United States Commission on International Religious Freedom

{{Short description|American government agency}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2012}}{{Use American English|date = February 2019}}
{{Infobox government agency
| name            = United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
| seal            = Seal of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.svg
| logo            = 
| formed          = {{Start date and age|1998|10|28}}
| jurisdiction    = 
| headquarters    = [[Washington, D.C.]]
| employees       = 15+
| budget          = 
| chief1_name     = Erin D. Singshinsuk
| chief1_position = Executive Director
| chief2_name     = 
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| website         = {{URL|https://www.uscirf.gov/}}
}}

The '''United States Commission on International Religious Freedom''' ('''USCIRF''') is a U.S. federal government commission created by the [[International Religious Freedom Act of 1998|International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998]]. USCIRF Commissioners are appointed by the President and the leadership of both political parties in the [[United States Senate|Senate]] and the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]. USCIRF's principal responsibilities are to review the facts and circumstances of violations of [[religious freedom]] internationally and to make policy recommendations to the [[President of the United States|President]], the [[US Secretary of State|Secretary of State]], and the [[US Congress|Congress]].

==History==
[[File:Annual Report of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (2008).pdf|thumb|Annual Report of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (2008)]]
USCIRF was authorized by the [[International Religious Freedom Act of 1998]], which established:<ref name=GPOmeta>GPO [https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-105publ292 Public Law 105 - 292 - International Religious Freedom Act of 1998] Page accessed June 3, 2016</ref><ref name=IRFAtext>GPO [https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-105publ292/html/PLAW-105publ292.htm International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 text] Page accessed June 3, 2016</ref>

*An [[Office of International Religious Freedom]] in the [[United States Department of State]], headed by an [[United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom|Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom]]
*A mandate that the State Department prepare Annual Reports on International Religious Freedom
*A requirement to name the most egregious religious freedom violators as [[Country of Particular Concern|Countries of Particular Concern]] (CPCs) and to take policy actions in response to all violations of religious freedom as a specific element of [[U.S. foreign policy]] programs, cultural exchanges, and international broadcasting.
*The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uscirf.gov/about-uscirf/authorizing-legislation-amendments|title=Authorizing Legislation & Amendments|work= United States Commission on International Religious Freedom|date=February 2008}}</ref>

The legislation authorizing the USCIRF stated that the Commission would terminate on September 30, 2011, unless it was reauthorized or given a temporary extension. It was given several extensions by Congress, but would have expired at 5:00&nbsp;pm on Friday, December 16, 2011, had it not been reauthorized for a seven-year term (until 2018), on the morning of the 16th. This happened after a new reauthorization bill passed both Houses containing two amendments were made to it that Senator [[Dick Durbin]], D-IL (the [[Senate Majority Whip]]) had wanted as a condition of releasing a hold he had placed on the former version of the bill; he released it on December 13, after the revisions were made. They stipulate that there will be a two-year limit on terms for commissioners and that they will be under the same travel restrictions as employees of the Department of State.<ref>[http://www.uscirf.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=349&Itemid=45&date=2010-06-01 Authorizing Legislation & Amendments], United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.  Accessed on-line June 4, 2010.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/us-religious-freedom-commission-reauthorized-at-last-minute/|title=US religious freedom commission reauthorized at last minute|work=[[Catholic News Agency]]}}</ref>

In 2016, the U.S. Congress passed and President [[Barack Obama]] signed the [[Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act]], which amended IRFA in various ways, including adding a category of designation for non-state actors.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/international-religious-freedom-act-primer|title=The International Religious Freedom Act: A Primer|date=2018-01-10|work=Lawfare|access-date=2018-11-16|language=en}}</ref>

==Duties and responsibilities==
USCIRF researches and monitors international religious freedom issues. The Commission is authorized to travel on fact-finding missions to other countries and hold public hearings.<ref name=IRFAtext/>

The Commission on International Religious Freedom issues an annual report that includes policy recommendations to the U.S. government based on the report's evaluation of the facts and circumstances of religious freedom violations worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/documents/organization/2297.pdf|title=H.R. 2431|website=U.S. Department of State|access-date=2018-11-16}}</ref>

==Commissioners==
The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 provides for the Commission to be composed of ten members:<ref name="cozad">{{cite journal|last1=Cozad|first1=Laurie|year=2005|title=The United States' Imposition of Religious Freedom: The International Religious Freedom Act and India|journal=India Review|volume=4|issue=1|pages=59–83|doi=10.1080/14736480590919617|s2cid=153774347}}</ref>

*Three appointed by the President
*Three appointed by the [[President pro tempore of the United States Senate|President pro tempore of the Senate]], of which two of the members shall be appointed upon the recommendation of the [[Party leaders of the United States Senate|leader in the Senate]] of the political party that is not the political party of the President, and of which one of the members shall be appointed upon the recommendation of the leader in the Senate of the other political party
*Three appointed by the [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|Speaker of the House of Representatives]], of which two of the members shall be appointed upon the recommendation of the [[Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives|leader in the House]] of the political party that is not the political party of the President, and of which one of the members shall be appointed upon the recommendation of the leader in the House of the other political party.
*The [[Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom]], as a non-voting ''[[ex officio]]'' member

IRFA provides that "Members of the Commission shall be selected among distinguished individuals noted for their knowledge and experience in fields relevant to the issue of international religious freedom, including [[Foreign policy|foreign affairs]], [[direct experience]] abroad, [[human rights]], and [[international law]]." Commissioners are not paid for their work on the Commission, however they are provided a travel budget and a 15–20 member staff. Appointments last for two years, and Commissioners are eligible for reappointment.

As of July 19, 2023,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-11-16 |title=Commissioners: Advocates for Religious Freedom {{!}} USCIRF |url=https://www.uscirf.gov/commissioners |access-date=2023-07-14 |website=www.uscirf.gov |language=en}}</ref> the current Commissioners are:
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Commissioner
!Appointed By
!Term expires
!Details
|-
|Abraham Cooper (Chair)<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2023-07-05 |title=Abraham Cooper Elected as Chair of Bipartisan U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, Frederick A. Davie as Vice Chair |url=https://www.uscirf.gov/news-room/releases-statements/abraham-cooper-elected-chair-bipartisan-us-commission-international |access-date=2023-07-14 |website=United States Commission on International Religious Freedom}}</ref>
|[[Mitch McConnell]]
|May 2024
|Associate Dean and Director of Global Social Action for the Simon Wiesenthal Center<ref>{{Cite web |title=Abraham Cooper |url=https://www.uscirf.gov/abraham-cooper |access-date=2022-06-21 |website=Abraham Cooper {{!}} USCIRF}}</ref>
|-
|Frederick A. Davie (Vice Chair)<ref name=":0" />
|[[Chuck Schumer]]
|May 2024
|Senior Strategic Advisor to the President, [[Union Theological Seminary (New York City)|Union Theological Seminary]];<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-11-16|title=Frederick A. Davie {{!}} USCIRF|url=https://www.uscirf.gov/about-uscirf/commissioners/frederick-davie|access-date=2021-11-16|website=www.uscirf.gov|language=en}}</ref> former member of the Advisory Council for the [[White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships|White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships]]
|-
|David Curry
|[[Kevin McCarthy]]
|May 2024
|President and CEO of Global Christian Relief<ref>{{Cite web |title=David Curry |url=https://www.uscirf.gov/about-uscirf/commissioners/david-curry |access-date=2022-06-21 |website=David Curry {{!}} USCIRF}}</ref>
|-
|[[Susie Gelman]]
|[[Joe Biden]]
|May 2025
|Board Chair (2016–2023), Israel Policy Forum; former President of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington; member of the Board of Governors of [[Hebrew University of Jerusalem|The Hebrew University]]; past President of the Goldman Environmental Foundation<ref>{{Cite web |title=Susie Gelman |url=https://www.uscirf.gov/about-uscirf/commissioners/susie-gelman |access-date=2023-07-19 |website=U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom}}</ref>
|-
|Mohamed Magid
|Joe Biden
|May 2024
|Executive Religious Director, All Dulles Area Muslim Society Center; Chairman, International Interfaith Peace Corps; Co-President, [[Religions for Peace]]; Co-Founder, Multi-faith Neighbors Network<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mohamad Magid |url=https://www.uscirf.gov/about-uscirf/commissioners/mohamed-magid |access-date=2022-08-12 |website=USCIRF}}</ref>
|-
|[[Stephen F. Schneck|Stephen Schneck]]
|Joe Biden
|May 2024
|Retired Executive Director of the [[Franciscan Action Network]]; Former associate professor at [[Catholic University of America|The Catholic University of America]]; former Director of CUA's [[Institute for Policy Research and Catholic Studies]]; former member of the advisory council for the [[White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stephen Schneck |url=https://www.uscirf.gov/about-uscirf/commissioners/stephen-schneck |access-date=2022-06-21 |website=Stephen Schneck {{!}} USCIRF}}</ref>
|-
|[[Nury Turkel]]
|[[Nancy Pelosi]]
|May 2024
|Chairman of the Board, [[Uyghur Human Rights Project]]; former president, [[Uyghur American Association]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-11-16 |title=Nury Turkel {{!}} USCIRF |url=https://www.uscirf.gov/about-uscirf/commissioners/nury-turkel |access-date=2021-11-16 |website=www.uscirf.gov |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|[[Eric Ueland]]
|Mitch McConnell
|May 2024
|Former acting [[Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights]]; former Director of the Office of U.S. Foreign Assistance Resources at the [[United States Department of State|Department of States]]; former [[Presidency of Donald Trump|Trump]] White House advisor; former Capitol Hill staffer<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eric Ueland |url=https://www.uscirf.gov/about-uscirf/commissioners/eric-ueland |access-date=2022-06-21 |website=Eric Ueland {{!}} USCRIF}}</ref>
|-
|[[Frank Wolf (politician)|Frank Wolf]]
|Kevin McCarthy
|May 2024
|Former Member, U.S. House of Representatives (VA-10); Author of the [[International Religious Freedom Act of 1998|International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA)]]; founder and former co-chair, [[Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Frank Wolf |url=https://www.uscirf.gov/frank-wolf |access-date=2022-06-21 |website=Frank Wolf {{!}} USCIRF}}</ref>
|}
The State Department's Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, currently [[Rashad Hussain]], serves as an ''ex officio'', non-voting member of the Commission.<ref name="cozad"/>

Past Commissioners include [[Sharon Kleinbaum]], [[Thomas J. Reese|Tom Reese, S.J.]], [[Khizr and Ghazala Khan|Khizr Khan]], [[Tony Perkins (politician)|Tony Perkins]], [[David Saperstein (rabbi)|David Saperstein]],<ref name="timesofisrael">[http://www.timesofisrael.com/us-senate-approves-rabbi-as-freedom-of-faith-envoy/ "US Senate approves rabbi as freedom of faith envoy"], ''[[The Times of Israel]]'', December 15, 2014. Retrieved December 15, 2014.</ref> [[Preeta D. Bansal]], [[Gayle Conelly Manchin|Gayle Conelly Manchin (Chair)]],<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-11-16|title=USCIRF Congratulates Outgoing Chair, Gayle Manchin, Welcomes New Chair, Anurima Bhargava {{!}} USCIRF|url=https://www.uscirf.gov/news-room/releases-statements/uscirf-congratulates-outgoing-chair-gayle-manchin-welcomes-new-chair|access-date=2021-11-16|website=www.uscirf.gov|language=en}}</ref> [[Gary Bauer]], [[John Hanford]], [[Khaled Abou El Fadl]], [[Charles J. Chaput]], [[Michael K. Young]], [[Firuz Kazemzadeh]], [[Shirin R. Tahir-Kheli]], [[John R. Bolton]], [[Elliot Abrams]], [[Felice D. Gaer]], [[Azizah Y. al-Hibri]], [[Leonard Leo]], [[Richard Land]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uscirf.gov/about-uscirf/former-commissioners|title=Former Commissioners|work=United States Commission on International Religious Freedom|date=April 11, 2008}}</ref> Tenzin Dorjee (Chair),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uscirf.gov/about-uscirf/dr-tenzin-dorjee-commissioner|title=Dr. Tenzin Dorjee, Commissioner|date=December 8, 2016|work=United States Commission on International Religious Freedom|access-date=2017-08-15}}</ref> and Kristina Arriaga de Bucholz.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kristina Arriaga de Bucholz, Commissioner |url=https://www.uscirf.gov/about-uscirf/kristina-arriaga-de-bucholz-commissioner |access-date=2022-11-14 |website=USCIRF}}</ref>

==Designations==
[[File:2023-USIRF-report-map.svg|alt=A map of the world with Afghanistan, China, Cuba, Eritrea, India, Iran, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Vietnam colored blue (indicating a Country of Particular Concern) and with Algeria, Azerbaijan, Central African Republic, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and Uzbekistan colored green (indicating a country on the Special Watch List)|thumb|350x350px|Countries designated in USCIRF's 2023 annual report as Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) or included on the Special Watch List (SWL)]]
The International Religious Freedom Act requires the President, who has delegated this function to the Secretary of State, to designate as “countries of particular concern,” or CPCs, countries that commit systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom. Pursuant to IRFA, USCIRF recommends the countries that, in its view, meet the CPC threshold and should be so designated.<ref name="FAQ">{{Cite web |title=Frequently Asked Questions |url=https://www.uscirf.gov/about-uscirf/frequently-asked-questions |access-date=2023-07-14 |website=United States Commission on International Religious Freedom}}{{PD-notice}}</ref>

In addition to recommending countries for CPC designation, USCIRF also recommends countries to be added to the State Department's Special Watch List (SWL). The SWL is for countries whose governments engage or tolerate in severe religious freedom violations, but do not rise to the CPC standard of “systematic, ongoing, ''and'' egregious.” Violations in SWL countries must meet two of those three criteria.<ref name="FAQ"/>

In its 2023 report, USCRIF recommended the following countries be designated as countries of particular concern: [[Afghanistan]], [[China]], [[Cuba]], [[Eritrea]], [[India]], [[Iran]], [[Myanmar]], [[Nicaragua]], [[Nigeria]], [[North Korea]], [[Pakistan]], [[Russia]], [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Syria]], [[Tajikistan]], [[Turkmenistan]], and [[Vietnam]]. Additionally, USCIRF recommended that [[Algeria]], [[Azerbaijan]], the [[Central African Republic]], [[Egypt]], [[Indonesia]], [[Iraq]], [[Kazakhstan]], [[Malaysia]], [[Sri Lanka]], [[Turkey]], and [[Uzbekistan]] be included on the State Department's Special Watch List.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2023 Recommendations |url=https://www.uscirf.gov/countries/2023-recommendations |access-date=2023-07-14 |website=United States Commission on International Religious Freedom}}</ref>

===India===
USCIRF has repeatedly designated India as a country of particular concern or on the Special Watch List. These reports have drawn criticism from the [[Media in India|Indian press]]. ''[[The Pioneer (India)|The Pioneer]]'', in an editorial, termed it as "fiction", "biased", and "[[Big Lie|Surpassing Goebbels]]". It criticized USCIRF for projecting the [[Godhra train burning|massacre of 58 Hindu passengers]] as an accident. It also accused USCIRF of indirectly justifying [[Murder of Lakshmanananda Saraswati|murder of Swami Lakshamananda]], a Hindu cleric and social activist.<ref>
{{cite news |title= Surpassing Goebbels|author=Sandeep B.|newspaper=[[The Pioneer (Indian newspaper)|The Pioneer]]|date=August 19, 2009 |url=http://www.dailypioneer.com/196685/Surpassing-Goebbels.html|access-date=October 8, 2010}}</ref>

Christian leaders in [[Odisha]] defended India: Archbishop [[Raphael Cheenath]] stated that India remained of a secular character, the president of the Odisha Minority Forum that, despite a small hate campaign against minorities, the majority of society had been "cordial and supportive", and the Orissa Secular Front that, despite the 2002 and 2008 riots, [[India]] had a [[Secularism in India|strong secular foundation]].<ref>
{{cite news |title= Orissa: Christian leaders disagree with US panel's report|newspaper=[[Rediff]]|date= August 14, 2009|url=http://news.rediff.com/report/2009/aug/14/orissa-christian-leaders-disagree-with-us-report.htm|access-date=October 8, 2010}}

{{cite news |title= Orissa Christians reject USCIRF report, defends 'secular' India|author=Babu Thomas|newspaper=[[Christianity Today]] |date= August 17, 2009|url=http://in.christiantoday.com/articles/orissa-christians-reject-uscirf-report-defends-india/4382.htm|access-date=October 8, 2010}}</ref>

In the 2019 USCIRF report, the chairman Tenzin Dorjee disagreed with the commission's designation of India as a CPC citing having lived in India for 30 years as a religious refugee stating that "India is an open society with a robust democratic and judiciary system. India is a great civilization, and since ancient times she has been a country of [[multifaith]], [[Multilingualism|multilingual]], and [[multicultural]] diversity."<ref>{{cite book |title=United States Commission on International Religious Freedom 2019 Annual Report |date=2019 |page=181 |url=https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2019USCIRFAnnualReport.pdf |access-date=9 May 2019}}</ref>

Several Indian-American Muslim, Sikh and Christian groups applauded the USCIRF for its 2021 report wherein it has recommended India be designated as a "country of particular concern (CPC)" for the alleged deterioration of religious freedom in the country.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/muslim-sikh-christian-groups-applaud-uscirf-for-its-religious-freedom-report-on-india-7286112/|title = Muslim, Sikh, Christian groups applaud USCIRF for its religious freedom report on India|date = April 23, 2021}}</ref>

===Egypt===
Prior to the 2001 visit of the USCIRF to [[Egypt]], some [[Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria|Coptic]] leaders in Egypt protested, viewing the visit as a form of [[American imperialism]]. For example, Mounir Azmi, a member of the Coptic Community Council, said that despite problems for [[Copts]], the visit was a "vile campaign against Egypt" and would be unhelpful. Another critic called the visit "foreign intervention in our internal affairs".<ref name="Egypt">[http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2001/526/eg1.htm "US commission faces closed doors"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031127222008/http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2001/526/eg1.htm |date=November 27, 2003 }}, Omayma Abdel-Latif, ''[[Al-Ahram Weekly]]'', March 22–28, 2001, #526.  Accessed on line June 12, 2010.</ref> In the event, the USCIRF was able to meet the [[Coptic Orthodox Pope]] [[Shenouda III]] and [[Mohammed Sayed Tantawi]] of [[Al-Azhar University]], but others refused to meet the delegation. Hisham Kassem, chairman of the [[Egyptian Organization for Human Rights]], felt that insisting on the rights of Christians in Egypt might antagonize Muslims and thus be counterproductive.<ref>[http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2001/may21/22.28.html "Egypt: Religious Freedom Delegation Gets Cold Shoulder"], Kees Hulsman, ''Christianity Today'', May 21, 2001.  Accessed on line June 12, 2010.</ref>

===Laos===
The first-ever [[U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom]], [[Robert Seiple]], criticized the USCIRF's emphasis on the punishment of religious persecution over the promotion of religious freedom. In his view, the USCIRF was "only cursing the darkness". As an example, he highlighted the Commission's decision to designate [[Laos]] a Country of Particular Concern in 2002 despite the release of religious prisoners. He further stated, "that which was conceived in error and delivered in chaos has now been consigned to irrelevancy. Unless the Commission finds some candles soon, Congress ought to turn out the lights."<ref>{{cite web|title=Speaking Out: The USCIRF Is Only Cursing the Darkness|url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2002/octoberweb-only/10-14-31.0.html |publisher=Christianity Today|access-date=August 19, 2009}}</ref>

The Commission responded that despite the releases, the [[Marxism|Marxist]], [[Pathet Lao]] government in Laos still had systemic impediments to religious freedom, such as laws allowing religious activities only with the consent of Pathet Lao government officials, and laws allowing the government to determine whether a religious community is in accord with its own teaching.<ref>{{cite web|title=Speaking Out: USCIRF's Concern Is To Help All Religious Freedom Victims|url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2002/novemberweb-only/11-4-41.0.html |publisher=Christianity Today|date=November 1, 2002|access-date=June 4, 2010}}</ref>

Other non-governmental organizations (NGOs), religious freedom and human rights advocates, policy experts, and Members of Congress have defended the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom's research work, and various reports on the Pathet Lao government's increased and serious religious persecution in Laos, from Seiple's controversial criticism. They have pointed out potential conflicts of interest involving reported grant monies Seiple, or a non-profit organization connected to Seiple, reportedly received from officials at the U.S. Department of State to apparently seek to minimize grossly increased religious persecution and widespread human rights violations by the Lao government and the [[Lao People's Army]].<ref>Smith, Philip, [[Center for Public Policy Analysis]] (or Centre for Public Policy Analysis), (10 December 2004), Washington, D.C. [http://www.centreforpublicpolicyanalyis.org]{{Dead link|date=July 2018|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>

===Central Asia===
In 2007, Central Asia and foreign affairs experts [[S. Frederick Starr]], [[Brenda Shaffer]], and [[Svante Cornell]] accused USCIRF of championing the rights of groups that aspire to impose religious coercion on others in the name of religious freedom in the [[Central Asia]]n states of [[Azerbaijan]], [[Kazakhstan]], [[Kyrgyzstan]], [[Tajikistan]], [[Turkmenistan]], and [[Uzbekistan]]. USCIRF has castigated these countries for excessive and restrictions on religious freedom and repression of non-traditional religious groups, despite them having a strict [[separation of church and state]], refusing to make Islam the [[state religion]], and having a secular legal system.<ref>{{ cite news |newspaper=Foreign Affairs |author=S. Frederick Starr, Brenda Shaffer, and Svante Cornell |date=2017-08-24 |access-date=2018-12-14 |title=How the U.S. Promotes Extremism in the Name of Religious Freedom |url=https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/central-asia/2017-08-24/how-us-promotes-extremism-name-religious-freedom}}</ref>

[[Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan|Tajikistan Foreign Ministry]] criticized the USCIRF report on March 13, 2020. Tajikistan called on the U.S. Department of State to refrain from publishing unverified and groundless information unrelated to the actual situation with the rule of law and respect of human rights in Tajikistan.<ref>[https://www.mfa.tj/en/main/view/5837/statement-by-the-ministry-of-foreign-affairs-of-tajikistan-on-the-us-human-rights-report Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan on the US Human Rights Report]</ref>

==Criticism==
===Accusations of Christian bias and other issues===
A former policy analyst, Safiya Ghori-Ahmad, filed a complaint with the [[Equal Employment Opportunity Commission]], alleging that she was fired because she was a Muslim and a member of an advocacy group, the [[Muslim Public Affairs Council]]. Current commissioners and some other religious freedom advocates deny the claims of bias. The commission has also been accused of in-fighting and ineffectiveness.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/16/AR2010021605517.html | newspaper=The Washington Post | title=Agency that monitors religious freedom abroad accused of bias | first=Michelle | last=Boorstein | date=February 17, 2010 | access-date=May 26, 2010}}</ref>

[[Jemera Rone]] of [[Human Rights Watch]] said about the report: "I think the legislative history of this Act will probably reflect that there was a great deal of interest in protecting the rights of Christians ... So I think that the burden is probably on the US government to show that in this Act they're not engaging in crusading or proselytization on behalf of the Christian religion."<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hackett |first1=Rosalind |last2=Silk |first2=Mark |last3=Hoover |first3=Dennis |year=2000 |title=Religious Persecution as a U.S. Policy Issue |journal=Center for the Study of Religion in Public Life |publisher=Harford |page=56 |url=http://www.trincoll.edu/depts/csrpl/Religious%20Persecution/relperse.pdf |access-date=June 11, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304040206/http://www.trincoll.edu/depts/csrpl/Religious%20Persecution/relperse.pdf |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

In a 2009 study of the [[International Religious Freedom Act of 1998]], the Institute of Global Engagement stated that the United States' international religious freedom policy was problematic in that it "has focused more on rhetorical denunciations of persecutors and releasing religious prisoners than on facilitating the political and cultural institutions necessary to religious freedom," and had therefore been ineffective. It further stated that USIRF policy was often perceived as an attack on religion, [[cultural imperialism]], or a front for American missionaries. The report recommended that there be more attention to religious freedom in [[Foreign policy of the United States|U.S. diplomacy]] and foreign policy in general and that the USCIRF devote more attention to monitoring the integration of religious freedom issues into foreign policy.<ref name="Globalengage">{{cite web|title=The Future of U.S. International Religious Freedom Policy (Special Report)|author=Thomas F. Farr and Dennis R. Hoover|url=http://www.globalengage.org/research/reports/829-the-future-of-us-international-religious-freedom-policy-special-report-.html|access-date=August 19, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091214205744/http://www.globalengage.org/research/reports/829-the-future-of-us-international-religious-freedom-policy-special-report-.html|archive-date=December 14, 2009|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

In 2018, the appointment of [[Tony Perkins (politician)|Tony Perkins]] as a commissioner received criticism.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/longtime-gay-rights-opponent-tony-perkins-named-u-s-religious-n875016|title=Longtime gay-rights opponent Tony Perkins named to U.S. religious freedom panel|date=17 May 2018|publisher=NBC}}</ref> The organizations such as [[GLAAD]], [[Hindu American Foundation]], atheist and humanist groups, and others questioned the credibility of Perkins, citing his stance against non-Christians and LGBTQ people.<ref name="hindu">{{cite news |title=Appointment of Far-Right Evangelist Tony Perkins Strains Credibility of USCIRF |url= https://www.hafsite.org/appointment-far-right-evangelist-tony-perkins-strains-credibility-uscirf |access-date= January 24, 2019 |publisher= [[Hindu American Foundation]] |date=May 16, 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190124203424/https://www.hafsite.org/appointment-far-right-evangelist-tony-perkins-strains-credibility-uscirf |archive-date= January 24, 2019}}</ref> The [[Southern Poverty Law Center]] also chastised Perkins for far-right Christian views, his [[anti-LGBT]] views, his associations with the [[Ku Klux Klan]] and other [[White supremacy|white supremacist]] groups, terming his evangelical organization, the [[Family Research Council]], a "hate group".<ref name = "splc">{{cite web |title=Tony Perkins |url=https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/individual/tony-perkins |website=[[Southern Poverty Law Center]] |access-date=24 January 2019}}</ref>

==References==

=== Citations ===
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

=== Further reading ===
*Stahnke, Tad. ''A Paradox of Independence: The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.'' The Review of Faith and International Affairs 6.2 (2008). Print.
*{{cite journal |url=http://scholarship.law.nd.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1808&context=law_faculty_scholarship | title=Religious Liberties: the International Religious Freedom Act | author=Farr, Thomas, [[Richard W. Garnett]], Jeremy Gunn, and William Saunders | journal=[[Houston Journal of International Law]] | year=2009 | volume=31 | issue=3 | pages=469–514}}

==External links==
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*{{official website|https://www.uscirf.gov/}}
*[https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2019USCIRFAnnualReport.pdf USCIRF's official 2019 report]

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[[Category:United States federal boards, commissions, and committees|Commission on International Religious Freedom]]
[[Category:Freedom of religion in the United States]]