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						<h1 class="internal-hero-title">USCIRF Hearing on Blasphemy Laws and the Violation of  International Religious Freedom </h1>
						
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            Dec 09
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            <i class="fa fa-clock-o" aria-hidden="true"></i>WHEN:
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                      Dec 9th 10:30am
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            Dec 9th 12:00pm
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<p class="text-align-center"><strong>U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Hearing</strong></p>

<p class="text-align-center"><u><strong><a name="_Hlk27573067"></a><a name="_Hlk53049682">Blasphemy Laws and the Violation of </a>International Religious Freedom</strong></u></p>

<p class="text-align-center">Wednesday, December 9, 2020<br />
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM<br />
Virtual Hearing</p>

<p class="text-align-center">Hearing Transcript</p>

<p class="text-align-center">Hearing Summary</p>

<p><a name="_Hlk27573117">Please join the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (</a>USCIRF) for a virtual hearing about new findings from USCIRF’s report on the enforcement of global blasphemy laws and the multiple ways they mobilize violence against religious communities.</p>

<p>Blasphemy laws often criminalize any form of expression that allegedly insults or offends religious doctrines, making it essentially illegal to express religious views different from the majority, including the right not to believe. They are often misused to target faith communities. For example, in Indonesia, where Ahmadi Muslims and Chinese Indonesians are targeted for allegedly committing blasphemy, enforcement is used as a political tool along religious and ethnic lines.</p>

<p>The enforcement of blasphemy laws often sparks incidents or threats of mob violence. In 2019, the government of Mauritania’s inability to protect its citizens from the threat of mob violence was used as justification to continue detaining blogger, Mohamed Cheikh Ould Mkhaitir, who was accused of blasphemy. In Pakistan, vigilantes violently target not only the alleged blasphemer, but also attack lawyers, family members, and the surrounding faith community. The public statements of support for Asia Bibi resulted in the two high-profile murders of Shahbaz Bhatti, a cabinet member, and Salman Taseer, then Governor of Punjab.</p>

<p>Witnesses will provide an overview of blasphemy laws around the world, along with the trends in their enforcement, and present policy recommendations to the U.S. government.<a name="_Hlk531343242"></a></p>

<p>Opening Remarks</p>

<ul>
	<li>Senator James Lankford, R-OK<br />
	<a href="/sites/default/files/Sen.%20James%20Lankford%20Statement%20for%20USCIRF%20Hearing%20on%20Blasphemy%20Laws.pdf"><em>Written remarks</em></a></li>
	<li>Gayle Manchin, Chair, USCIRF<br />
	<a href="/sites/default/files/GManchin%20remarks.pdf"><em>Written remarks</em></a></li>
	<li>Tony Perkins, Vice Chair, USCIRF<br />
	<a href="/sites/default/files/TPerkins%20remarks.pdf"><em>Written remarks</em></a></li>
	<li>Anurima Bhargava, Vice Chair, USCIRF<br />
	<a href="/sites/default/files/ABhargava%20remarks.pdf"><em>Written Remarks</em></a></li>
</ul>

<p><a name="_Hlk19883998"></a><a name="_Hlk27403555"></a></p>

<p>Panel of Witnesses</p>

<ul>
	<li>Joelle Fiss, Member of the Panel of Experts on Freedom of Religion or Belief, ODIHR, OSCE; and co-author of USCIRF’s new report on blasphemy laws<br />
	<a href="/sites/default/files/Joelle%20Fiss%20Updated.pdf"><em>Written Testimony</em></a></li>
	<li>Jocelyn Getgen Kestenbaum, Associate Professor of Clinical Law, Cardozo School of Law; and co-author of USCIRF’s new report on blasphemy laws<br />
	<em>Written Testimony</em></li>
	<li>Amjad Mahmood Khan, Lecturer in Law, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law<br />
	<a href="/sites/default/files/Testimony%20of%20Amjad%20Mahmood%20Khan%20before%20USCIRF%20-%2012-9-20.pdf"><em>Written Testimony</em></a></li>
	<li>Shaan Taseer, son of Salmaan Taseer, the former governor of Punjab province killed for blasphemy; co-founder of Pakistan for All<br />
	<a href="/sites/default/files/Shaan%20Taseer.pdf"><em>Written Testimony</em></a></li>
	<li>Elizabeth O’Casey, Director of Advocacy, Humanists International<br />
	<a href="/sites/default/files/elizabeth%20ocasey%20testimony.pdf"><em>Written Testimony</em></a><br />
	 </li>
</ul>

<p>Witnesses’ Bios</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Documents submitted for the record:</p>

<p>Statement by Dr. Richard Benkin</p>

<p>Statement by the Hindu American Foundation</p>

<p> </p>

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<p> </p>

<p>This hearing is open to Members of Congress, congressional staff, the public, and the media. Members of the media should register online and can email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#325f57565b53724741515b40541c555d44"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b3ded6d7dad2f3c6c0d0dac1d59dd4dcc5">[email protected]</span></a> for any questions or to schedule an interview. The video recording of the hearing will be posted on the Commission website. For any additional questions, please contact Nina Ullom at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d29ca7bebebdbf92a7a1b1bba0b4fcb5bda4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4b053e272724260b3e382822392d652c243d">[email protected]</span></a> or (202) 322-0232.</p>
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