FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 14, 2002

Contact:
Lawrence J. Goodrich, Communications Director, (202) 523-3240, ext. 27

WASHINGTON - Religious-freedom conditions in Turkmenistan are extremely poor and respect for freedom of religion there is deteriorating. Those are among the conclusions in the latest report of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, an independent federal agency advising the Administration and Congress.

The report also contains a series of recommendations for U.S. policymakers, including a renewal of the Commission's recommendation that the State Department designate Turkmenistan a "country of particular concern." A country of particular concern is described in the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 as one where violations of religious freedom are egregious, systematic, and ongoing. Current countries of particular concern include Burma, China, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, and Sudan.

Among other Commission recommendations, the U.S. government should:

• Immediately suspend all non-humanitarian assistance to the government of Turkmenistan, with the exception of programs that serve U.S. national security interests in connection with the current campaign against terrorism;

• Scrutinize all aspects of any remaining assistance programs in Turkmenistan to ensure that these programs do not facilitate Turkmen government policies or practices that result in religious-freedom violations;

• Support efforts to facilitate Turkmenistan's sale of natural gas on world markets, including support for the Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline (TCGP), only if the Turkmen government takes definitive steps to improve substantially conditions for religious freedom in Turkmenistan;

• Identify specific steps that the government of Turkmenistan could take in order to have its currently suspended assistance reinstated and to avoid triggering further restrictions on assistance programs. These steps should reflect a substantial improvement in the protection of religious freedom;

• Press forcefully its concern about religious-freedom violations in Turkmenistan, consistent with the Turkmen government's obligations to promote respect for and observance of all human rights;

• Suspend state visits between the United States and Turkmenistan until religious-freedom conditions in the country have improved significantly;

• Encourage scrutiny of religious-freedom violations in Turkmenistan in appropriate international fora such as the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and other multilateral venues. The United States should sponsor a resolution at the United Nations condemning religious-freedom and other related human rights violations in Turkmenistan, which would create a U.N. special rapporteur to investigate the situation in Turkmenistan.

The report and recommendations may be read in their entirety on the Commission's Web site at www.uscirf.gov.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to monitor the status of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief abroad, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international instruments, and to give independent policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and the Congress."

Michael K. Young,Chair

• Felice D. Gaer, Firuz Kazemzadeh, Richard D. Land, Bishop William Francis Murphy, Leila Nadya Sadat, Nina Shea, The Hon. Charles R. Stith, The Hon. Shirin Tahir-Kheli, Steven T. McFarland, Executive Director

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 12, 2002

Contact:
Lawrence J. Goodrich, Communications Director, (202) 523-3240, ext. 27

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has observed with great concern the rioting between religious groups in India over the past weeks that has taken more than 600 lives. Reports indicate that both Hindus and Muslims have instigated violence. In all cases, regardless of who the perpetrators are, the Commission unequivocally condemns such attacks and urges the U.S. government to press Indian authorities to exercise their power immediately to halt the atrocities and violence and bring the perpetrators to justice.

In its report of May 1, 2001, the Commission expressed its concern about the recent increase in violence against religious minorities in India, particularly Muslims and Christians, that has been associated with the rise in power of Hindu nationalist organizations, including the Vishna Hindu Parishad, the Bajrang Dal, and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, as well as their political wing, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These groups are collectively known as the Sangh Parivar. The BJP has led the national government since 1998 in coalition with regional parties (some without nationalist leanings).

The ideology of the Sangh Parivar holds that only Hindus are "real" Indians, suggesting that non-Hindus are foreigners and thus deserving of suspicion and even attack. Sangh Parivar groups argue that the previous leaders of India failed to create a nation sufficiently grounded in Hindu culture, and that Western thought, including the concept of secular government, is dangerous and detrimental to India, along with conversion to what they claim are "foreign" religions such as Islam and Christianity. Members of other religious communities are thus portrayed as foreign implants, and their patriotism and status as true Indian citizens are frequently called into question by Sangh Parivar groups.

It is hard to imagine a set of views and values less appropriate in a country that is home to one of the world's largest Muslim populations (about 120 million) and 20 million to 30 million Christians. The United States government must speak out strongly against both the increasing attacks on minorities and the ideology of hate behind them. The Indian government must also do more to root out the causes of such tragedies, especially by resolving the impasse over the Muslim Babri mosque in Ayodhya destroyed by Hindu nationalists in 1992, and where Hindu nationalists are vowing to construct a Hindu temple instead.

As the United States deepens its engagement with India, it must work with the Indian government to help foster an atmosphere of greater religious tolerance in that country.

As the Commission recommended in its May report, the U.S. government should:

• press India to pursue perpetrators of violent acts that target members of religious groups;

• make clear its concern to the BJP-led government that virulent nationalist rhetoric is fueling an atmosphere in which perpetrators believe they can attack religious minorities with impunity;

• encourage and facilitate private-sector communication and exchanges between American and Indian religious groups and other non-governmental organizations interested in religious freedom;

• allocate funds from U.S. foreign-assistance programs for the promotion of education on religious toleration and inclusiveness in India;

• seek ways to respond positively through enhanced economic ties to Indian government efforts to protect religious freedom.

The full text of the report on India is available on the Commission's Web site at www.uscirf.gov.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to monitor the status of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief abroad, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international instruments, and to give independent policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and the Congress." 

Michael K. Young,Chair

• Felice D. Gaer, Firuz Kazemzadeh, Richard D. Land, Bishop William Francis Murphy, Leila Nadya Sadat, Nina Shea, The Hon. Charles R. Stith, The Hon. Shirin Tahir-Kheli, Steven T. McFarland,Executive Director

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 8, 2002

Contact:
Lawrence J. Goodrich, Communications Director, (202) 523-3240, ext. 27

WASHINGTON - The upcoming visit of Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov affords President Bush and the Secretary of State the opportunity to express the U.S. government's concerns over that country's poor record on religious freedom and other human rights.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has repeatedly expressed its concern that cooperation in the war against terrorism not be traded off for U.S. silence on religious-freedom and other human rights issues. As recommended by the Commission, the Administration has recently affirmed that the campaign against terrorism affords the United States a unique opportunity to encourage much-needed improvement by Uzbekistan's government in its abysmal treatment of religious exercise. In so doing, the United States demonstrates its commitment to its strongest principles and values, including the very rights and freedoms the terrorists would destroy. The first U.S. step should be the conditioning of all aid to Uzbekistan, except humanitarian and human rights assistance, on the Uzbek government taking concrete steps to improve conditions for religious freedom.

Since 1999 the Uzbek government has arrested, tortured, and imprisoned (with sentences up to 20 years) thousands of Muslims who reject the state's control over religious practice. In some cases, piety alone brings state suspicion and arrest. Though certain underground groups in Uzbekistan, including the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, pose a genuine security threat to the Uzbek government, virtually all observers (and many U.S. government officials) contend that the current government's extremely repressive policies are actively contributing to the growth of - and popular support for - radicalized groups there. In addition, the Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations passed in May 1998 severely restricts the right of independent Muslims, as well as minority religious groups, to freedom of religion.

The Commission has raised these issues with the U.S. government, which in turn has pressed the Uzbek government for improvements on religious freedom and human rights. This pressure has led to some recent positive steps, such as the Uzbek government's granting of permission for a local human rights group to legally register. But much more is needed to meet Uzbekistan's international obligations to protect religious freedom and other human rights, and the United States must continue to register its concerns with Uzbek officials at every level. The Commission has asked the Secretary of State to help arrange a meeting with President Karimov to discuss its concerns directly with him.

The Commission has given the Administration and Congress a series of recommendations for policies to promote religious freedom in Uzbekistan. These recommendations call upon the U.S. government to:

• condition all U.S. assistance to the Uzbek government, except for humanitarian and human rights assistance, on the government's taking concrete steps to improve conditions for religious freedom in Uzbekistan;

• press Uzbekistan to stop its practice of excessively regulating the free practice of religion, including oppressive regulation of Islamic clergy and use of registration requirements to prevent minority religious groups from practicing their faith;

• continue to press forcefully its concern about religious-freedom violations in Uzbekistan in bilateral and multilateral discussions;

• press the Uzbek government to cease abusing articles in its criminal code that impinge upon religious freedom;

• encourage the Uzbek government to review the cases of persons detained for or charged with religious, political, or security offenses and release those unjustly detained or sentenced;

• press the Uzbek government to adhere to its international commitments to abide fully by the rule of law and to ensure due process to all;

• develop assistance programs for Uzbekistan to encourage the creation of institutions of civil society that protect human rights and promote religious freedom;

• retain the Uzbek-language program of the Voice of America and use it and appropriate public diplomacy to explain to the people of Uzbekistan why religious freedom is an important part of U.S. foreign policy.

The complete text of the recommendations can be found on the Commission's Web site at www.uscirf.gov.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to monitor the status of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief abroad, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international instruments, and to give independent policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and the Congress." 

Michael K. Young,Chair

• Felice D. Gaer, Firuz Kazemzadeh, Richard D. Land, Bishop William Francis Murphy, Leila Nadya Sadat, Nina Shea, The Hon. Charles R. Stith, The Hon. Shirin Tahir-Kheli, Steven T. McFarland, Executive Director