Religious freedom conditions have worsened in Burma this year as government influence continues to wane and armed ethnic groups amass power and territory in the nation’s ongoing civil war, according to a report by the U.S. Commission on International Religious…
New USCIRF reports reveal the state of religious freedom in Eritrea and Nigeria
In the last two months, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom released two major reports, each of which features an overview of the state of religion in two African countries — Eritrea and Nigeria. The reports reveal the…
Our most basic freedom — deciding one’s own religion
My most recent column was on Christian nationalism and the threat that movement poses to religious freedom. Some would say that is our most basic freedom — to make our own way through the thicket of religions that clamor for…
Countries repressing religious freedom are reaching beyond their borders, USCIRF report warns
Some nations notorious for oppressing religious freedom at home also waged campaigns of repression against ethnic and religious minorities living abroad in 2023, the U.S. Commission on International and Religious Freedom warned in its latest annual report. “These governments used…
McRaney hearing explores whether there are any times courts may decide ‘religious’ matters
Imagine a Jewish family taking their eight-day-old boy to a mohel for circumcision and discovering the Jewish official is drunk and maims the child’s genitals. Would the family be able to sue the mohel and others involved in facilitating the…
Women and girls suffer disproportionately from religious freedom violations, experts warn
Special attention must be paid to the plight of women and girls in addressing religious freedom violations around the world, Nazila Ghanea said during a panel discussion hosted by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. “Now, you might think…
Stop doing business with China, religious freedom watchdog group urges
A federal agency that monitors worldwide religious freedom has rebuked American companies for continuing to trade with China despite the nation’s glaring violations of religious and human rights. “The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom strongly condemns U.S. corporations…
BJC and Interfaith Alliance applaud first-ever national strategy to counter antisemitism
Antisemitism “threatens all of us,” the White House said in announcing a first-ever national strategy to counter antisemitism May 25. “While antisemitic incidents most directly and intensely affect the Jewish community, antisemitism threatens all of us. Antisemitic conspiracy theories fuel…
These countries are called out for severe religious freedom violations
The oppression of Ukrainian religious communities should be added to the war crimes charges already filed against Russian leaders by judges in the Hague, an official with the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom said May 1. Brutal and ongoing…