, and Congress that would help improve religious freedom around the globe. Each year, USCIRF proposes these recommendations in its annual report, highlighting country conditions and thematic challenges. How often are these recommendations acted upon by the U.S. government? USCIRF Supervisory Policy Advisor Jamie Staley joins us today to discuss some of USCIRF’s policy recommendations that the U.S. government has implemented over the last year.Check out USCIRF’s 2022 Annual Report
2022-07-2824 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastDeteriorating Religious Freedom Conditions in South AsiaSeveral major political events occurred in South Asia over the last year. The Taliban, whom USCIRF has recommended for years as an “Entity of Particular Concern” (EPC), took control of Afghanistan in August 2021. In April 2022, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was removed from office following political turmoil. And religious nationalist policies at both the state and national level in India continue to impact religious communities. Senior Policy Analyst Niala Mohammad joins us today to discuss recent developments in South Asia, their impact on religious freedom conditions, and USCIRF’s policy recommendations.R...
2022-07-2218 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastReligious Freedom Takeaways on the Ground in NigeriaLast month, USCIRF traveled to Abuja, Nigeria and met with Nigerian and U.S. government officials, religious communities, civil society representatives, and human rights defenders to assess religious freedom conditions and discuss threats facing Nigerians of a range of faiths and worldviews. The trip came following the U.S. State Department’s November 2021 decision to remove Nigeria’s Country of Particular Concern (CPC) designation for engaging in and tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of international religious freedom after designating it as a CPC for the first time in 2020. Commissioner Fred Davie, who led that that...
2022-07-1425 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastConditions for Religious and Nonbelief Communities in TurkeyThis past spring, USCIRF staff traveled to Turkey and met with religious and nonbelief communities across the country. Numerous issues continue to negatively impact their freedom of religion or belief, including an inability to train clergy, mandatory religion classes, the threat of blasphemy charges, and other forms of discrimination. USCIRF has monitored and reported on Turkey since the late 2000s, recommending it for placement on the Special Watch List (previously known as Tier 2) every year since 2014 and most recently again in USCIRF’s 2022 Annual Report. Senior Policy Analyst Keely Bakken, who was part of that USC...
2022-07-0715 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastPreview of the IRF Summit 2022Next week, from June 28 to June 30, the second annual International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit will be held in Washington, DC. The IRF Summit brings together a diverse coalition of NGOs and individuals from all over the world committed to the fundamental right to freedom of religion or belief and aims to increase public awareness and political support for the international religious freedom movement. Former Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback, co-chair of the IRF Summit, joins us today to preview this year’s activities and the Summit’s importance for promoting freedom of reli...
2022-06-2318 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastReligious Freedom Backslides in Central African RepublicUSCIRF began monitoring religious freedom conditions in Central African Republic (CAR) in 2013 when the country descended into civil conflict. After seven years of recommending that CAR be designated a country of particular concern, in 2020 USCIRF recommended CAR for Special Watchlist status due to improvements in the situation on the ground—and the next year, in 2021, we no longer recommended CAR for even the Special Watchlist. However, religious freedom conditions in CAR deteriorated in 2021, especially for Muslim minorities, causing USCIRF to return CAR to the list of countries it recommends for Special Watchlist status.John Le...
2022-06-1619 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastReligious Prisoners of Conscience in IranIran has gone to great lengths to arrest and detain religious minorities, including Christians, Baha’is, Sunni Muslims, Sufis, and spiritualists. The Iranian government has taken it a step further and also targeted those who peacefully dissent from the government’s preferred religious views, particularly women, nontheists, and members of the LGBTI community. Amid country-wide protests in Iran over the past several weeks over food subsidies, as well as ongoing multilateral talks in Vienna, Iran is once again in the foreign policy spotlight.USCIRF Supervisory Policy Analyst Scott Weiner with Victims List and Outreach Spec...
2022-06-1017 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastUzbekistan: Gaps in Principles and PracticeUzbekistan is one of a handful of countries that has seen dramatic improvements for religious freedom in recent years; however, religious communities are still experiencing high levels of government regulation and repression that is continuing to impact their ability to exercise their freedom of religion or belief.In April 2022, USCIRF sent a delegation to Uzbekistan. Senior Policy Analyst Keely Bakken, who was part of that USCIRF delegation to Uzbekistan, joins us today to discuss the outcome of the trip, recent developments since then, and other areas of possible reform in Uzbekistan.
2022-06-0317 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastTreatment of Asylum Seekers in the Expedited Removal ProcessExpedited Removal is the U.S. immigration law process that allows officers in the Department of Homeland Security, or DHS, to quickly deport noncitizens who arrive at U.S. ports of entry or cross the border without proper documents, unless the noncitizen can establish a “credible fear” of persecution or torture. Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. government has expelled most migrants and asylum seekers who try to enter the United States under a public health authority, referred to as Title 42, rather than under Expedited Removal. Beginning in mid-2021, the Biden administration resumed using Expedited Remo...
2022-05-2022 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastContent Moderation Online and its Impact on Religious FreedomTo combat the human rights and religious freedom violations that have occurred as a result of online hate speech, some social media companies now regulate speech on their platforms. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other social media platforms often have rules that ban certain types of speech—including hate speech directed at religious communities. However, the excess removal of speech can also impact the right to religious freedom and religious expression of users.Lou Ann Sabatier, Principal at Sabatier Consulting, joins us today to discuss content moderation and its impact on freedom of religion or be...
2022-05-1626 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastAnti-Conversion Laws and Growing Intolerance in IndiaSince 2020, USCIRF has recommended that India be designated a Country of Particular of Concern, or CPC, due to the Indian government’s promotion of Hindu nationalism, and engagement and facilitation of systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom. The othering of those that are non-Hindu through the misuse of national and state-level legislation has turned India’s diverse and pluralistic society into more of a hostile state for many religious communities, particularly Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Adivasis, and Dalits.Today USCIRF Commissioner Anurima Bhargava joins us to discuss the growing climate of intolerance toward non...
2022-05-0624 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastUSCIRF Releases 2022 Annual Report with Recommendations for U.S. PolicyOn April 25, 2022, USCIRF released its 2022 Annual Report, which documents developments in international religious freedom from 2021. The report provides recommendations to enhance the U.S. government’s promotion of freedom of religion or belief abroad. This year’s report highlights significant regress in countries such as Afghanistan and the Central African Republic (CAR). The report also notes USCIRF recommendations implemented by the U.S. government—including the designation of Russia as a country of particular concern, the imposition of targeted sanctions on religious freedom violators, and genocide determinations for atrocities perpetrated by the Chinese government against Uyghur and other Turkic Muslim...
2022-04-2617 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastPersecuted Christians Around the WorldAccording to the Pew Research Center’s most recent global data, Christianity’s diverse set of traditions comprise the single largest religious group on earth, of some 2.3 billion people—or nearly a third of the world’s population. Yet, it has been plainly evident throughout our reporting at USCIRF that many Christian communities around the world face a wide range of hardships for practicing their faith: from social marginalization to governmental harassment to imprisonment to mob violence and even death.Isaac Six, Director of Advocacy for Open Doors USA—an NGO that advocates on behalf of...
2022-04-2221 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastNontheists Facing Challenges to Freedom of BeliefArticle 18 of both the United Nations Human Rights Charter and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights protects not only the right to believe in and practice a religion and to change religion, but also the right to hold nontheistic beliefs. Despite these protections, many members of nonreligious communities’ face government repression, social intolerance, restrictions on freedom of thought, belief and expression, and pervasive discrimination because of their lack of religion or absence of belief in a God.Rachel Deitch, Director of Policy and Social Justice with the American Humanist Association jo...
2022-04-0824 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastRohingya Genocide Determination and AccountabilityThe Rohingya community in Burma have been targeted by the Burmese military (known as the Tatmadaw) with mass killings and rape since 2017, forcing hundreds of thousands to flee the country. Since the military coup in February 2021, the Tatmadaw have employed similar tactics used on the Rohingya against all ethnic and religious communities, as we have noted in past Spotlight episodes. The coup has increased concern among the international community to pursue efforts of justice and accountability for the ongoing abuses against the Rohingya, which U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken officially determined as genocide and crimes against humanity...
2022-04-0121 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastThe Status of Religious Freedom for the Baha’i CommunityFounded in 19th century Persia—present day Iran—the Baha’i faith is the second most widespread religion in the world and has communities in most territories and countries across the globe. However, several governments in the Middle East and North Africa region engage in systematic oppression of Baha’is. Iran, Yemen, Qatar, and Tunisia are some of the countries where the situation for the Baha’i community is particularly challenging.Anthony Vance, Director of the Office of Public Affairs for the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the United States, joins us today to...
2022-03-1822 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastImplications of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Part 2: The Religious Regulation Framework*Special note: This podcast was recorded on March 8, 2022 and only reflects the events that have occurred up to this date* The Russian government has long used religious freedom violations in its efforts to discourage non-conformity and facilitate its brutal occupation of Crimea and the Donbas region of Eastern Ukraine. In 2016, the government adopted a series of legal reforms that enhanced the scope and penalties of religion and anti-extremism laws. These legal reforms also increased State jurisdiction over monitoring private electronic communications for the purpose of rooting out extremists and missionaries in Russia.
2022-03-1029 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastImplications of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Part 1: The “Denazification” Narrative*Special note: This podcast was recorded on March 3, 2022 and only reflects the events that have occurred up to this date* The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine has shocked the world and created a humanitarian crisis with profound effects for the region and beyond. Among the reasons Russian President Vladimir Putin has listed to justify this invasion is that the operation will “seek to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine.” Putin’s accusation that there is evidence of modern Nazism in the form of antisemitism in Ukraine is not only patently false, but also has religious implications that pose gr...
2022-03-0419 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastState Department Designations and USCIRF Recommendations: Where do they line up?Pursuant to the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA), the State Department is required to issue annual designations for the most egregious violators of religious freedom. In advance of these designations, USCIRF recommends in its Annual Report each year the countries the State Department should designate as such.The State Department issued its latest list of Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) and countries placed on its Special Watch List (SWL) on November 17, 2021—which included some USCIRF recommendations, but with notable exclusions. USCIRF Chair Nadine Maenza joins us today to di...
2021-12-1715 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastAn Update on Religious Freedom Conditions in TurkeyReligious freedom conditions in Turkey continue to follow a disappointing, negative trajectory. The Hagia Sophia conversion, the continued closure of the Halki Seminary, government meddling in the internal affairs of religious minority communities, concerns about the education curriculum, hate speech, and Turkey’s intervention in northern Syria and Iraq are just some of the major threats to religious freedom that have occurred in the past year.USCIRF Policy Analyst John Lechner joins us today to discuss recent developments for religious freedom in Turkey.Read the 2021 Turkey Co...
2021-12-1015 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastAbuses of Traditional Religion in RussiaUSCIRF is deeply concerned about religious freedom conditions in the Russian Federation, which have rapidly deteriorated in recent years as the government increasingly mistreats “traditional” religious communities, and targets Jehovah’s Witnesses, with baseless ‘extremism’ charges, and uses unsubstantiated accusations of ‘terrorism’ to imprison Crimean Muslim activists opposed to its illegal annexation of their homeland. USCIRF has covered these violations in numerous publications and hearings, including a report released this week on religious freedom abuses in Chechnya.USCIRF Senior Policy Analyst Jason Morton joins us today to elaborate on the myriad of religious freedom concerns in Ru...
2021-10-2921 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastReligious Cemeteries as Targets of DestructionCemeteries are sacred sites that are of great spiritual, cultural, and historical significance to many religious and ethnic groups. These holy sites are governed by religious laws and customs that dictate the location of, the appearance of, and the activities and behaviors allowed on the burial grounds. Despite laws aimed to protect these sites, cemeteries around the world catering to a variety of religious groups are targets for defilement, which includes vandalism such as spray paint, theft, or smashed headstones. In other cases, whole graveyards are exhumed or razed in preplanned operations.Last month...
2021-10-1517 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastReligious Freedom & Taliban Fears in TajikistanFor many years, USCIRF has been deeply concerned about religious freedom conditions in Central Asia, and more recently the impact of the Taliban’s rise to power in Afghanistan on the surrounding region. Since 2012, USCIRF has recommended that the State Department designate Tajikistan a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), in response to the government’s increasing repression following the passage of a strict religion law in 2009. The State Department followed this recommendation in 2016 and has designated Tajikistan a CPC every year since.USCIRF Senior Policy Analyst Jason Morton joins us t...
2021-09-3022 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastWhy the State Department Should Re-designate Nigeria as a CPCSince 2009, USCIRF has recommended that the U.S. State Department designate Nigeria a country of particular concern, or CPC, for engaging in or tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations. In December 2020, the State Department designated Nigeria for the first time, making Nigeria the first secular democracy to be added to the CPC list. As we approach the end of 2021 and anticipate the State Department’s upcoming CPC designations, today’s discussion with USCIRF Commissioner Frederick A. Davie will demonstrate why CPC re-designation is warranted, correct some common misconceptions, and explore how the U.S. gove...
2021-09-2419 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastReligion, Law and Citizenship in Assam, India
For the past two years, USCIRF has recommended that India be designated a Country of Particular of Concern (CPC) by the State Department due the government’s promotion of Hindu nationalist policies resulting in systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom. One such policy is the 2019 passage of the discriminatory Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA)—a fast track to citizenship for non-Muslim migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan residing in India—which led to nationwide protests against the CAA in early 2020 and spurred state and nonstate violence, largely targeting Muslims.
Today, USCIRF Chair Nadine Maenza joins us to...
2021-09-0214 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastFourth Anniversary of the Rohingya Genocide
On August 25, 2017, the Burmese military, known as the Tatmadaw, launched a genocidal campaign in Rakhine State against the largely Muslim Rohingya community. The United Nations Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar has documented instances of Burmese military units involved in indiscriminate killings of civilians, mass rape, and arbitrary detentions. This year, the situation has only further deteriorated. On February 1, the Tatmadaw launched a coup installing the ruling military junta led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. Six months later, on August 1, General Hlaing declared himself prime minister until at least 2023.
In our 2021 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that...
2021-08-2517 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastReforms in Kazakhstan Could Improve Religious Freedom
The Kazakhstani government is implementing promising reforms that could make Kazakhstan Central Asia’s leading example of religious freedom. USCIRF has recommended the U.S. State Department place Kazakhstan on its Special Watch List, and previously USCIRF’s Tier 2 List, since 2013 in response to deteriorating religious freedom conditions stemming from the passage of its religion law in 2011. However, proposed amendments to that law could significantly improve the religious freedom landscape in Kazakhstan.
USCIRF is deeply invested in Central Asian religious freedom reform and has engaged directly with the Kazakhstani government. In recent years, the Commission has trave...
2021-08-0621 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastCentral African Republic: From Sectarian Violence to Progress on Religious Freedom
In 2015, USCIRF for the first time recommended the Central African Republic (CAR) be designated by the State Department a Country of Particular Concern for systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom following years of sectarian violence that erupted after a 2013 coup. As the violence against religious minority communities subsided in subsequent years, in 2020, USCIRF recommended CAR be placed on the State Department’s Special Watchlist, a step in the right direction. While concerns for religious freedom in CAR remain, there has been further notable progress during the past year.
In its most recent 2021 Annual Report, US...
2021-07-0918 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastEthiopia’s Tigray Massacre and Implications for Religious Freedom
Ethiopia has been going through a democratic transition amidst a civil war that broke out in Tigray at the end of 2020. In November of last year, a massacre took place in Tigray that was slow to be reported in major news outlets globally. USCIRF has been closely monitoring religious freedom violations in that region and in Ethiopia more broadly.
The U.S. Department of State recently announced that it would impose sanctions on individuals responsible for human rights violations in the Tigray region, following a visit by U.S. Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa...
2021-06-2519 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastDo USCIRF Policy Recommendations Get Implemented?
The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA) mandates USCIRF to make policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress. In addition to making recommendations, USCIRF’s mandate was recently amended to include tracking the U.S. government’s implementation of our recommendations as well as to review the effectiveness of such implemented recommendations in advancing religious freedom internationally.
Joining us today is USCIRF Commissioner Fred Davie to share with us some of these key recommendations that have been implemented by the administration and Congress over the last year or so.
R...
2021-06-1717 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastBahrain Takes Steps to Improve Religious Freedom
For the first time in years, Bahrain was not included in the list of countries that USCIRF recommends for the State Department’s Special Watch List (SWL). The government of Bahrain has made incremental improvements to religious freedom conditions within the country over the past several years—working to enhance the rights of religious communities including Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, and Baha’is.
Nevertheless, there are some lingering concerns about how Bahrain’s government treats the Shi’a Muslim majority population. USCIRF Supervisory Policy Analyst, Scott Weiner, joins us to expound upon the religious freedom situation in Bahrain...
2021-06-0420 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastEnforcing Blasphemy Laws Have Dire Consequences
Blasphemy laws criminalize expression that insults or offends religious doctrines. Such laws are often used to restrict freedom of religion or belief. As of 2020, 84 countries still had blasphemy laws. The severity of a blasphemy law on the books, however, is only the beginning of the story. The enforcement of such laws—either government enforcement or mob violence—undermines human rights, including freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression.
Joelle Fiss and Jocelyn Getgen Kestenbaum are the authors of the USCIRF report “Violating Rights: Enforcing the World’s Blasphemy Laws,” released in December 2020. They join us to...
2021-05-2719 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastViolent Insurgents in the Sahel Region of Africa
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 b...
2021-05-1415 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastReligious Restrictions in Iran
Since 1979 Iran’s government has shown a consistent disregard for the rights of religious minority communities who run afoul of the government’s narrow interpretation of Shi’a Islam. Even the majority Shi’a Muslim population must adhere to the government’s religious doctrine of Leadership of the Jurist (vilayt e-faqih). Those with alternative or differing opinions have suffered harassment, surveillance, arrest, imprisonment, and even a death sentence for blasphemy, insulting religious sanctities, or identifying as gay.
On top of its severe violations, Iran is approaching several key political junctures. The country’s leadership recently began engagement wi...
2021-05-0617 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastRefugee Resettlement and Religious Freedom
The program to resettle refugees to the United States has existed since 1980, with strong bipartisan support. Earlier this month, President Biden signed an emergency declaration to speed up refugee admissions into the United States, but did not raise the ceiling from the current 15,000 person low. After receiving pushback from advocacy groups, the administration later stated that President Biden is expected to increase the refugee ceiling for this fiscal year by May 15.
USCIRF is concerned about the historically low refugee ceiling, and has long advocated for a robust resettlement program as a way for the...
2021-04-3021 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastUSCIRF Releases 2021 Annual Report with Recommendations for U.S. Policy
USCIRF released its 2021 Annual Report documenting developments over the past year, and providing policy recommendations to enhance the U.S. government’s promotion of freedom of religion or belief abroad. In its report, USCIRF also monitored public health measures put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and their impact on religious freedom.
USCIRF’s independence and bipartisanship enables it to unflinchingly identify threats to religious freedom around the world. The 2021 Annual Report recommends 26 countries for designation as either a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) or to be placed on the State Department’s Special Watch...
2021-04-2219 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastThe State of Religious Freedom in Vietnam
Bilateral relations between the United States and Vietnam has grown increasingly cooperative since 1995. The two countries have built strong economic, political, and security partnerships. Despite this relationship, the US government continues to pay particular attention to the overall human rights situation in there, including freedom of religion or belief. USCIRF traveled to Vietnam in 2019 to observe religious freedom conditions on the ground, and has maintained that Vietnam should be designated as a Country of Particular Concern.
While there has been some progress regarding religious freedom conditions in Vietnam in recent years, the situation for certain groups...
2021-04-1615 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastIndonesia’s State Ideology of Pancasila
Pancasila is a founding concept of Indonesia, comprising of five principles: monotheism, civilized humanity, national unity, deliberative democracy, and social justice. This concept came about at the onset of Indonesia’s independence from the Netherlands in 1945 to unify the population and emphasize moderation and tolerance.
As Indonesia has witnessed the rise of Islamist extremist activities and sentiment in recent decades, President Joko Widodo’s administration has prioritized emphasizing Pancasila and Indonesia’s historically moderate version of Islam to confront this trend. USCIRF Policy Analyst, Patrick Greenwalt joins us today to discuss the impact this has on religi...
2021-04-0914 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastChina Sanctions U.S. Religious Freedom Officials
In a public statement on March 27, 2021, the Chinese government imposed a travel ban on USCIRF Chair Gayle Manchin and Vice Chair Tony Perkins and prohibited any Chinese citizens or institutions from doing business with them. The statement issued by China asserts that USCIRF should stop interfering in China’s internal affairs and refrain from “going further down the wrong path” otherwise “they will get their fingers burnt.” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned China for imposing the “baseless” sanctions.
This is the first time in USCIRF’s more than 20-year history that a foreign government has t...
2021-04-0119 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastGovernments Using Shari’a to Impose Death Sentences on LGBTI Persons
In some countries around the world, religion-based laws are used by governments to impose capital punishment against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) persons. All of the 10 countries where consensual same-sex relationships are punishable by death (Afghanistan, Iran, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen) justify denial of rights and personhood based on official interpretations of Shari’a (Islamic law).
International standards are clear that governments should not desecrate the rights of LGBTI persons through the imposition of the death penalty under interpretations of Shari’a or any other religion-based laws...
2021-03-2615 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastShifting Trends of Religious Freedom in Egypt
Egypt has historically faced many challenges to religious freedom. There has been recurring violence and discrimination against Coptic Christians, who represent 10-15% of the population, as well as other communities who face religious freedom challenges. Furthermore, Egypt is one of the world’s leading enforcers of blasphemy laws. The United States joined 30 other countries at the UN Human Rights Council just last week in condemning a range of human rights abuses in Egypt, which has not been done since 2014.
However, in spite of its shortcomings, there have been some improvements to religious freedom conditions in recent ye...
2021-03-1920 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastUzbekistan: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
There have been notable improvements to religious freedom conditions in Uzbekistan in recent years. The government’s ongoing effort to revise the restrictive 1998 Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations demonstrates progress. Nevertheless, significant challenges to religious freedom in the country still remain.
Even in revised draft legislation, religious communities are still required to register through the government and any unregistered religious activity is considered criminal. Many non-Muslim religious minority communities, such as Catholics, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Protestants, have been unable to be officially registered by the state. In addition, some thousands of indiv...
2021-03-1117 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastSantería in CubaSantería is a syncretic religion that incorporates elements of Catholicism with the religion of the Yoruba people, who were brought as slaves to Cuba from the Congo basin and West Africa in the 16th century.
While many Cubans can freely observe Santería practices, some practitioners and religious leaders have experienced ongoing violations of their right to freedom of religion or belief. These violations are emblematic of the tactics used by the Cuban government to control faith and suppress independent religious communities.
Featuring:
Dwight Bashir, Director of Outreach and Policy, US...
2021-03-0520 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastRepercussions of the Burma Coup for Rohingya Muslims
On February 1, 2021, the Burmese military declared the results of the November 2020 democratic elections to be invalid, enacted a one-year state of emergency, and detained State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Myint Swe along with other state officials. This coup d’état is especially concerning for religious and ethnic communities already facing violence in Burma.
The military has been accused by the international community of conducting a genocidal campaign against the Rohingya Muslim population by targeting them with killings, sexual violence, forced starvation, and arbitrary arrests, among other atrocities. This same military is no...
2021-02-2524 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastThe Situation in Sinjar
In recent years, northern Iraq has become a battleground for Turkish armed forces and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). In June 2020, Turkey escalated their attacks in the region, announcing military operations Claw-Eagle and Claw-Tiger that included airstrikes near Sinjar. These attacks have been particularly damaging to the traumatized Yazidi community, who are victims of genocide by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. Reports indicate that Turkey is planning military operations in Sinjar, instilling fear in the already vulnerable Yazidi community.
Joining us today to discuss these developments is USCIRF Commissioner Nadine Maenza, who recently traveled t...
2021-02-1820 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastUnrest in Russia
Russia is currently experiencing ongoing, widespread anti-corruption protests. These protests demonstrate the largest challenge to government control in almost a decade. Meanwhile, the State Duma recently put forth legislation which has significant implications for religious freedom.
Religious freedom conditions in Russia have deteriorated rapidly in recent years. In fact, USCIRF has released several reports over the past year detailing why Russia should be designated a country of particular concern for its egregious violations of religious freedom. This week’s discussion explains why USCIRF makes this recommendation, and how recent events there impa...
2021-02-1221 min
USCIRF Spotlight PodcastReligious Freedom Priorities for the Biden AdministrationAs the Biden administration begins to formulate its broader human rights policy, USCIRF highlights several priority countries when it comes to international religious freedom. Condemning and preventing religious freedom violations around the globe continues to be a top priority for the United States. While some are critical of the role the U.S. government plays in championing religious freedom globally, there are also others who say, “If not the United States., then who?” In recent years, there have been an emergence of new multilateral entities dedicated to promoting and protecting religious freedom worldwide. Do these entities have the potential to f...
2021-02-0519 min
USCIRF Spotlight PodcastUyghur GenocideChina’s mistreatment and abuse of Uyghurs and other religious minorities have been well-documented for years by USCIRF, the United Nations, and human rights organizations around the world. In spite of this documentation, the Chinese government has continued the operation of Uyghur forced labor camps—products of which are circulating in international markets, including in the United States.
On January 19, the U.S. State Department designated China’s treatment of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims as genocide and crimes against humanity. Find out what implications this action has for the incoming Biden administration and American companies in this w...
2021-01-2921 min
USCIRF Spotlight Podcast2021 Update on Religious Freedom ConditionsTargeting of religious minorities in Russia, mass atrocities in China, Nigeria as a country of particular concern, and Antisemitism on the rise worldwide. The events of 2020 cast a long shadow over religious freedom conditions as we enter into a new year. There are, however, some areas of progress such as Sudan and Uzbekistan. USCIRF Chair Gayle Manchin joins us to discuss the state of religious freedom worldwide.
Featuring:Dwight Bashir, Director of Outreach and Policy, USCIRFGayle Manchin, Chair, USCIRF
For more information, visit www.uscirf.gov
2021-01-2222 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastNigeria: A Country of Particular ConcernIn December 2020, the U.S. Department of State designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for the first time ever due to systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom. Violent attacks by Boko Haram and ethno-religious conflict have become more frequent, and are exacerbated by the judiciary system.
In this week's episode of USCIRF Spotlight, we discuss why the situation in Nigeria merits CPC designation, and what role the US could play in addressing religious freedom concerns there.
Featuring:
Dwight Bashir, Director of Outreach and Policy, USCIRFJohn Campbell, Fo...
2021-01-1520 min
USCIRF Spotlight PodcastLegal Restrictions to Religious Freedom in BruneiSince 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 Outreac...
2020-12-3014 min
USCIRF Spotlight PodcastRitual Slaughter Laws and their Impact on Religious FreedomSeveral religious groups, including followers of Judaism and Islam, mandate that animals are uninjured (unstunned) prior to killing. However, nearly a third of European countries limit this practice through ritual slaughter laws.
Ritual slaughter is required for meat to be classified as kosher or halal. Therefore, laws preventing ritual slaughter cause 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.
During the Hanukkah season, USCIRF highlights the impact that ritual slaughter laws have on religious communities in select countries, such as...
2020-12-1511 minUSCIRF Spotlight PodcastVulnerable Religious Communities in PakistanThe State Department has designated Pakistan as a Country of Particular Concern since 2018, but it has not taken any action as a consequence of that designation and has continued to violate freedom of religious belief. USCIRF recently issued a press release concerning the uptick in blasphemy cases against Shia Muslims which in some cases led to mob violence. There have also been a number of targeted killings of Ahmadi’s in Pakistan over the past four months. Why are religious minorities particularly vulnerable to blasphemy laws and violence in Pakistan? Find out in this week's episode!
Featuring:
2020-11-2013 min
USCIRF Spotlight PodcastUN Human Rights Systems that Promote Religious FreedomThe 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...
2020-11-1717 min
USCIRF Spotlight PodcastSudan: Will removal from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list impact Religious Freedom?Sudan has been in the news most recently with the announcement by the United States government of its intent to remove Sudan from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism. In this week's USCIRF Spotlight, we explore how this move could impact religious freedom conditions in the country.
Featuring:Dwight Bashir, Director of Outreach and Policy, USCIRFMohy Omer, Policy Analyst and East Africa Specialist, USCIRF
2020-10-3018 min
USCIRF Spotlight PodcastReligious Persecution in IranWhat started as an already concerning situation for religious minorities in Iran has grown even more concerning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Find out what the situation looks like for the groups affected by Iran’s imposition of a singular religious interpretation, and what the US can do to help advance religious freedom in Iran in this week's episode of USCIRF Spotlight.
Featuring:Dwight Bashir, Director of Outreach and Policy, USCIRFScott Weiner, Supervisory Policy Analyst, USCIRF
2020-10-2317 min
USCIRF Spotlight PodcastFulani CommunitiesWelcome to USCIRF's new series! In USCIRF Spotlight, we discuss major topics in the news and explore how they impact religious freedom around the globe. For this week's episode, listen to what our research team has to say about Fulani communities in West and Central Africa.
Featuring:Dwight Bashir, Director of Outreach and Policy, USCIRFMadeline Vellturo, Policy Analyst, USCIRF
2020-10-1615 min
USCIRF Spotlight PodcastHow Current Unrest Impacts Religious Freedom in BelarusWelcome to USCIRF's new series! In USCIRF Spotlight, we discuss major topics in the news and explore how they impact religious freedom around the globe. For this week's episode, listen to what our research team has to say about the situation in Belarus.
Featuring:
Dwight Bashir, Director of Outreach and Policy, USCIRF
Dr. Jason Morton, Senior Policy Analyst, USCIRF
2020-10-0914 min