International Religious Freedom Report Archives

Verdict on first religious freedom report under Trump: Great rhetoric, what do we do?
- Analysis
- August 16, 2017
Given that President Donald Trump repeatedly has vowed to make defending religious freedom a key element of U.S. foreign policy, release of the first State Department International Religious Freedom Report on his watch was keenly anticipated. Overall, observers say there’s good stuff in it, but it still leaves the basic question unanswered: Having named the problem, what are we going to do about it?
READ MORE
U.S. State Department decries Islamic State ‘genocide’ of Christians, others
- Associated Press, Church in the US
- August 15, 2017
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says the United States promotes religious freedom as a moral imperative. “As importantly, we promote religious freedom because countries that effectively safeguard this human right are more stable, economically vibrant, and peaceful,” — Tillerson continued — “The failure of governments to protect this right breeds instability, terrorism, and violence.”
READ MORE
Religious freedom report highlights threat of ‘Islamic hyper-extremism’
- Global Church
- November 28, 2016
A new report from the papal charity Aid to the Church in Need finds a mounting spiral of violence and persecution for religious reasons around the world, including what it describes as the lethal impact of the rise of “Islamist hyper-extremism.”
READ MORE

Religious freedom advocates want US to put teeth into its rhetoric

Religious freedom advocates are praising the U.S. State Department’s International Religious Freedom report, but also calling on the administration to put teeth into its rhetoric with steps such as targeted sanctions, visa denials, and other measures.

Asian superpowers deny religious freedom failures

Church

May 6, 2016

Both of Asia’s two emerging superpowers, China and India, have rejected charges by a U.S. government commission that they fail to protect religious freedom adequately. China has lodged a diplomatic protest after the U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) found that Chinese violations of religious freedom last year remained