USCIRF Releases Report on Religious Freedom in Afghanistan

USCIRF Releases Report on Religious Freedom in Afghanistan

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:

Afghanistan Country Update - This country update describes current religious freedom conditions under de facto Taliban authorities, including the introduction and enforcement of strict religious edicts. It highlights the manner in which such edicts have severely restricted the religious freedom of all Afghans, including those with different interpretations of Islam, as well as religious minorities such as Ahmadiyya Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, Christians, and Shi’a Muslims. It also provides an overview of the role of the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in enforcing de facto authorities’ strict interpretation of Islam and Shari’a, including through corporal and capital punishment.

In its 2024 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate Afghanistan as a Country of Particular Concern for its systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations.

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected].