Apr 4, 2023

USCIRF Releases New Report on African Traditional and Indigenous Religions

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

African Traditional and Indigenous Religious – This factsheet places African traditional and indigenous religions within the broader international religious freedom discourse, from which they have historically been underrepresented. In several contexts, practitioners of African traditional and indigenous religions have faced religious freedom violations in recent years. These include violence and impunity for violence, legal restrictions, coerced conversion or forced repentance, and the desecration and removal of their sacred sites and objects. Practitioners of these faiths have also faced bias and discrimination from governments. The analysis summarizes historical trends, identifies relevant international legal mechanisms that protect freedom of religion or belief for practitioners of African traditional and indigenous religions, and explores threats facing some practitioners of these faiths, including religious freedom violations and government bias and discrimination.

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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].

Gender: Male

Perpetrator: Pakistan

Religion or Belief: Christian – Catholic

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Appeal: Rejected

Sentence: Death

Date of Sentencing: July//2002

Current Status: Not Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment

Reason for Persecution: Blasphemy (General) Blasphemy (Religious Figures) Blasphemy (Religious Texts) Religious Belief Religious Expression

Nature of Charges: Blasphemy

Anwar Kenneth

Extra Bio Info:

Anwar Kenneth is imprisoned and sentenced to death for blasphemy.

In 2001, authorities reportedly arrested Kenneth after he was accused of writing letters perceived as blasphemous towards the Prophet Muhammad and Qur’an. Kenneth was charged with "insulting the Prophet Muhammad" (Sec. 295-C PPC).

In July 2002, a court in Lahore sentenced Kenneth to death and fined him five million rupees after he plead guilty.

On June 30, 2014, the Lahore High Court upheld Kenneth’s sentence.

Sources:

Gender: Male

Perpetrator: India

Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Date of Detainment: March/20/2023

Current Status: Not Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment

Reason for Persecution: Human Rights Work for Religious Communities Reporting on Religious Freedom Conditions or Documenting Religious Freedom Violations

Nature of Charges: Criminal Premeditation & Conspiracy Illicit Financing Terrorism Threat Treason & Sedition

Irfan Mehraj

Extra Bio Info:

Irfan Mehraj is detained for his human rights work and journalism for vulnerable religious communities.

On March 20, 2023, authorities with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Mehraj, a human rights activist and journalist, in Srinagar after summoning him for questioning. The NIA accused him of working at the Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), a human rights organization known for documenting human rights violations committed by authorities in Kashmir, a Muslim-majority area. The NIA has accused JKCCS of funding terrorist activities and arrested its leader, human rights defender Khurram Parvez, in the same case. Mehraj was also known for his reporting on marginalized religious communities.

Mehraj was reportedly charged with conspiracy (Sec. 120B IPC), sedition (Sec. 124A IPC), raising funds for terrorist acts (Sec. 17 UAPA), conspiracy (Sec. 18 UAPA), threatening a witness by a company (Sec. 22A and 22C UAPA), associating with a terrorist organization (Sec. 38 UAPA), supporting a terrorist organization (Sec. 39 UAPA), and raising funds for a terrorist organization (Sec. 40 UAPA).

On March 24, 2023, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Mary Lawlor called for Mehraj's release.

Related Cases: Khurram Parvez

Sources:
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