“Religious freedom is a fundamental right of every

individual, regardless of race, sex, country, creed, or nationality,

and should never be arbitrarily abridged by any government.” 

— International Religious Freedom Act, 1998 (U.S. Public Law 105–292)

Concerned that many human rights abuses practiced by the Taliban continue 

today, and may be enshrined in the new constitution which is currently being drafted, the

USCIRF held a major international forum on law and human rights in Afghanistan, entitled

“Reconstructing Afghanistan: Freedom in Crisis,” in Washington on January 29, 2003. The

forum was held at and co-sponsored by The George Washington University Law School.

Approximately 150 U.S. and Afghan government officials, representatives of religious groups and

other NGOs, interested members of the international policy community, and media representatives

attended. (continued on page 2)

WINTER/SPRING 2003 www.uscirf.gov VOLUME 1 

One of the most significant responsibilities

conferred under the International Religious Freedom

Act (IRFA) on the USCIRF is to recommend to the

President or his designee, the Secretary of State, which

countries should be designated “countries of particular

concern” (CPCs). A CPC is defined under the law as a

government that is engaged in or tolerates particularly

severe violations of religious freedom, as outlined in the

IRFA. “Particularly severe violations” are those that are

egregious, ongoing, and systematic.

On March 5, the USCIRF welcomed Secretary of State Colin

Powell’s announcement that he would redesignate Burma,

China, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, and Sudan as “countries of

particular concern”. However, the Commission expressed deep

disappointment that Secretary Powell did not designate India,

Laos, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan, and Vietnam as

CPCs, all of which the Commission recommended for

designation. The final State Department list is unchanged from

last year, even though egregious abuses persist or have increased in

these other countries.

The USCIRF believes there is ample evidence, even within the State

Department’s own religious freedom reports, that India, Laos,

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan, and Vietnam also meet the legislative

criteria to be named CPCs. For the past three years, the Commission has

recommended Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan, and Laos for CPC status

because of their deplorable religious freedom violations. Even the State

Department’s own report states that religious freedom “does not exist” in

Saudi Arabia. The USCIRF has urged the Department to continue to assess

the religious freedom violations in these countries and make CPC

designations throughout the year.

The Commissioners discuss their CPC recommendations throughout the

year. On September 25, 2002, the Commission met with Deputy Secretary

of State Richard Armitage to discuss its recommendations. On September

30, 2002, the Commission sent a letter with its recommendations to

Secretary Powell. The Commission’s letter to Secretary Powell and its press

release may be found on the Commission’s Web site www.uscirf.gov.

Under the IRFA, once a country is designated a CPC, the President must

choose from a list of actions, ranging from a private diplomatic protest

to the cancellation of a cultural exchange to economic sanctions; or

he can decide to take no action. To date – this process is now in

its fourth year – no new action or sanction has been taken by

either Administration in regard to a country of particular

concern. The USCIRF believes this is indefensible as a

matter of policy and would like to see this changed.

In June 2002, the USCIRF issued a report on

Afghanistan, in which it made a number of

recommendations for U.S. policy, including:

• appointment of a high-ranking official to

the American Embassy in Kabul to

promote, coordinate, monitor, and report

on human rights in Afghanistan;

• support for expansion of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)

beyond Kabul;

• vigorous, public support for efforts to

strengthen the rule of law and the

protection of religious freedom and 

other human rights; and 

• promotion of a culture of tolerance and

democracy through support of programs

for public education, broadcasting, and

educational and cultural exchanges.

In February 2003, the USCIRF also sent a

letter to President George W. Bush prior to

his meeting with Afghan President Hamid

Karzai, underscoring the Commission’s

concern regarding human rights, including

religious freedom, in Afghanistan.

Message from the Chair: Few issues have captured the imagination of Americans

as has the concept of individual freedom and respect for the equal rights and dignity 

of every person. Four years ago, the Congress created the U.S. Commission on

International Religious Freedom to monitor severe violations of freedom of

religion abroad, and to advise the Congress and Administration on how

best to use U.S. foreign policy tools to prevent such abuses.

Promoting compliance with international norms is not easy,

but it is advanced through mobilizing policy makers to recognize

repression and act to stop it — not to cover it up, nor to turn

away from it. The United States has been unique in giving

prominence to human rights in its foreign policy; the

USCIRF hopes to ensure that, even when faced with

threats of global terrorism, the United States

continues to remain firm in its commitment and

actions to ensure freedom, including religious 

freedom, globally. — Felice D. Gaer

CRISIS IN AFGHANISTAN

“COUNTRIES OF PARTICULAR CONCERN”

UPCOMING:

Annual Report 

Press Conference at 

the National Press Club 

May 13, 2003
Afghanistan (continued from page 1)

Participants, including an 11-member, high-level

delegation from Afghanistan, discussed how the

protection of human rights, including religious

freedom, can be incorporated into Afghanistan’s

new constitution, judicial system, and laws; how

tolerance can be instilled in a society that has

known enmity and war for the past 30 years; and

what the United States can do to assist

Afghanistan in this potentially historic transformation. USCIRF Chair Felice Gaer noted that

there has been inadequate attention paid to

human rights in Afghanistan and inadequate support for freedom. She said that the forum was

designed to clarify these problems and discuss

how to remedy them.

Afghan Minister of Justice Abdul Rahim Karimi,

who led the Afghan group, predicted that

Afghanistan will have a democratic society with

laws which reflect all the international standards

and norms, as well as the main principles of

Islam, but cautioned that full implementation

might take some time. Other Afghan participants

included: Minister of State for Women’s Affairs

Mahbuba Hoquqmal, the chairman of the Judicial

Reform Committee Bahauddin Baha, and members of the National Human Rights Commission

and Constitutional Drafting Committee.

Dr. Zalmay Khalilzad, Special Presidential Envoy

to Afghanistan and Special Assistant to the

President and Senior Director of the National

Security Council for Southwest Asia and Islamic

Strategy Initiatives, spoke for the Administration

and assured the forum that the United States

would not reduce its commitment to the future

of Afghanistan, even as the United States moves

forward on Iraq. He said the United States

would, with others, provide the necessary

resources “for the time that it takes” to build the

economic, political, and security institutions

that Afghanistan needs. U.S. Agency for

International Development Administrator

Andrew Natsios said U.S. assistance to

Afghanistan to date is $700 million.

The Forum sought to encourage Afghans and

the international donor community to ensure

that Afghanistan’s new institutions, laws, and

practices reflect internationally-guaranteed

human rights standards, including religious freedom and the rights of women. A consensus

emerged from the Forum that there is an urgent

need for greater focus on human rights in U.S.

policy toward Afghanistan and that Afghan

reformers look to the United States for support

in building a society in closer accord with universal values of justice and respect for human

dignity. Participants also supported the

Commission’s call for the appointment of a

high-ranking official to the U.S. Embassy in

Kabul to advance the human rights agenda with

the Afghan government.

A transcript of the forum, the letter to President

Bush, and the June 2002 report on Afghanistan

can be found on the Commission’s Web site at

www.uscirf.gov.

RUSSIA AND BELARUS:

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM WORSENING

On their January 2003 trip to Russia and Belarus, USCIRF Commissioners Felice Gaer, Firuz

Kamzemzadeh, and Bishop William Murphy concluded that religious freedom in Russia and Belarus

has decreased in the past year. Meetings in both countries with government officials, religious

leaders, representatives of non-governmental

organizations, journalists, and U.S. Embassy officials

underscored the depth of the problem.

Since the demise of the Soviet Union, Russia has made

significant progress with regard to the overall

protection of human rights, and notably, religious

freedom. However, there are indications that an

attempt is underway to rein in religious freedom and

bring the religious practice of Russian citizens under

the closer control and tutelage of the state and the

Russian Orthodox Church.

Because democracy is still relatively new to the practice of the Russian government and people,

religious freedom there is fragile, and the absence of a deep-rooted experience of democracy and

human rights protections leaves the country open to the risk that it could increasingly come under

the control of undemocratic forces. Specific concerns include: a recent increase in the number of

clergy and other religious workers denied visas or residency permits; indications that one particular

denomination, the Russian Orthodox Church, is gaining increasing power as the country’s favored

church resulting in various discriminatory practices against other religious groups; evidence of

government meddling in the internal affairs of certain religious communities; the continued

prevalence of anti-Semitic attacks; the recent increase in attacks against Muslims; the persistent

uncertainty of the legal situation, due in part to the vague process of amending the 1997 religious law

and other laws related to religious practice; and the leaking of a troubling draft report, known as the

“Zorin report”, attributed to Minister of Nationalities Vladimir Zorin and Ahmad Kadyrov, the

government-appointed administrator of Chechnya, which lists four religions or religious groupings

— Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, new “foreign” sects, and extremist Islam — as threats to

Russia’s national security.

In Belarus the situation is even more precarious. There, the Russian Orthodox Church is even more

overtly favored than in Russia, and other religions face ongoing legal and practical harassment. Many

religious groups have repeatedly been refused registration, despite repeated application attempts,

leaving them unable to function normally or openly, and non-Orthodox religious groups are subject

to attacks in the government-run media. In addition, in October 2002, President Alexander

Lukashenko signed a highly restrictive new law on religion, deemed the most restrictive such law in

Europe, that outlaws all unregistered religious activity, requires government censorship of religious

literature, and restricts religious education to only a handful of religious communities.

Commissioners

FELICE D. GAER, CHAIR

Director, Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement

of Human Rights; The American Jewish Committee

MICHAEL K. YOUNG, VICE CHAIR

Dean, The George Washington University Law School

FIRUZ KAZEMZADEH, COMMISSIONER

Senior Advisor, National Spiritual Assembly of the

Baha'is of the United States

RICHARD D. LAND, COMMISSIONER

President and the Chief Executive Officer of the Ethics

and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern

Baptist Convention

BISHOP WILLIAM FRANCIS MURPHY, COMMISSIONER

Bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York

LEILA NADYA SADAT, COMMISSIONER

Professor of Law, Washington University School of Law

NINA SHEA, COMMISSIONER

Director of the Center for Religious Freedom, 

Freedom House

AMBASSADOR CHARLES R. STITH, COMMISSIONER

Director, African Presidential Archives and Research

Center at Boston University

AMBASSADOR SHIRIN TAHIR-KHELI, COMMISSIONER

Resigned to become Special Assistant to the President

and Senior Director for Democracy, Human Rights and

International Operations on the National Security

Council (effective March 24, 2003).

JOHN V. HANFORD III, EX-OFFICIO COMMISSIONER

Ambassador-at-Large, U.S. Department of State

JOSEPH R. CRAPA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

page 2

visit our web site at

www.uscirf.gov
LETTERS FROM CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS

VIETNAM HUMAN RIGHTS ACT SPOTLIGHTS

RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION

By Congressman Christopher Smith

The human rights situation in Vietnam — which has been deplorable for

years — has actually deteriorated since the United States signed the

Bilateral Trade Agreement with Vietnam in 2001.

In response to this new wave of systematic human rights abuses, I , along

with a group of 30 bipartisan Members of the House of Representatives,

introduced HR 1587, “The Vietnam Human Rights Act.” This important

legislation will put limits on non-humanitarian aid to the brutal regime in

Hanoi. It also seeks to direct funds to those efforts that promote

democracy and religious freedom in Vietnam and will work to overcome

the jamming of Radio Free Asia in Vietnam. HR 1587 also calls upon the

State Department to give detailed reports about the status of human rights

in Vietnam that include victim lists, and it requires the President to issue a

certification each year on the progress of the regime towards respecting

human rights.

In the last few years, imprisonment and other forms of detention have

been used with increased frequency against those who peacefully express

dissent from the Vietnamese government’s extreme policies toward

religion and freedom. At its Seventh Plenum earlier this year, the

Communist Party's Central Committee deepened its persecution of

religious groups by issuing a new resolution calling for the

establishment of “spy” cells of Communist Party members to

infiltrate each of Vietnam’s six “approved” religions. These

cells are designed to help the regime as they try to dictate

the leadership structure of Buddhists, Catholics,

Protestants, and indigenous Vietnamese religions; try to

control each religion’s activities; and try to undermine

various faith groups from within.

Vietnam’s continued policy of harassment,

discrimination, intimidation and persecution of

religious activists is shameful. The Vietnam

Human Rights Act sends a strong message that

these acts of persecution, as well as the forced

closing of Churches and the imprisonment of

religious leaders, will not be tolerated.

“GRADUATE” RUSSIA FROM JACKSON-VANIK, BUT CONTINUE

AMERICAN OVERSIGHT OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ISSUES

By Congressman Benjamin L. Cardin 

In March 2003, I introduced legislation (H.R. 1224) - with my Helsinki

Commission colleague Joseph Pitts (R-PA), and my Ways and Means

colleagues Charles Rangel (D-NY) and Sander Levin (D-MI) - that would

grant permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) to Russia and "graduate"

Russia from the application of the Jackson-Vanik amendment. The

Jackson-Vanik amendment has been an effective tool for raising freedom

of emigration and human rights concerns in the former Soviet Union.

The legislation would provide an historic update in U.S.-Russia trade

relations, and would strengthen U.S.-Russian relations and reinforce

progress Russia has made in many areas.

While Russia has made enormous strides in protecting religious freedom

since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States must not now

abandon its oversight role over these essential freedoms. Indeed, in the

legislation I introduced Congress acknowledges that Russia has taken

steps to protect religious freedom, combat hate crimes and antiSemitism, and to return property confiscated from national and

religious minorities during the Soviet era. However, Congress also

acknowledges that Russia still has some problems with religious

groups, and has used registration and immigration requirements to

interfere with the internal affairs of minority religious communities.

The legislation states that it is the policy of Congress that the

Russian Federation must insure its laws and practices comply

with the standards of the Organization for Security and

Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The Helsinki

Commission and the U.S. Commission on

International Religious Freedom will continue to

closely monitor Russia, and the U.S. Government

will encourage ongoing dialogue between the

Russian government and non-governmental

organizations that promote religious freedom.

Congress and the Helsinki Commission look

forward to working with Russia as it

continues to strive to become a vibrant

democracy that respects the rule of law,

freedom of religion, and a free press.

page 3

• H.Con.Res. 32 and S.J.Res. 3, sponsored by

Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and

Senator John McCain (R-AZ) on human rights in

Central Asia, cite USCIRF findings and

recommendations from the Commission’s 2002

reports on Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

• Congressman Christopher Smith (R-NJ)

sponsored a resolution on North Korea, (H.Res.

109) agreed to by the House of Representatives

that cites USCIRF findings and includes a

Commission recommendation urging the

Secretary of State to sponsor a resolution on

human rights abuses in North Korea at the U.N.

Commission on Human Rights. At the 59th

Session in Geneva, the United States sponsored

such a resolution.

• Senator Max Baucus (R-MT) and Congressman

Charles Rangel (D-NY) have introduced

legislation (S.624 and H.R. 1224, respectively)

authorizing nondiscriminatory trade relations

with Russia that cites concern over religious

freedom violations and would charge the USCIRF

to annually report on whether or not Russia is

meeting standards on religious freedom and other

human rights.

• The Vietnam Human Rights Act, (H.R. 1587)

introduced by Congressman Christopher Smith

(R-NJ), includes USCIRF findings and requires

the Secretary of State to consult with the USCIRF

before annually reporting to Congress on human

rights in Vietnam.

• In March, Chair Felice Gaer and Commissioner

Nina Shea briefed the House International

Relations Committee staff on human rights

concerns in Afghanistan in the context of ongoing

reconstruction efforts there.

COMMISSION WORK IMPACTING

THE 108TH CONGRESS

MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE COMMISSION’S

WORK INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING: 

• Washington Post op-ed “Remember

Afghanistan” by Commissioners Felice Gaer

and Michael Young, February 27, 2003.

• Newsweek article “Saudis: No ‘Particular

Concern’,” Commissioners Gaer and Richard

Land interviewed on CPCs, March 10, 2003.

• ABC World News Tonight, Commissioner Gaer

interviewed on Yemen, December 30, 2002.

• BBC World Service, Commissioner Gaer

interviewed on CPCs, March 2, 2003.

• PBS Nightly Business Report, Commissioner

Nina Shea interviewed on Afghanistan,

February 27, 2003.

• CNN, Commissioner Shea interviewed on

Afghanistan, February 25, 2003.

• USARadio Networks, Commissioner Leila

Sadat interviewed on CPCs, March 6, 2003.

COMMISSION

IN THE NEWS
UNITED STATES COMMISSION ON

INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

800 North Capitol Street, NW Suite 790

Washington, DC 20002

On March 14, in the Longworth House Office Building, the USCIRF initiated the first in a series of

off-the-record roundtable discussions on religious freedom in China. The USCIRF created this series

to foster dialogue on religious freedom and human rights in China among senior Administration

officials, members of Congress, human rights experts, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and

representatives of religious groups.

Commissioners were joined by Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS), Representative Mike Pence (R-IN),

and Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ), who offered a Capitol Hill perspective. Likewise, key State

Department officials shaping U.S. policy on China contributed to the conversation, including: John

Hanford, Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, who is a non-voting member of

the USCIRF; Lorne Craner, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor;

and Randall Schriver, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

The roundtable was timely for the USCIRF as it prepares for its first official trip to China.

Commissioners plan to meet with high-level Chinese authorities, including: the Religious Affairs

Bureau, the Ministry of Public Security, the State Ethnic Affairs Committee, the Ministry of Justice,

and provincial and local government officials, as well as religious leaders.

The Commission has made previous attempts to visit China, but has been unable to receive official

authorization from Chinese officials. Since Lorne Craner’s announcement that the USCIRF has

received an official invitation from Chinese authorities, the opportunity has opened up for a direct

examination and discussion of religious freedom and related human rights issues with China.

The USCIRF has produced reports on the status of religious freedom in China and has

recommended that China be listed by the State Department as a “country of particular concern.”

You can view the Commission’s report on China at www.uscirf.gov.

CAPITOL HILL ROUNDTABLE ON CHINA

page 4

To contact the Commission:

United States Commission on 

International Religious Freedom

800 North Capitol Street, NW, Suite 790

Washington, DC 20002

Web site: www.uscirf.gov

E-mail: communications@uscirf.gov

Voice: 202-523-3240 Fax: 202-523-5020

Newsletter editor: Anne Johnson,

Communications Director