State Department
For 25th year, State Department reports on threats, triumphs in religious freedom
By Adelle M. Banks — May 16, 2023
(RNS) — The report, which assesses conditions in 199 countries, also looks at policies and laws, including those about blasphemy and apostasy, that ‘criminalize religious expression.’
Iran, 27 other countries critiqued by watchdog for religious freedom violations
By Adelle M. Banks — May 1, 2023
(RNS) — The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom decried Iran’s use of violence against protesters in the wake of Mahsa Amini’s death.
State Department blacklists are only one tool to foster international religious freedom
By Knox Thames — December 6, 2022
(RNS) — The designations beg the question: Do they help?
State Department officials report religious freedom woes, wins across the globe
By Adelle M. Banks — June 3, 2022
(RNS) — The secretary of state and religious freedom ambassador also expressed concern about an increase in antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred in many countries, including the United States.
List Afghanistan as religious liberty violator, report urges State Department
By Adelle M. Banks — April 25, 2022
(RNS) — ‘Religious minorities faced harassment, detention, and even death due to their faith or beliefs,’ religious freedom commission says about Afghanistan.
Russia added to State Department list of worst religious liberty violators
By Adelle M. Banks — November 17, 2021
(RNS) — Blinken said the Biden administration supports ‘every individual’s right to freedom of religion or belief, including by confronting and combating violators and abusers of this human right.’
EcoSikh joins interfaith effort ahead of COP26
By Joseph Hammond — October 28, 2021
(RNS) — EcoSikh, which draws on Sikh ethics, beliefs and the example of Sikh gurus to confront the world’'s environmental challenges, described the COP26 event as a ‘last ray of hope as the earth faces an unprecedented ecological crisis.’
US hits China and others for repressing religious freedom
By Matthew Lee — May 13, 2021
(AP) — Secretary of State Blinken also used the report to lash out at abuses of religious freedom in Iran, Myanmar, Russia. Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, all of which were identified as offenders.
Russia, China, Myanmar recommended for State Department list of religious freedom violators
By Adelle M. Banks — April 21, 2021
(RNS) — The U.S. Commission on Religious Freedom highlighted atrocities against Rohingya Muslims by Myanmar’s military, persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses by Russia’s government and China’s detention of millions of Uighurs and other Muslims.
The US needs an ambassador to the Holy See
By Thomas Reese — March 24, 2021
(RNS) — Joe Biden will soon be the first Catholic president to nominate an ambassador to the Holy See, something that in earlier days would have been anathema to American Protestants who feared the papacy’s political and religious power.
State Department adds Nigeria to list of most serious religious freedom violators
By Adelle M. Banks — December 9, 2020
(RNS) — The State Department redesignated nine other nations as ‘countries of particular concern’: Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
Refugee data on religion disappears as fewer persecuted Christians admitted to US
By Emily McFarlan Miller and Jack Jenkins — October 13, 2020
(RNS) — The State Department no longer is making publicly available a number of statistics about refugees admitted into the United States, including their religious affiliations.
List India as top religious freedom violator, says watchdog group
By Adelle M. Banks — April 28, 2020
(RNS) — India currently is not on the State Department’s list of ‘countries of particular concern.’
More than two dozen countries launch new religious freedom alliance
By Adelle M. Banks — February 6, 2020
WASHINGTON (RNS) — Poland, one country in the alliance, and the State Department announced that the next Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom will be held in July in Warsaw.
State Department cites religious freedom violators
By Adelle M. Banks — December 20, 2019
WASHINGTON (RNS) — The department redesignated on Wednesday the nine other countries that had been categorized as ‘countries of particular concern’.
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