United States Commission on International Religious Freedom

Biden Administration Foreign Policy Tracker: Early August

Turkey’s Anti-Kurdish Measures Violate Religious Freedom

Turkey has a long history of discrimination against its Kurdish citizens as well as restrictions against using the Kurdish language. While this systematic exclusion has drawn international attention, its...

United Nations Human Rights Council

State Department Should Deliver an Honest Message about Turkey’s Religious Freedom Record

The US Department of State’s annual report on international religious freedom, released on May 12, documents the ongoing erosion of freedom of religion or belief in Turkey. The report echoes the concerns...

Turkey Needs to Change its Policy and Rhetoric Toward Religious Minorities

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan stunned his country’s Christians and Jews by publicly using the slur “gavur” (infidel), a pejorative designation for non-Muslims, to criticize...

Washington Can Help Free Turkey’s Highest-Profile Prisoner of Conscience

Among advocates for Turkey’s minorities, Osman Kavala is a secular saint. As a philanthropist, he has been the benefactor of initiatives to document and restore heritage sites, support arts and...

China Buys Turkey’s Silence on Uyghur Oppression

Turkey has joined the list of majority Muslim countries that have opted for silence in dealing with the one of the most pressing human rights issues of our time.

US International Religious Freedom Efforts Should Not Promote Islamic Extremism

The Trump Administration has elevated the promotion of international religious freedom to a major component of U.S. foreign policy. President Donald Trump issued an executive order devoting additional...

German intel says Iran ‘massively promotes antisemitism, Israel hatred’

Neo-Nazi politician met with Iran's chief proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Washington’s Muted Response Emboldens Erdogan’s Hostage Diplomacy

A Turkish court on June 11 convicted Metin Topuz, a Turkish national and liaison officer for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration at the U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul, to eight years and nine months...

Holy Jewish site of Esther and Mordechai set ablaze in Iran

'Disturbing reports from Iran that the tomb of Esther & Mordechai, a holy Jewish site, was set afire overnight,' ADL National Director Jonathan Greenblatt tweeted.

US politicians blast Algeria for church closures

Algerian authorities shut one church because it ‘celebrates non-Muslim worship’

Turkey the Only NATO Member Singled out in Annual Religious Freedom Report

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released its 2020 Annual Report on April 28 and recommended the US government include Turkey on the State Department’s “Special...

Beijing Hones and Exports Religious Oppression

Utilizing cutting-edge technology, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is perfecting the religious oppression of millions at home and exporting the same capabilities abroad. The CCP’s ongoing abuse...

The JCPOA Has Not Improved Iran’s Human Rights Record

The Obama administration routinely argued that the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran could spur Tehran to moderate, thereby reducing its systematic human rights abuses. But this forecast has proven unfounded:...

USCIRF Denounces Iran’s Religious Freedom Violations

Religious freedom conditions in Iran “remained egregiously poor” in 2019, according to an annual report released by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) on Tuesday. The report...

How China’s Repressive Policies Could Fuel the Jihad

The CCP’s harsh treatment of Uighurs in Xinjiang could very well drive more people into the arms of both al-Qaeda and ISIS.

Trump administration puts freedom first

The Trump administration has declared 2020 the year of “Freedom First,” though you would be forgiven for having missed it. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made the announcement at an event on human...

Turkey Must Stop Meddling in Armenian Church Affairs

The Turkish government is imposing its political preferences when it comes to selecting the leaders of the country’s minority groups—and posing a threat to religious freedom.