In 1991, as the Soviet Union was nearing its official end, the people of Ukraine turned out in record numbers to formally declare their independence from the Union of Soviet Social Republics (U.S.S.R.). After the votes were tallied, over 90% of Ukrainian voters had endorsed independence. Despite political pressure from Moscow, Ukraine elected its first …
Continue...On April 25, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released its 2022 annual report. As the report mentions, USCIRF was created as a result of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA). USCIRF “is an independent, bipartisan U.S. government advisory body, separate from the U.S. Department of State, that monitors religious …
Continue...Speaking via video at the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit this week In Washington, D.C., Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the Biden administration plans to nominate an ambassador-at-large for IRF in the coming weeks. This vital position has been left vacant since the Biden administration took office and plays a crucial role in …
Continue...This week, Jeff Pickering, Chelsea Patterson Sobolik, and Travis Wussow are honored to welcome Gayle Manchin, Chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom to discuss USCIRF’s recently released annual report. Comprised of nine commissioners, USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan federal body that is principally responsible for reviewing the facts and circumstances of …
Continue...On April 20, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released its 2021 annual report. As the report mentions, USCIRF was created as a result of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA). USCIRF “is an independent, bipartisan U.S. government advisory body, separate from the U.S. Department of State, that monitors religious …
Continue...After telling the lawyer a parable about a man lying on the road to Jericho and the Samaritan who stopped to help him, Jesus asked him a question: “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” “The one who showed …
Continue...“Really, wasn’t he Swiss?” More often than not, that’s the reaction I get when, traveling abroad, I mention that John Calvin was a Frenchman born in France. If people are often confused, it’s because he had to emigrate to Geneva due to strong persecution in his home country. It is true that since Calvin, the …
Continue...Today, the French parliament will vote on a controversial religious law called, “the Law to Uphold Republican Principles.” This 459-page bill has received dramatic public interest, and over 1,700 proposed amendments have been filed to the bill. The intent of this bill is to “combat the threat of Islamist radicals,” whom French President Emmanuel Macron …
Continue...In a moment, the lives of the Koh family changed forever. On February 13, 2017, Pastor Raymond Koh was abducted in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, by “the Special Branch,” an intelligence unit affiliated with the Malaysian police force. Koh’s supposed crime was proselytizing Muslims, which, though not illegal in Malaysia’s federal law, is illegal …
Continue...More than two decades ago, the United States made a significant commitment to promoting religious freedom as a foreign policy objective with the passage of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA Act). Designed to “strengthen United States advocacy on behalf of, individuals persecuted in foreign countries on account of religion,” the law authorized …
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