USCIRF Commissioner Davie Calls for the Immediate Release of RPOC Yahaya Sharif-Aminu

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) called for the release of Muslim gospel singer and member of the Tijaniyya Sufi Islamic order Yahaya Sharif-Aminu on the second anniversary of his arrest.

“USCIRF urges Nigerian authorities to immediately release Yahaya Sharif-Aminu and guarantee his safety,” said Commissioner Frederick A. Davie who advocates for Sharif-Aminu as part of USCIRF’s Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project. “Convicting this man on blasphemy charges for expressing his beliefs is reprehensible—and sentencing him to death for such actions is absurd. He does not deserve to be detained for two years, let alone sentenced to death. And allowing a mob to burn down his family home with impunity only adds further insult to this grievous injury.”

On March 4, 2020, a mob burned down Sharif-Aminu’s family home after he was accused of performing and sharing a song considered blasphemous in WhatsApp. Later that same month, Nigerian authorities arrested him on blasphemy charges. On August 10, 2020, a Kano court sentenced Sharif-Aminu to death for blasphemy, in violation of Section 382 (B) of the Kano State Sharia Penal Code Law. On January 21, 2021, the High Court of Kano State’s appellate division overturned his death sentence, citing irregularities, and ordered a retrial. Last month, the Court of Appeals in Kano postponed the retrial until May 12, 2022, agreeing to the Kano State government’s request for more time to file its response.

“Sharif-Aminu’s treatment violates international human rights standards and the Nigerian Constitution, but Nigerian authorities still have an opportunity to turn this situation around,” added Commissioner Davie. “The United States government should pressure Nigerian authorities to ensure Yahaya's release and safety and that of his family. The U.S. government also should work with Nigerian authorities to repeal blasphemy laws still present in state-sponsored courts.”

In recent years, Kano state authorities have perpetrated some of Nigeria’s most egregious religious freedom violations. They have arrested, charged, and/or convicted several individuals for blasphemy, prohibited broadcast stations from airing religious content, restricted religious poets and performers, and arrested and detained individuals from the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) community based on their official interpretation and enforcement of Sharia.  

In its 2021 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the State Department redesignate Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” or CPC. USCIRF was appalled when the State Department removed Nigeria from its designation as a CPC in November 2021 after designating Nigeria for the first time in December 2020. Additionally, USCIRF published a recent factsheet on religious freedom conditions in Nigeria’s Kano State and an episode of the USCIRF Spotlight podcast on why redesignating Nigeria as a CPC is warranted.  

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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]. 

USCIRF Commends Release of Egyptian Religious Prisoner Reda Abdel Rahman

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) commends the release of Egyptian Qur’anist Muslim Reda Abdel Rahman, who spent a year and a half in pretrial detention for his religious beliefs. On February 27, Abdel Rahman was released from the Kafr Saqr Police Station after the Zagazig Criminal Court ordered his release the week before.

“We are absolutely thrilled to see Reda at home with his family,” said Commissioner Sharon Kleinbaum who advocated for Abdel Rahman as part of USCIRF’s Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project. “I commend Egyptian authorities for rectifying this injustice and look forward to Reda and his family living in peace, free from harassment or prosecution for their religious beliefs.”

Egyptian security forces detained Abdel Rahman and several of his family members in August 2020, questioning him about his religious beliefs and his relationship with his uncle, Qur’anist scholar and former USCIRF fellow Dr. Ahmed Sobhy Mansour. Egyptian authorities released Abdel Rahman’s relatives after a few days but held Abdel Rahman incommunicado for more than 40 days. In October 2020, he appeared in front of state prosecution falsely accused of joining the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and “promoting religious extremism.” He was charged with joining a terrorist organization and spreading false news.

“The prolonged detention of religious minorities in Egypt  for expressing their religious beliefs and supporting religious freedom must come to an end,” added Commissioner Tony Perkins. “Egypt must continue to work to fully implement its commitment to ensuring equal rights and protections, regardless of religion or belief, including removing religion from identity documents and lifting the bans on specific religious groups like Baha’is and Jehovah’s Witnesses.”

Although Egypt has taken positive steps towards improving religious freedom conditions in recent years—such as Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s public statements in support of religious pluralism, the renovation of religious heritage sites, and the passage of the 2016 Church Building Law—systematic challenges have hindered further progress. USCIRF’s November 2021 Egypt Country Update notes that Egypt’s blasphemy law, the slow implementation of the Church Building Law, and state-facilitated marginalization and discrimination of religious minorities remain ongoing obstacles. In its 2021 Annual Report, USCIRF continued to recommend that the U.S. Department of State place Egypt on its Special Watch List for engaging in severe violations of international religious freedom.

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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].