<!--

                            _                       _     _
                           | |                     | |   (_)
      _ __   _____      __ | |_ __ _ _ __ __ _  ___| |_   _ _ __   ___
     | '_ \ / _ \ \ /\ / / | __/ _` | '__/ _` |/ _ \ __| | | '_ \ / __|
     | | | |  __/\ V  V /  | || (_| | | | (_| |  __/ |_  | | | | | (__ _
     |_| |_|\___| \_/\_/    \__\__,_|_|  \__, |\___|\__| |_|_| |_|\___(_)
                                          __/ |
                                         |___/

     We create digital marketing strategies and design compelling websites.
                            www.newtarget.com

-->
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html  lang="en" dir="ltr" prefix="og: https://ogp.me/ns#">
  <head>
    <title>USCIRF Calls for U.S. Government to Support Iraq’s Religious Communities on Anniversary of Genocide Determination | USCIRF</title>

    <meta name="generator" content="new target, inc. (www.newtarget.com)" />
    <meta name="generator" content="web design & development by new target, inc." />

    <link rel="manifest" href="manifest.webmanifest" crossorigin="use-credentials">
    <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/themes/custom/uscirf2020/assets/icons/favicon.ico">
    <link rel="apple-touch-icon" type="image/png" sizes="57x57" href="/themes/custom/uscirf2020/assets/icons/apple-icon-57x57.png">
    <link rel="apple-touch-icon" type="image/png" sizes="60x60" href="/themes/custom/uscirf2020/assets/icons/apple-icon-60x60.png">
    <link rel="apple-touch-icon" type="image/png" sizes="72x72" href="/themes/custom/uscirf2020/assets/icons/apple-icon-72x72.png">
    <link rel="apple-touch-icon" type="image/png" sizes="76x76" href="/themes/custom/uscirf2020/assets/icons/apple-icon-76x76.png">
    <link rel="apple-touch-icon" type="image/png" sizes="114x114" href="/themes/custom/uscirf2020/assets/icons/apple-icon-114x114.png">
    <link rel="apple-touch-icon" type="image/png" type="image/png" sizes="120x120" href="/themes/custom/uscirf2020/assets/icons/apple-icon-120x120.png">
    <link rel="apple-touch-icon" type="image/png" sizes="144x144" href="/themes/custom/uscirf2020/assets/icons/apple-icon-144x144.png">
    <link rel="apple-touch-icon" type="image/png" sizes="152x152" href="/themes/custom/uscirf2020/assets/icons/apple-icon-152x152.png">
    <link rel="apple-touch-icon" type="image/png" sizes="180x180" href="/themes/custom/uscirf2020/assets/icons/apple-icon-180x180.png">
    <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="36x36" href="/themes/custom/uscirf2020/assets/icons/android-icon-36x36.png">
    <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="48x48" href="/themes/custom/uscirf2020/assets/icons/android-icon-48x48.png">
    <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="72x72" href="/themes/custom/uscirf2020/assets/icons/android-icon-72x72.png">
    <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="96x96" href="/themes/custom/uscirf2020/assets/icons/android-icon-96x96.png">
    <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="144x144" href="/themes/custom/uscirf2020/assets/icons/android-icon-144x144.png">
    <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="192x192" href="/themes/custom/uscirf2020/assets/icons/android-icon-192x192.png">
    <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="16x16" href="/themes/custom/uscirf2020/assets/icons/favicon-16x16.png">
    <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="32x32" href="/themes/custom/uscirf2020/assets/icons/favicon-32x32.png">
    <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="96x96" href="/themes/custom/uscirf2020/assets/icons/favicon-96x96.png">
    <link rel="manifest" href="/themes/custom/uscirf2020/assets/icons/manifest.json">
    <meta name="msapplication-TileColor" content="#ffffff">
    <meta name="msapplication-TileImage" content="/themes/custom/uscirf2020/assets/icons/ms-icon-144x144.png">
    <meta name="theme-color" content="#ffffff">

    <meta charset="utf-8" />
<script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=UA-7936802-1"></script>
<script>window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments)};gtag("js", new Date());gtag("config", "UA-7936802-1", {"groups":"default","anonymize_ip":true});</script>
<meta name="geo.placename" content="Washington, D.C." />
<meta name="geo.position" content="38.8951100; -77.0363700;" />
<meta name="geo.region" content="US-DC" />
<meta name="icbm" content="38.8951100; -77.0363700;" />
<link rel="canonical" href="https://www.uscirf.gov/news-room/releases-statements/uscirf-calls-us-government-support-iraqs-religious-communities" />
<meta http-equiv="content-language" content="en" />
<link rel="image_src" href="https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2024-03/USCIRF%20Statement%20%281%29_1.jpg" />
<meta property="og:site_name" content="USCIRF" />
<meta property="og:type" content="News" />
<meta property="og:url" content="https://www.uscirf.gov/news-room/releases-statements/uscirf-calls-us-government-support-iraqs-religious-communities" />
<meta property="og:title" content="USCIRF Calls for U.S. Government to Support Iraq’s Religious Communities on Anniversary of Genocide Determination" />
<meta property="og:image" content="https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2024-03/USCIRF%20Statement%20%281%29_1.jpg" />
<meta property="og:image:url" content="https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2024-03/USCIRF%20Statement%20%281%29_1.jpg" />
<meta property="og:image:type" content="image/jpeg" />
<meta property="place:location:latitude" content="38.8951100" />
<meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-77.0363700" />
<meta property="og:street_address" content="732 North Capitol St NW A714" />
<meta property="og:locality" content="Washington D.C." />
<meta property="og:region" content="Washington D.C." />
<meta property="og:postal_code" content="20401" />
<meta property="og:country_name" content="Washington D.C." />
<meta property="og:email" content="media@uscirf.gov" />
<meta property="og:phone_number" content="(202) 523-3240" />
<meta property="og:fax_number" content="(202) 523-5020" />
<meta property="og:locale" content="en_US" />
<meta property="article:author" content="https://www.uscirf.gov/user/251" />
<meta property="article:section" content="News" />
<meta property="article:published_time" content="2024-04-1018:57:05" />
<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" />
<meta name="twitter:title" content="USCIRF Calls for U.S. Government to Support Iraq’s Religious Communities on Anniversary of Genocide Determination" />
<meta name="twitter:url" content="https://www.uscirf.gov/news-room/releases-statements/uscirf-calls-us-government-support-iraqs-religious-communities" />
<meta name="twitter:image:height" content="900" />
<meta name="twitter:image:width" content="900" />
<meta name="twitter:image" content="https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2024-03/USCIRF%20Statement%20%281%29_1.jpg" />
<meta name="Generator" content="Drupal 9 (https://www.drupal.org)" />
<meta name="MobileOptimized" content="width" />
<meta name="HandheldFriendly" content="true" />
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no" />
<meta http-equiv="x-ua-compatible" content="ie=edge" />
<link rel="icon" href="/sites/default/files/USCIRF_0.png" type="image/png" />
<script src="/sites/default/files/google_tag/google_tag_4/google_tag.data_layer.js?sbpxq6" defer></script>
<script src="/sites/default/files/google_tag/google_tag_4/google_tag.script.js?sbpxq6" defer></script>


      <link rel="stylesheet" as="style" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Fjalla+One&family=Noto+Sans:ital,wght@0,400;0,700;1,400;1,700&display=swap" />
      <link rel="stylesheet" as="style" href="https://p.typekit.net/p.css?s=1&k=arw1cqj&ht=tk&f=6768.6769.6770.6771&a=13072354&app=typekit&e=css" />
      <link rel="stylesheet" as="style" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Fjalla+One&display=swap" />
      <link rel="preload" as="image" href="/themes/custom/uscirf2020/assets/images/defaultHero.png" />

      <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/sites/default/files/css/css_6e6_b4-roceQ_gBPDF4tPrZEaqIHqSyJjqHO2soN1Xs.css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/sites/default/files/css/css_RfGEiTVTG3T12VjwX99Xyal2UB2yOZNQbs_QrfOhis4.css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="//stackpath.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/4.1.1/css/bootstrap.min.css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/sites/default/files/css/css_qkJ7A_BAv_RjiD5cFHxOKIeK2dtRZDQFdnR1arUPieE.css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" media="print" href="/sites/default/files/css/css_Y4H_4BqmgyCtG7E7YdseTs2qvy9C34c51kBamDdgark.css" />




  </head>
  <body class="layout-no-sidebars page-node-9174 path-node page-node-type-news">

    <script>0</script>

    <a href="#main-content" class="visually-hidden focusable skip-link">
      Skip to main content
    </a>
    <noscript><iframe src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-TQJ96S2" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript>
      <div class="dialog-off-canvas-main-canvas" data-off-canvas-main-canvas>
          <div class="main-search-wrapper">
      <a href="#" class="close-search"><i class="fa fa-times"></i></a>
        <div class="block-layout-region">
    <div class="views-exposed-form block block-views block-views-exposed-filter-blocksearch-results-page-1" data-drupal-selector="views-exposed-form-search-results-page-1" id="block-exposedformsearch-resultspage-1">
  
    
      <div class="content">
      
<form action="/search-results" method="get" id="views-exposed-form-search-results-page-1" accept-charset="UTF-8">
  <div class="form-row">
  



  <fieldset class="js-form-item js-form-type-textfield form-type-textfield js-form-item-search form-item-search form-group">
          <label for="edit-search">Search</label>
                    <input data-drupal-selector="edit-search" type="text" id="edit-search" name="search" value="" size="30" maxlength="128" class="form-text form-control" />

                      </fieldset>




  <fieldset class="js-form-item js-form-type-select form-type-select js-form-item-sort-by form-item-sort-by form-group">
          <label for="edit-sort-by">Sort by</label>
                    
<select data-drupal-selector="edit-sort-by" id="edit-sort-by" name="sort_by" class="form-select custom-select"><option value="search_api_relevance" selected="selected">Relevance</option></select>
                      </fieldset>




  <fieldset class="js-form-item js-form-type-select form-type-select js-form-item-sort-order form-item-sort-order form-group">
          <label for="edit-sort-order">Order</label>
                    
<select data-drupal-selector="edit-sort-order" id="edit-sort-order" name="sort_order" class="form-select custom-select"><option value="ASC" selected="selected">Asc</option><option value="DESC">Desc</option></select>
                      </fieldset>
<div data-drupal-selector="edit-actions" class="form-actions js-form-wrapper form-group" id="edit-actions"><button data-drupal-selector="edit-submit-search-results" type="submit" id="edit-submit-search-results" value="Search" class="button js-form-submit form-submit btn btn-primary">Search</button>
</div>

</div>

</form>

    </div>
  </div>

  </div>

    </div>
  
<header
	id="header" class="header" role="banner" aria-label="Site header">

							<div class="pre-header">
				<div class="container">
					  <div class="block-layout-region">
    <nav role="navigation" aria-labelledby="block-useraccountmenu-menu" id="block-useraccountmenu" class="col-md-12 block block-menu navigation menu--account">
            
  <h2 class="sr-only" id="block-useraccountmenu-menu">User account menu</h2>
  

        
              <div block="block-useraccountmenu" class="clearfix nav">
                      <a href="/annual-reports" class="annual-reports nav-link annual-reports annual-reports nav-link--annual-reports" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/5580">Annual Reports</a>
                      <a href="/user/login" class="policy-recommendations pre-login-btn policy-recommendations pre-login-btn nav-link  policy-recommendations pre-login-btn policy-recommendations pre-login-btn nav-link--user-login" data-drupal-link-system-path="user/login">Login</a>
                      <a href="/about-uscirf/contact-us" class="contact-us nav-link contact-us contact-us nav-link--about-uscirf-contact-us" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/739">Contact Us</a>
                      <a href="" class="search nav-link search search search search search nav-link-" target="_self">Search</a>
                      <a href="https://www.facebook.com/USCIRF/" target="_blank" class="facebook nav-link facebook facebook facebook nav-link-https--wwwfacebookcom-uscirf-">Facebook</a>
                      <a href="https://twitter.com/USCIRF" target="_blank" class="twitter nav-link twitter twitter twitter nav-link-https--twittercom-uscirf">Twitter</a>
                      <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/USCIRF09" target="_blank" class="youtube nav-link youtube youtube youtube nav-link-https--wwwyoutubecom-user-uscirf09">YouTube</a>
                      <a href="https://www.instagram.com/uscirf/" target="_blank" class="instagram nav-link nav-link-https--wwwinstagramcom-uscirf-">Instagram</a>
            </div>
      


  </nav>

  </div>

				</div>
			</div>
			
							<div class="main-header">
				<div class="container">
					<div class="menu">
						  	<a href="/" title="Home" rel="home" class="navbar-brand">
					<img src="/themes/custom/uscirf2020/assets/images/logo.png" alt="Home" class="img-fluid d-inline-block align-top"/>
				
	</a>
<div id="block-mainnavigation" class="block block-we-megamenu block-we-megamenu-blockmain">
  
    
      <div class="content">
      <div class="region-we-mega-menu">
	<a class="navbar-toggle collapsed">
		<span class="icon-bar"></span>
		<span class="icon-bar"></span>
		<span class="icon-bar"></span>
	</a>
	<nav  class="main navbar navbar-default navbar-we-mega-menu mobile-collapse hover-action" data-menu-name="main" data-block-theme="uscirf2020" data-style="Default" data-animation="None" data-delay="" data-duration="" data-autoarrow="" data-alwayshowsubmenu="" data-action="hover" data-mobile-collapse="0">
		<div class="container-fluid">
			<ul  class="we-mega-menu-ul nav nav-tabs">
  <li  class="we-mega-menu-li dropdown-menu left" data-level="0" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="0f2a05e3-990a-4bb5-9982-3762a14ad643" data-submenu="1" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="left" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/about-uscirf/about-us" target="">
      About Uscirf    </a>
    <div  class="we-mega-menu-submenu about-uscirf-submenu" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-submenu" data-submenu-width="" data-class="about-uscirf-submenu" style="width: px">
  <div class="we-mega-menu-submenu-inner">
    <div  class="we-mega-menu-row" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-row" data-custom-row="0">
  <div  class="we-mega-menu-col span12" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-col" data-width="12" data-block="" data-blocktitle="0" data-hidewhencollapse="" data-class="">
  <ul class="nav nav-tabs subul">
  <li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="d5e82cdf-2116-4eb3-a62c-1695f5b57aa2" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/about-uscirf/frequently-asked-questions" target="">
      Frequently Asked Questions    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="c5c1f4b3-15ab-492a-bab5-32b600852340" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/commissioners" target="">
      Commissioners    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="8f22af24-0b6e-4749-b76f-3a4bb2c2a881" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="_self">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="https://www.uscirf.gov/about-uscirf/former-commissioners" target="_self">
      Former Commissioners    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="d539be25-b8bb-414d-8642-b224f324f064" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/about-uscirf/staff" target="">
      Staff    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="aced1b8b-9dde-4154-bbef-890605118ab7" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/about-uscirf/authorizing-legislation-amendments" target="">
      Authorizing Legislation    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="4f752644-1936-4092-a62e-02d4c6f4b084" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/about-uscirf/employment-opportunities" target="">
      Employment Opportunities    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="e9e29f38-9bbb-48b5-8062-e0941c5871f8" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/about-uscirf/contract-opportunities" target="">
      Contract Opportunities    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="681b7cc3-3814-44d5-bcc4-b20b0227a94e" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/resources/other-resources" target="">
      Other Resources    </a>
    
</li>
</ul>
</div>

</div>

  </div>
</div>
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li dropdown-menu" data-level="0" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="b5a747ba-a10f-499d-a8f7-3f07cf4b9fb7" data-submenu="1" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/countries" target="">
      Countries    </a>
    <div  class="we-mega-menu-submenu countries-submenu" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-submenu" data-submenu-width="" data-class="countries-submenu" style="width: px">
  <div class="we-mega-menu-submenu-inner">
    <div  class="we-mega-menu-row" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-row" data-custom-row="0">
  <div  class="we-mega-menu-col span12" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-col" data-width="12" data-block="" data-blocktitle="0" data-hidewhencollapse="" data-class="">
  <ul class="nav nav-tabs subul">
  <li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="a17cc02b-38db-4d77-a9bb-c70d9a762efa" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/countries/2023-recommendations" target="">
      2023 Recommendations    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="79380619-0c6e-4884-aa9a-7d3636dc6270" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/countries/afghanistan" target="">
      Afghanistan    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="92e9dc0d-63f7-4242-9153-e4fcb088283f" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/countries/algeria" target="">
      Algeria    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="2bcde6ab-c5b0-4674-8fde-0c65c3669ffc" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/countries/azerbaijan" target="">
      Azerbaijan    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="28d6a1f2-65a9-4d02-8c44-c2cb4e17f264" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/countries/burma" target="">
      Burma    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="0f3f0139-1767-4dc6-80bf-b96a42b78150" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/countries/central-african-republic" target="">
      Central African Republic    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="39faa6f5-02e6-4b56-b91a-52d252d73fa7" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/countries/china" target="">
      China    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="a591e552-18f4-41b8-bbba-c3c597c2b82a" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/countries/cuba" target="">
      Cuba    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="20582cde-7f41-41c9-9338-5acbefeb2b71" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/countries/egypt" target="">
      Egypt    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="e50130a8-1992-472c-8c7e-74e0234eccc5" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/countries/eritrea" target="">
      Eritrea    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="52737394-a6cd-4cb8-8b9c-1a5b510e6440" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/countries/india" target="">
      India    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="e6cbf8f7-6c55-4dec-8731-71e1c40d423d" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/countries/indonesia" target="">
      Indonesia    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="c59d236f-7fec-4ed6-bcca-832ea3cb2405" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/countries/iran" target="">
      Iran    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="766dca74-5894-4416-b87c-89adf6d6eddb" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/countries/iraq" target="">
      Iraq    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="24071e9c-ec0b-41aa-8105-0727233450f0" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/countries/kazakhstan" target="">
      Kazakhstan    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="12e7b03b-256a-4b7e-b801-f4b1598f6888" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/countries/malaysia" target="">
      Malaysia    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="d8a67868-9231-47ad-b42d-d976ec8083ad" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/countries/nicaragua" target="">
      Nicaragua    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="d218909d-0971-4745-8c76-175dea18f344" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/countries/nigeria" target="">
      Nigeria    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="c5dc8fd1-b50f-4e31-9331-56295ae2c8c4" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/countries/north-korea" target="">
      North Korea    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="5f401b99-a440-4018-84be-338dce3897d3" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/countries/pakistan" target="">
      Pakistan    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="0c966aac-0d6f-45cc-9138-33d3c447ee1b" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/countries/russia" target="">
      Russia    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="f1787024-52cd-4304-876f-a3f3a3c4b756" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/countries/saudi-arabia" target="">
      Saudi Arabia    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="fb9ab8b1-67b0-44d3-bc99-aff05287c488" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="https://www.uscirf.gov/node/8718" target="">
      Sri Lanka    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="18bb5d4f-8aba-4d46-9ff9-0ffdba1fc008" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/countries/syria" target="">
      Syria    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="6da8f2ef-8a25-4f9c-8965-ea98ed974864" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/countries/tajikistan" target="">
      Tajikistan    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="2651f84a-48bd-439f-bc67-056eefb6ced6" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/countries/turkey" target="">
      Turkey    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="f9837493-22d6-40ca-ba0f-e176023ee254" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/countries/turkmenistan" target="">
      Turkmenistan    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="5f0bb1a3-cec9-4726-b064-fa9712bbe2a4" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/countries/uzbekistan" target="">
      Uzbekistan    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="105050e2-6c05-4aea-bf19-bcc460c700f5" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/countries/vietnam" target="">
      Vietnam    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li dropdown-menu" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="a8895a9a-0e84-4ed6-b6bc-5fb7bf9ed16a" data-submenu="1" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/countries/others" target="">
      Others    </a>
    <div  class="we-mega-menu-submenu" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-submenu" data-submenu-width="" data-class="" style="width: px">
  <div class="we-mega-menu-submenu-inner">
    <div  class="we-mega-menu-row" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-row" data-custom-row="0">
  <div  class="we-mega-menu-col span12" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-col" data-width="12" data-block="" data-blocktitle="0" data-hidewhencollapse="" data-class="">
  <ul class="nav nav-tabs subul">
  <li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="2" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="7bd57fc8-ea27-4e89-9425-d5ed5eb2745a" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/countries/bahrain" target="">
      Bahrain    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="2" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="8573b460-195b-4c08-bbfb-3efc2badd819" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/countries/laos" target="">
      Laos    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="2" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="1f203aaf-21b2-46de-814f-9a7ecb708380" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/countries/sudan" target="">
      Sudan    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="2" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="3e838d5f-e296-45f9-a980-c8717ca02973" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="https://www.uscirf.gov/countries/others" target="">
      Others    </a>
    
</li>
</ul>
</div>

</div>

  </div>
</div>
</li>
</ul>
</div>

</div>

  </div>
</div>
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li dropdown-menu" data-level="0" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="c2addf6d-b455-4133-a3ba-f565e2002933" data-submenu="1" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/news-room" target="">
      News Room    </a>
    <div  class="we-mega-menu-submenu newsroom-submenu" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-submenu" data-submenu-width="" data-class="newsroom-submenu" style="width: px">
  <div class="we-mega-menu-submenu-inner">
    <div  class="we-mega-menu-row" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-row" data-custom-row="0">
  <div  class="we-mega-menu-col span12" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-col" data-width="12" data-block="" data-blocktitle="0" data-hidewhencollapse="" data-class="">
  <ul class="nav nav-tabs subul">
  <li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="be019fa1-b2f4-4534-b20e-6ff7fc9a14b1" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/news-room/press-releases-statements" target="">
      Press Releases & Statements    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="c571d558-6e93-4e90-837b-e5e92489441e" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/news-room/op-eds" target="">
      Op-Eds    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="9d5285bc-f7e9-4b86-8fef-6fc87a7ffb5e" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/news-room/uscirf-spotlight" target="">
      USCIRF Spotlight Podcast    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="1eefad2c-c2a7-4e56-825d-8c41122a3eed" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/news-room/media-inquiries/media-inquiries" target="">
      Media Inquiries    </a>
    
</li>
</ul>
</div>

</div>

  </div>
</div>
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li dropdown-menu" data-level="0" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="c7f750bc-430d-40d8-8c45-7e155a21c42c" data-submenu="1" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/events" target="">
      Events    </a>
    <div  class="we-mega-menu-submenu events-submenu" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-submenu" data-submenu-width="" data-class="events-submenu" style="width: px">
  <div class="we-mega-menu-submenu-inner">
    <div  class="we-mega-menu-row" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-row" data-custom-row="0">
  <div  class="we-mega-menu-col span12" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-col" data-width="12" data-block="" data-blocktitle="0" data-hidewhencollapse="" data-class="">
  <ul class="nav nav-tabs subul">
  <li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="0d6ad4aa-4590-43a4-98a3-5add35094223" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/event-type/hearings-and-briefings" target="">
      USCIRF Hearings    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="7ee423c8-9f5d-4cf8-af92-0e4105a1438a" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/event-type/webinars" target="">
      Other USCIRF Events    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="4dab3703-a8f6-48ce-b0d4-52096f9f387e" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="_self">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/event-type/congressional-hearings" target="_self">
      Congressional Hearings    </a>
    
</li>
</ul>
</div>

</div>

  </div>
</div>
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li dropdown-menu" data-level="0" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="3b825d51-3deb-497d-90ab-9026a8d66440" data-submenu="1" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/victims-list" target="">
      FoRB Victims List    </a>
    <div  class="we-mega-menu-submenu prisoners-submenu" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-submenu" data-submenu-width="" data-class="prisoners-submenu" style="width: px">
  <div class="we-mega-menu-submenu-inner">
    <div  class="we-mega-menu-row" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-row" data-custom-row="0">
  <div  class="we-mega-menu-col span12" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-col" data-width="12" data-block="" data-blocktitle="0" data-hidewhencollapse="" data-class="">
  <ul class="nav nav-tabs subul">
  <li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="35fc887e-8d3e-4647-ba12-4a1fd91f7d67" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="_self">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/victims-list" target="_self">
      Frank R. Wolf Freedom of Religion or Belief Victims List    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="ee46358a-b8d3-4dad-ba4d-71817c3e44e3" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="https://www.uscirf.gov/forb-victims-list-country-profiles" target="">
      Country Profiles    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="1" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="2da35d98-538c-48bd-94d9-8d278da067e6" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="_self">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/religious-prisoners-conscience/defending-freedoms-project" target="_self">
      Defending Freedoms Project    </a>
    
</li>
</ul>
</div>

</div>

  </div>
</div>
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li" data-level="0" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="c6e9e334-12be-4ffa-a147-219011ced0c0" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/publications" target="">
      Publications    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li annual-reports-main-menu" data-level="0" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="b97b75f2-91c9-406b-ac35-3fb515a5fa2d" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="annual-reports-main-menu" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a href='#' data-drupal-link-system-path="<front>" class="we-megamenu-nolink">
      Annual Reports</a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li contact-us-main-menu" data-level="0" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="08a91ce4-1749-4802-9d63-fec08866060f" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="contact-us-main-menu" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/about-uscirf/contact-us" target="">
      Contact Us    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li facebook-main-menu" data-level="0" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="7f0cde2b-9793-4526-be20-c4b63bc334e3" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="facebook-main-menu" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="https://www.facebook.com/USCIRF/" target="">
      Facebook    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li twitter-main-menu" data-level="0" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="c826de4e-4ce3-4061-ac0a-4302162426ba" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="twitter-main-menu" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="https://twitter.com/USCIRF" target="">
      Twitter    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li youtube-main-menu" data-level="0" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="1e402595-a453-40dd-9943-b009989f8fc4" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="youtube-main-menu" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="https://www.youtube.com/user/USCIRF09" target="">
      YouTube    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li instagram-main-menu" data-level="0" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="74383991-57d2-4ad2-a520-5ec88f2b7081" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="instagram-main-menu" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="https://www.instagram.com/uscirf/" target="">
      Instagram    </a>
    
</li><li  class="we-mega-menu-li search-main-menu active active-trail" data-level="0" data-element-type="we-mega-menu-li" description="" data-id="439a67c9-737f-4e67-b88e-5365dd63ed46" data-submenu="0" hide-sub-when-collapse="" data-group="0" data-class="search-main-menu" data-icon="" data-caption="" data-alignsub="" data-target="">
      <a class="we-mega-menu-li" title="" href="/" target="">
      Search    </a>
    
</li>
</ul>
		</div>
	</nav>
</div>

    </div>
  </div>


					</div>

				</div>
			</div>
			</header>

<div id="main-wrapper">

			<div class="hero">
			  <div class="block-layout-region">
    <div id="block-herointernalpageblock" class="block block-custom-blocks block-hero-internal-block">
  
    
      <div class="content">
      	
	
	
	
  
	<div class="internal_hero_wrapper custom-hero internal-hero-js-adjust">
		<div class="internal_hero" style='background-image: linear-gradient(to right, rgba(0, 0, 0, 1) 3%, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0), rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) ), url("/themes/custom/uscirf2020/assets/images/defaultHero.png"); background-position-x: center; background-position-y: center'>


			<div class="wrapper">
				<div class="container">
					<div class="content">
						<h1 class="internal-hero-title">USCIRF Calls for U.S. Government to Support Iraq’s Religious Communities on Anniversary of Genocide Determination </h1>
						
            <div class="custom-breadcrumb hidden"></div>
					</div>
				</div>
			</div>
		</div>
	</div>

<div id="insertNavHere"></div>

    </div>
  </div>

  </div>

		</div>
	
      
  
			<div id="main" class="container">
              <a id="main-content"></a>
          <div data-drupal-messages-fallback class="hidden"></div><div id="block-uscirf2020-content" class="block block-system block-system-main-block">
  
    
      <div class="content">
      

	

<div class="news-page">


	

	<div class="news-info-wrapper">



					<p class="news-date">Mar 18, 2024</p>
			</div>


	

	<div class="news-paragraph-wrapper">
					


<div class="full-content">
	<p align="center" style="text-align:center"><strong><a name="_Hlk161668901">USCIRF Calls for U.S. Government to Support Iraq’s Religious Communities on Anniversary of Genocide Determination</a></strong></p>

<p>Washington, D.C. – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) solemnly marks the eighth anniversary of the U.S. Department of State’s determination in 2016 that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) perpetrated a genocide against northern Iraq’s Yazidis, Christians, and Shi’a Muslims. The State Department also determined that ISIS carried out crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing directed toward these same groups and, in some cases, Sunni Muslims, Kurds, and other minorities. USCIRF reiterates its call for the U.S. government to give greater support to Iraq’s diverse religious communities still suffering from the aftereffects of ISIS’s genocidal campaigns.</p>

<p>“<em>ISIS’s atrocities against Iraq’s religious and ethnic minorities were part of a deliberate campaign of genocide and crimes against humanity. Although ISIS’s threat has diminished, militant non-state actors and government-affiliated militias continue to perpetrate abuses against Yazidis, Christians, Shabaks, Shi’a and Sunni Muslim Turkmen, and other religious and ethnic minorities</em>,” stated USCIRF Commissioner Stephen Schneck. “<em>USCIRF urges the United States to encourage the Iraqi government to curb the power of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and other state-affiliated forces who subject religious minorities to checkpoint harassment, interrogation, detention, torture, and efforts to usurp their political representation and leadership</em>.”</p>

<p>In 2014, ISIS surged to dominance in northern Iraq. ISIS has systemically subjected the region’s diverse array of ethnic and religious minorities, including several indigenous groups, to atrocities such as mass execution, mass rape, systematic sexual slavery and forced labor, and forced religious conversion. On March 15, 2016, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution finding that ISIS’s crimes against religious minorities in Iraq and Syria constitute genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. On March 17, 2016, Secretary of State John Kerry declared that ISIS had committed genocide and crimes against humanity against Yazidis, Christians, Shi’a Muslims, and others. In 2019, the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS—including the United States and its local partners—achieved its territorial defeat of ISIS in Iraq and Syria.</p>

<p>“<em>Today, minorities in Iraq continue to suffer for their religious and ethnic identity</em>,” said USCIRF Commissioner Frank Wolf. “<em>USCIRF calls on the U.S. government to support the governments of Iraq and its Kurdistan Region in their missions to rescue the 2,700 missing and enslaved Yazidi women and girls. The U.S. must also emphasize to the Iraqi and Kurdistan Regional governments the urgency of fully implementing the 2020 Sinjar Agreement and making the region safe for the return of genocide survivors, so that hundreds of thousands of Yazidis and others among the 1 million-plus Iraqis languishing in internal displacement can go home.</em>” </p>

<p>USCIRF has consistently highlighted the long aftermath of ISIS’s genocide against Iraq’s religious minorities, including threats to their administrative autonomy and political representation. USCIRF recently held a hearing identifying ways the U.S. government can work with the Iraqi federal government (IFG) and the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to address religious freedom concerns, especially for the country’s vulnerable religious minorities. In September 2023, USCIRF also published a report examining recent developments as well as ongoing factors affecting religious freedom in Iraq.  </p>

<p class="text-align-center">###</p>

<p class="text-align-center"><em>The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a commissioner, please contact USCIRF at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#345951505d55744147575d46521a535b42" target="_blank"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ec818988858dac999f8f859e8ac28b839a">[email protected]</span></a>. </em><a name="_Hlk96437472"></a></p>

</div>

			</div>
</div>

    </div>
  </div>
<div id="block-taxonomytermview" class="block block-custom-blocks block-taxonomy-term-view">
  
    
      <div class="content">
      
    </div>
  </div>


      		</div>
	</div>


<footer class="footer">
			<div class="container footer-content">
			<div class="footer-info">
				  <div class="block-layout-region">
    <div id="block-footerinformationblock" class="col-md-8 block block-custom-blocks block-footer-information-block">
  
    
      <div class="content">
      <div class="footer-information">
	<div class="footer-logo">
		<a href="/"><img src="/themes/custom/uscirf2020/assets/images/logo.png" alt=""></a>
	</div>
	<div class="footer-info-content">
		<p>United States Commission on International Religious Freedom</p>
		<p>732 N. Capitol Street, N.W., Suite A714 Washington, D.C. 20401</p>
		<p>
      			<a href="tel:(202) 523-3240">Phone:
				(202) 523-3240</a>
            		</p>
		<p>
      			<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#aac7cfcec3cbeadfd9c9c3d8cc84cdc5dc">Email:
				<span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e28f87868b83a29791818b9084cc858d94">[email protected]</span></a>
      		</p>
	</div>
</div>

    </div>
  </div>
<nav role="navigation" aria-labelledby="block-footer-menu" id="block-footer" class="col-md-4 footer-menu block block-menu navigation menu--footer">
            
  <h2 class="sr-only" id="block-footer-menu">Footer</h2>
  

        
              <ul block="block-footer" class="clearfix nav navbar-nav">
                    <li class="nav-item">
                <a href="/about-uscirf/contact-us" class="nav-link nav-link--about-uscirf-contact-us" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/739">Contact Us</a>
              </li>
                <li class="nav-item">
                <a href="/about-uscirf/privacy-and-copyright-policy" class="nav-link nav-link--about-uscirf-privacy-and-copyright-policy" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/691">Privacy Policy</a>
              </li>
                <li class="nav-item">
                <a href="/sitemap" class="nav-link nav-link--sitemap" data-drupal-link-system-path="sitemap">Sitemap</a>
              </li>
        </ul>
  


  </nav>

  </div>

			</div>
		</div>
	</footer>

  </div>

    

    <script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script><script src="https://use.fontawesome.com/releases/v5.7.2/js/all.js" defer crossorigin="anonymous"></script>
<script src="https://use.fontawesome.com/releases/v5.7.2/js/v4-shims.js" defer crossorigin="anonymous"></script>


    <script type="application/json" data-drupal-selector="drupal-settings-json">{"path":{"baseUrl":"\/","scriptPath":null,"pathPrefix":"","currentPath":"node\/9174","currentPathIsAdmin":false,"isFront":false,"currentLanguage":"en"},"pluralDelimiter":"\u0003","suppressDeprecationErrors":true,"back_to_top":{"back_to_top_button_trigger":100,"back_to_top_prevent_on_mobile":true,"back_to_top_prevent_in_admin":false,"back_to_top_button_type":"image","back_to_top_button_text":"Back to top"},"ds":{"show_viewport_info":0},"google_analytics":{"account":"UA-7936802-1","trackOutbound":true,"trackMailto":true,"trackDownload":true,"trackDownloadExtensions":"7z|aac|arc|arj|asf|asx|avi|bin|csv|doc(x|m)?|dot(x|m)?|exe|flv|gif|gz|gzip|hqx|jar|jpe?g|js|mp(2|3|4|e?g)|mov(ie)?|msi|msp|pdf|phps|png|ppt(x|m)?|pot(x|m)?|pps(x|m)?|ppam|sld(x|m)?|thmx|qtm?|ra(m|r)?|sea|sit|tar|tgz|torrent|txt|wav|wma|wmv|wpd|xls(x|m|b)?|xlt(x|m)|xlam|xml|z|zip"},"data":{"extlink":{"extTarget":true,"extTargetNoOverride":false,"extNofollow":false,"extNoreferrer":false,"extFollowNoOverride":false,"extClass":"0","extLabel":"(link is external)","extImgClass":false,"extSubdomains":false,"extExclude":"","extInclude":"(\\.pdf)","extCssExclude":"","extCssExplicit":"","extAlert":false,"extAlertText":"","mailtoClass":"0","mailtoLabel":"(link sends email)","extUseFontAwesome":false,"extIconPlacement":"append","extFaLinkClasses":"fa fa-external-link","extFaMailtoClasses":"fa fa-envelope-o","whitelistedDomains":[]}},"ajaxTrustedUrl":{"\/search-results":true},"user":{"uid":0,"permissionsHash":"ed45d0af53e3fb9966d95a498282d5fc360d39ce17854b99037dbedf867a83e3"}}</script>
<script src="/sites/default/files/js/js_x_AilKq9byhKbW-zyZEdB9byT6NT8dPQLMJprqstS28.js"></script>
<script src="//cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/popper.js/1.14.3/umd/popper.min.js"></script>
<script src="//stackpath.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/4.1.1/js/bootstrap.min.js"></script>
<script src="/sites/default/files/js/js_VBy4RcLoNXIGhOFaX34v6DnDqyNCQM6sRFV-7ClSjJY.js"></script>


      <!-- Go to www.addthis.com/dashboard to customize your tools -->
      <script type="text/javascript" src="//s7.addthis.com/js/300/addthis_widget.js#pubid=ra-5f16f2b23ddb5c04"></script>
  </body>
</html>