Autocratic nations, especially in the Middle East, are increasingly adopting policies that only appear to foster religious tolerance, according to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. They do this to curry favor and trust with the United States and…
USCIRF ‘outraged’ by omission of Nigeria and India from State Department’s List of Countries of Particular Concern
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has expressed outrage that the U.S. Department of State did not include Nigeria or India in its latest designations of Countries of Particular Concern. Although a government organization, the USCIRF does not have the same…
USCIRF warns of dangerous use of blasphemy laws in Nigeria
Blasphemy laws and their discriminatory enforcement are becoming another major threat to religious liberty in Nigeria, according to a report by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. The USCIRF study also found that blasphemy bans contained in the nation’s…
Cuban government clamps down more on religion
The Cuban government, long hostile to all forms of religious expression, is tightening down further on communities of faith in response to ongoing economic challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, a religious freedom expert reported. “They must be overwhelmed by…
Fact-finders highlight ethno-religious violence in Nigeria, while State Department declines to act
Christians and Muslims both fear they will be “eradicated” in Nigeria, a fact-finding team from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom discovered. Last year, the commission, known as USCIRF, asked the U.S. State Department to label Nigeria, Africa’s most…
The solution to a peaceful world is respecting other people’s religious freedom, U.S. leader says
Nadine Maenza is nearing the end of a two-year term as chair of United States Commission on International Religious Freedom and a four-year term as a commissioner. USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan government agency that monitors religious freedom worldwide and…
Debates about refugees need a dose of compassion, religious freedom panelists urge
Americans must add compassion to their debates about the world’s 26 million refugees, a Jewish leader said during a Feb. 2 webinar hosted by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. “The need is urgent for us here in the…
The few remaining Christians in Afghanistan live in constant fear — even of their own families
Afghan Christians who failed to escape when their nation fell to the Taliban in August live in constant isolation and in fear that the fundamentalist Islamic government, and practically the entire society, is out to persecute them, according to the…
American officials say Kazakhstan moving in right direction on religious freedom but still restricts minority groups, including Baptists
American officials are praising the Republic of Kazakhstan for considering religious freedom reforms that would help prevent the spread of extremism in Central Asia, hold off the political influence of neighboring China and enable minority faith groups, including Baptists, to…