FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 26, 2019

USCIRF Commissioner Johnnie Moore Calls on Pakistan to Release Prisoner of Conscience Abdul Shakoor

WASHINGTON, DC – Johnnie Moore, Commissioner of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), today called on Pakistan to immediately release Abdul Shakoor, an imprisoned Ahmadiyya Muslim. Pakistani authorities arrested Shakoor in December 2015 for selling an Ahmadiyya commentary on the Qur’an. In January 2016, he was given an eight-year prison sentence. On February 26, 2016, seven members of the U.S. House of Representatives sent a bipartisan letter to then Secretary of State John Kerry seeking his support for Abdul Shakoor and a jailed Ahmadiyya newspaper editor, Tahir Mehdi. Three years later, the Pakistan government has yet to ensure justice for Shakoor.

“This is the third year in an eight-year sentence for the 82-year-old Abdul Shakoor, an innocent bookseller in Pakistan. USCIRF again condemns the charges levied against Mr. Shakoor, as well as the state-sponsored, legalized discrimination against the Ahmadiyya Muslim community,” said Commissioner Johnnie Moore who advocates on behalf of Mr. Shakoor through USCIRF’s Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project. “I call on Pakistan to immediately release Mr. Shakoor and, in the spirit of Pakistan’s founders more than 60 years ago, respect religious freedom.”

USCIRF began advocating for Mr. Shakoor in 2017, when it launched its Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project. Every year since 2002, USCIRF has recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate Pakistan a “country of particular concern” (CPC) for “ongoing, systematic, egregious” violations of religious freedom. In December 2018, the State Department designated Pakistan as a CPC.

###

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 threats to 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] or Kellie Boyle at [email protected] or +1-703-898-6554.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 15, 2019
 

USCIRF Releases Report on Violence in Central Nigeria on Eve of Presidential Elections
 

WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released a report on the dynamics of conflict between religious and ethnic groups in central Nigeria, where social hostility between religious groups is a key issue and sectarian violence has almost doubled over the past two years. The report, entitled “Central Nigeria: Overcoming Dangerous Speech and Endemic Religious Divides,” also examines the role of digital media, elite influencers, and dangerous speech that exacerbates tensions and incites violence.

“USCIRF is deeply concerned about the deadly conflicts in Nigeria and the potential for more violence around the elections,” said USCIRF Chair Tenzin Dorjee. “Only hours ago there were two deadly attacks in Kaduna state that left 66 dead. It is imperative for the U.S. government and the international community to help ensure that religious freedom is protected and that Nigerians can coexist peacefully regardless of their religious or ethnic identities.”

The report also looks at ways that government actors and civil society, including religious leaders, have sought to combat these challenges. For example, some public officials have attempted to pass laws prohibiting hate speech, while religious leaders and civil society organizations have conducted radio programs and interreligious dialogues to address the sources of tension and violence. The report concludes with recommendations for the U.S. government and the international community to help Nigeria with conflict prevention and the protection of freedom of religion or belief.

 

###

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 threats to 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] or Kellie Boyle at [email protected] or +1-703-898-6554.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 15, 2019

As Uighur Muslims Demand Video Evidence of Loved Ones, USCIRF Chair Tenzin Dorjee Calls on China to Release Prisoner of Conscience Gulmira Imin
 

WASHINGTON, DC – Tenzin Dorjee, chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), today called on China to immediately release Gulmira Imin, an imprisoned Uighur Muslim in Xinjiang. In July 2009, Chinese authorities cracked down on anti-government riots in the regional capital, Urumqi. On July 14, 2009, Ms. Imin, a moderator of a Uighur-language website for news and culture, was arrested. On April 1, 2010, Ms. Imin was sentenced to life imprisonment for organizing the riots, which she denies.

Following the Chinese government’s release on Sunday of a video allegedly showing a popular Uighur Muslim poet and musician alive, thousands of Uighur Muslims in the United States and around the world have called upon China to release videos of their loved ones.

“This year will mark 10 years since Gulmira Imin was given a life sentence. USCIRF again condemns the unsubstantiated charges against Ms. Imin and urges the Chinese authorities to release her immediately and unconditionally,” said Chair Dorjee, who advocates on behalf of Ms. Imin through USCIRF’s Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project. “I commend the efforts of activists and relatives of those detained to demand evidence of their loved ones’ well-being. Ultimately, the Chinese government must release the millions of Muslims it has arbitrarily and unjustly detained.”

USCIRF has condemned China’s intensified “sinicization” campaign to control, govern, and manipulate all aspects of faith into a socialist mold with “Chinese characteristics.” According to the U.S. Department of State, the Chinese government has detained between 800,000 and two million Uighur Muslims in internment camps.

###
 

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 threats to 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] or Kellie Boyle at [email protected] or +1-703-898-6554.