The past few years of young Leah Sharibu’s life have been filled with uncertainty and fear. On February 18, 2018, Leah was a normal Nigerian Christian girl living a normal life, as normal as life can be for Christian minority communities in Nigeria. However, on February 19, her entire world was turned upside-down. Leah, along with …
On May 14, the United States Senate unanimously passed the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act, a landmark bill that holds the Chinese Communist Party responsible for the mass internment and persecution of Uyghurs. This legislation also “endorses targeted sanctions on culpable Chinese government officials, and creates a mandate for reports on human rights abuses in …
Name: Abune Antonios Age: 92 Country/Area of Origin: Eritrea Background: Abune Antonios is the Patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Church, one of the only four religions legally recognized by the state (others include Roman Catholic Church, Lutheran Church, and Sunni Islam). Patriarch Abune Antonios is a staunch advocate for religious freedom and separation of Church …
Throughout March and April, ethnic violence and internal displacement in Myanmar has been on the rise, despite the International Court of Justice’s ruling in late January that the government of Myanmar must “refrain from acts of genocide against the Rohingya.” Such was a landmark decision that recognized the genocidal tactics used against Rohingya Muslims, such …
Background: Iran remains one of USCIRF’s recommendations for the designation as a Country of Particular Concern in regards to international religious freedom. As an Islamic nation, religious minorities such as Baha’is and Christians are routinely detained for apostasy, blasphemy, and evangelism. According to USCIRF, “Iran harasses, fines, and arrests those who dissent from its interpretation …
Iran Updates on Prisoners of Conscience: Fatemeh Bakhteri and Mary Mohammadi Read More »
Background: On April 30, 2020, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA hosted a virtual webinar titled “Vulnerable Religious Communities during COVID” in which numerous panelists including Ambassador Sam Brownback and USCIRF Commissioner Rev. Johnnie Moore discussed how the outbreak of COVID-19 has exacerbated the discrimination and mistreatment of religious minority communities around the world. Starting off with …
Vulnerable Religious Communities and the Outbreak of COVID-19 Read More »
Following the designation of China to the HRC Consultative Group, Jubilee Campaign and 20 other organizations submitted a letter to the President of the Human Rights Council. Jubilee Campaign sees the selection of China for a position in the UN Human Rights Council Consultative Group as unacceptable given China’s persistent violation of human rights and its failure to meet its international human rights obligations.
Each year, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) releases a comprehensive report in which they discuss the situations in countries which are the most repressive regarding religious freedom. These reports serve as a major source of information produced by a U.S. government agency. These reports which detail restrictions on the exercise of …
USCIRF Releases 2020 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom Read More »
Background: USCIRF has continuously recommended that Afghanistan be placed on the State Department’s Special Watch List due to its numerous religious freedom violations, which are only exacerbated by the already entrenched political turmoil. Afghanistan has state-sanctioned death penalty for those who leave Islam, including Christian converts. In addition there is routine targeting by the Talibans …
