FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 1, 2006

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Written Transcript

Contact:
Anne Johnson, Director of Communications, (202) 523-3240, ext. 27

WASHINGTON - The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today hosted a public roundtable discussion at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace entitled "Assessing U.S. Human Rights Policy Towards Russia." The roundtable reviewed how the U.S. government should be responding to the rollback in human rights, including religious freedom, in Russia and increasing Russian nationalism. The event was also held to prepare for upcoming Commission delegations to Russia.

Since its inception, the Commission has monitored and reported on the status of freedom of religion or belief in the Russian Federation. Russia has been of consistent concern to the Commission not so much because of the severity of the country's religious freedom violations, but rather due to its fragile human rights situation, including that of religious freedom. Of primary concern are the trends which have emerged in the past few years which raise serious questions about Russia's commitment to democratic reform and the protection of religious freedom. This is also critical because Russia continues to be a model, especially for other former Soviet states and other nations struggling to establish democratic systems after a history of despotism.

Current curtailments in media freedom and in the role of political parties, as well as legal restrictions on freedom of assembly, popular referenda and the end to popular election of regional governors, all reveal that progress towards democracy is being halted, if not reversed. Most, if not all, of the concerns about freedom of religion or belief raised by the Commission appear to be directly related to the growing influence of authoritarian, and perhaps even chauvinistic, strains in the Russian government. The country's progress, based on the rule of law, the protection of human rights, and democratic freedoms, is now in peril.

Commentators at the roundtable were:

Mark Medish, Partner, Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer and Feld; former Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director on the National Security Council for Russian, Ukrainian and Eurasian Affairs; and member of the Council on Foreign Relations Task Force on U.S.-Russian Relations.

Michael McFaul, Peter and Helen Bing Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, associate professor of political science at Stanford University and director of the Center on Democracy, Development, the Rule of Law; Senior Associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; and member of the Council on Foreign Relations Task Force on U.S.-Russian relations.

Catherine Fitzpatrick, U.N. representative for Physicians for Human Rights and independent human rights analyst.

Nikolas K. Gvosdev, Senior Fellow in Strategic Studies at The Nixon Center and Editor ofThe National Interest.

Witness testimony and a transcript of the hearing will be made available on the Commission's web site at www.uscirf.gov after the event.

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.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 27, 2006

Contact:
Angela Stephens, Assistant Communications Director,
(202) 523-3240, ext. 14

WASHINGTON-The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom is deeply concerned about the proposed establishment in Afghanistan of a Department for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, an organization reminiscent of one used by the Taliban to enforce its strict religious codes through public beatings, imprisonment, torture, and execution, including stoning to death. Women, non-Muslims, and Muslims who dissented in any way from the strain of state-enforced Islamicorthodoxy were the particular victims of the Vice and Virtue squad, though few in Afghanistan were spared its arbitrary and heinous abuses.

"The U.S. government should make clear to the government of Afghanistan its staunch opposition to this proposal," Commission Chair Felice D. Gaer said. "It should oppose any official state entity that will result in violations of the religious freedom rights of Afghanistan's citizens and make clear the view that such entities are widely associated with coercion and restrictions of religious freedom. In addition, the U.S. government should ensure that no U.S. assistance goes to support this new department," Gaer said.

The creation of a new Department for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice was reportedly proposed by Afghanistan's Ulema, or council of Muslim clerics, and has been endorsed by the cabinet of President Hamid Karzai. It has now been referred for approval to the country's parliament, which is scheduled to reconvene at the end of July. Afghanistan's Deputy Minister for Religious Affairs has been quoted as stating that the new Vice and Virtue agency will not be the same as that under the Taliban. He claims that this new department will not involve a special police force empowered to beat and imprison violators. Instead, it will be aimed, according to the Deputy Minister, at promoting religious values through "education, preaching, and encouragement."

Nevertheless, the Commission has several concerns that the creation of such a government institution in Afghanistan charged with the promotion of religious adherence tostate-imposedorthodoxy could amount effectively to a religious police force that will:

• violate Afghan citizens' universal right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief, including the right to be free from state compulsion with regard to religious worship and practice;
• abridge the human rights of Afghan women and girls;
• impose political conformity and stifle political debate about human rights and political freedom in Afghanistan, as well as the role of religion in Afghan law and society; and
• arbitrarily determine the "correct" nature of religious adherence and what constitutes a "violation"-a significant problem given the wide variety of doctrines and practices that exist within the majority Muslim community in Afghanistan.

Moreover, if it is criminality that this proposed agency is being created to address, such offenses should be dealt with under existing criminal statutes by the country's police force.

These concerns are not merely theoretical, since in the past year in Afghanistan, several very troubling cases exemplifying the absence of legal protections for fundamental rights came before the courts. In October 2005, an Afghan journalist and editor was found guilty of blasphemy and "insulting Islam" after he raised questions about discrimination against women and the use of certain harsh punishments under traditional Islamic law. His two-year term was reduced to a six-month suspended sentence, but only after he apologized to the court. In March 2006, an Afghan citizen was arrested and threatened with execution on the charge of changing his religion. In the face of a massive international outcry about the case, the court dismissed the charges against him, but concerns about his personal safety forced him to seek asylum abroad.

"The Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice was responsible for some of the most egregious violations of freedom of religion or belief in Afghanistan under the Taliban," said Gaer. "The re-emergence of a government department that could impose religious doctrine is a profoundly disturbing development that imperils the institution of democracy in Afghanistan. This development cannot be one envisioned by those who fought to see the Taliban removed from power."

Last May, the Commission placed Afghanistan on its Watch List of countries that merit heightened attention by the U.S. government for religious freedom violations. Establishment of a Vice and Virtue agency is the kind of regressive action that the Commission feared would tip the balance away from protections for human rights. This development is of particular concern because, as the Commission has consistently noted, Afghanistan's constitution does not guarantee the individual right to religious freedom and empowers the judicial system to enforce Islamic law. The result is that the new constitution does not fully protect individual Afghan citizens who dissent from state-imposed orthodoxy against unjust accusations of religious "crimes" such as apostasy and blasphemy. A new government department tasked with promoting virtue and preventing vice would only further exacerbate these disturbing legal weaknesses.

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.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 20, 2006

Contact:
Anne Johnson, Director of Communications, (202) 523-3240, ext. 27

WASHINGTON - The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) wrote to President George W. Bush urging him to raise in his January 24 meeting with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz the need to promote and protect religious freedom and religious tolerance in Pakistan. Since its inception, the Commission has looked closely at the conditions of religious freedom in Pakistan and continues to recommend to the Secretary of State that Pakistan be named a "country of particular concern" (CPC) for its severe violations of religious freedom. The State Department has not yet designated Pakistan a CPC.

Sectarian and religiously-motivated violence has been committed by Sunni Muslim extremist groups against Shia Muslims, Ahmadis, Hindus, and Christians. Discriminatory legislation has fostered an atmosphere of religious intolerance and eroded the social and legal status of members of religious minorities, particularly the Ahmadi community. Blasphemy allegations, which are often false, result in the lengthy detention of, and sometimes violence against, Christians, Hindus, Ahmadis, and members of other religious minorities, as well as Muslims on account of their religious beliefs. After Pakistan's President General Pervez Musharraf took power in a military coup in 1999, he announced early in his tenure that he would address some of these serious problems. His government has failed to do so, however, and has been criticized inside and outside Pakistan for capitulating to, and thus emboldening, militant groups that advocate policies opposed to the protection of religious freedom.

The Commission recognizes the importance of the U.S.-Pakistan relationship and the strong ties between our two countries. Nevertheless, concerns about religious freedom and other human rights are a critical element of U.S. interests in Pakistan and should be prominent on the bilateral agenda. We hope that President Bush will discuss with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz the United States' concern about severe violations of religious freedom in Pakistan, the persistent problem of sectarian violence, and the need to promote democratic institutions and genuine religious tolerance among all religious communities.

The text of the letter to President Bush follows:

Dear President Bush:

On behalf of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, I urge you to raise in your meeting next week with Pakistan's Prime Minister, Mr. Shaukat Aziz, the need to promote and protect religious freedom and religious tolerance in Pakistan.

Since its inception, the Commission has looked closely at the conditions of religious freedom in Pakistan. The country's president, General Pervez Musharraf, who took power in a military coup in October 1999, announced early in his tenure that his government would address some of these serious problems. Unfortunately, his government has failed to live up to many of the expectations that it had raised. Moreover, the current government has been criticized inside and outside Pakistan for capitulating to, and thus emboldening, militant groups that advocate policies that are opposed to the protection of religious freedom for all Pakistanis and the equal citizenship of members of all religious communities. Belated efforts to curb extremism through reform of Pakistan's thousands of Islamic religious schools continue to have little effect. Many of these schools provide ongoing ideological training and motivation to those who take part in violence targeting religious minorities in Pakistan and abroad.

Sectarian and religiously-motivated violence, much of it committed against Shia Muslims by Sunni militants, is chronic in Pakistan. Ahmadis, Hindus, and Christians have also been targeted by Sunni extremist groups. In the past few years, there have also been fatal attacks on churches and other Christian institutions. Last November, a mob of over 1,500 persons, incited by local Muslim clerics on the basis of a false accusation of blasphemy against a local Christian man, set fire to and destroyed several churches, schools, and homes of Christian families in the town of Sangla Hill. Political leaders did condemn the violence and the blasphemy charge was later dropped, but the incident is only one example of the violence that minority religious communities experience in Pakistan and the fear with which they must routinely live.

Discriminatory legislation has fostered an atmosphere of religious intolerance and eroded the social and legal status of members of religious minorities, particularly the Ahmadi community. Ahmadis, who number three-four million in Pakistan, are prevented by law from engaging in the full practice of their faith. Officially barred from "posing" as Muslims, it is illegal for Ahmadis to preach in public, to call their places of worship "mosques," or to produce, publish, and disseminate their religious materials. Ahmadis have been arrested and imprisoned for terms of up to three years for such acts. They are also subject to violence; last October, eight Ahmadis were killed and 20 injured when gunmen fired on Ahmadi worshippers during Friday prayers.

Blasphemy allegations, which are often false, result in the lengthy detention of, and sometimes violence against, Christians, Hindus, Ahmadis, and members of other religious minorities, as well as Muslims on account of their religious beliefs. Prescribed penalties for blasphemy include death and life imprisonment, after proceedings which frequently lack due process. Just last week, 50 members of the "Divine Love" Mehdi Foundation International community were arrested on blasphemy charges and are reportedly being subject to physical abuse while in detention. Some of those accused under the blasphemy laws have been attacked and even killed by vigilantes, including while in police custody; those who escape official punishment or vigilante attack are often forced to flee the country. Although amended in October 2004 with the aim of reducing the more maliciously applied charges, the procedural changes have not had a significant affect on the way the blasphemy laws are exploited in Pakistan.

Pakistan's Hudood Ordinances provide for harsh punishments, such as amputation and death by stoning, for violations of Islamic law. Although these extreme corporal punishments have not been carried out in practice due to high evidentiary standards, lesser punishments such as jail terms or fines have been imposed. Rape victims run a high risk of being charged with adultery, for which death by stoning remains a possible sentence. The UN Committee Against Torture, as well as the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, have stated that stoning and amputation can constitute inhuman or degrading treatment under international human rights standards and treaties.

The Commission is also concerned about the country's public school curriculum, which, according to the State Department, includes "derogatory remarks against minority religions, particularly Hindus and Jews," and the more general teaching that religious intolerance is acceptable. Moreover, there continue to be reports of incidents of persons being forcibly converted to Islam, including the case in December of last year in which three Hindu girls were reportedly kidnapped and pressed to change their religion.

In view of the severe religious freedom violations that exist in Pakistan, the Commission continues to recommend that Pakistan be designated a "country of particular concern," or CPC under the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act. We encourage you to urge Mr. Aziz to make serious and sustained efforts to promote and protect the religious freedom of all the citizens of Pakistan, including:

- to rescind laws that effectively criminalize the public practice of the Ahmadi faith in violation of the right to freedom of religion guaranteed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;

-to implement procedural changes to the blasphemy laws that will significantly and genuinely reduce their abuse; and

- to take effective steps to prevent sectarian violence and punish its perpetrators, including disarming militant groups and any religious schools that provide weapons and other training.

Mr. President, we recognize the importance of the U.S.-Pakistan relationship and the strong ties between our two countries. Nevertheless, concerns about religious freedom and other human rights are a critical element of U.S. interests in Pakistan and should be prominent on the bilateral agenda. We hope that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz's visit to Washington provides an occasion for a serious discussion of severe violations of religious freedom in Pakistan, the persistent problem of sectarian violence, and the need to promote democratic institutions and genuine religious tolerance among all religious communities.

Respectfully,

Michael Cromartie
Chair

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.