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…
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…
Religious freedom commission criticizes failure to name Nigeria and India as Countries of Particular Concern
The U.S. State Department should have included India and Nigeria in its annual list of countries that fail to protect religious liberty, according to a key religious freedom watchdog. The State Department annually assesses countries based on their levels of…
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…
With a few improvements, religious liberty still perilous in Iraq, U.S. agency says
A federal agency is urging the United States to be more assertive in pressuring Iraq to improve religious freedom conditions for Christians, Yazidis and other religious minorities. “Although Iraq’s federal government has made some overtures toward the country’s diverse religious…
U.S. urged to provide more support for persecuted faith groups in Myanmar
Governmental and faith-based pressure is building on Congress and the international community to hold Myanmar’s military junta accountable for its persecution of religious minorities and to assist the nations hosting Baptist, Muslim and other refugees who have escaped the ongoing…
Number of countries with blasphemy laws grows by 13%
A U.S. agency has added 11 nations to its list of countries willing to use fines, imprisonment or the death penalty to punish those accused of insulting religious beliefs or institutions. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Liberty increased its…
USCIRF cites discrimination against religious minorities in EU countries
Religious minorities are increasingly leaving European Union nations where they face laws that suppress religious liberty, according to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. “These unduly restrictive policies have the secondary effect of encouraging discrimination at the societal level,”…