logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2022
16m 20s

Breaking Down the State Department’s IRF...

USCIRF
About this episode

Pursuant to the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, the U.S. Department of State designates Countries of Particular Concern, places countries on its Special Watch List, and designates Entities of Particular Concern. As part of this mandate, USCIRF makes recommendations to the administration, including the State Department, regarding which countries and entities deserve designation on these three lists based on systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.

On today’s 100th episode of the USCIRF Spotlight Podcast, USCIRF Chair Nury Turkel joins us to discuss the State Department’s most recent designations and assess how they match up with USCIRF’s recommendations.

With Contributions from:

Nury Turkel, Chair, USCIRF

Elizabeth Cassidy, Director of Research & Policy, USCIRF

Veronica McCarthy, Public Affairs Associate, USCIRF

Up next
May 8
Released But Not Free: State Restrictions on FoRB Targeting Released Religious Prisoners of Conscience
Individuals imprisoned for their religion or belief continue to face state repression even upon their release. For example, in Saudi Arabia, China, and Egypt, many released prisoners face bans on leaving the country, preventing them from visiting family, speaking freely about the ... Show More
29m 58s
May 5
Universal Jurisdiction as a Tool for Accountability in Burma
The Burmese military maintains its grip over Burma through arson, arbitrary detentions, airstrikes, killings, and other forms of intimidation and violence to instill fear in its people, including ethnoreligious minorities such as Rohingya and Chin. The lack of justice for the jun ... Show More
33m 7s
May 5
International Accountability for Burma's Atrocities Against Religious Minorities
Despite sanctions and repeated condemnation against the Burmese military, the ruling junta continues to unleash brutal attacks against its own people, including religious minorities such as Muslim-majority Rohingya and Christian-majority Chin, Kachin, and Karen communities. Sever ... Show More
32m 19s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2022
Religious Freedom, Islam, and Civil Discourse
Toleration and religious freedom put an end to centuries of bloody conflict and persecution in Europe. But what gave rise to these ideas, and can they be found in other civilizations? In this Sphere Education Initiatives webinar, Mustafa Akyol will share the ideological foundatio ... Show More
54m 35s
Jan 2016
France
From the Charlie Hebdo shootings a year ago to the November terrorist atrocities in Paris, a string of Islamist attacks has left French society reeling in the face of home-grown terror. The events raise many issues, including the nature of religious and cultural integration in Fr ... Show More
27m 46s
Mar 2024
Religious Freedom Part 2: Lawyer Sounds Alarm About ‘Rise of Global Censorship’
Today's show is the second in a three-part series on the movement for religious freedom in the U.S. legal system today. Check out the first part about how Christians who refuse to take a COVID-19 vaccine face “medical death row” here. Ryan Bangert, senior vice president at the re ... Show More
21m 42s
Jan 2022
Twist of faith: religious hatred in India
<p>As the country celebrates its secular constitution, we examine the <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/01/15/hindu-bigots-are-openly-urging-indians-to-murder-muslims?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.cont ... Show More
22m 45s
Jun 2024
The Supreme Court’s Appeal to Heaven
Over the past 15 years, the journalist and author Katherine Stewart has been charting the rise of Christian Nationalism in the United States. On this week’s Amicus, Stewart joins Dahlia Lithwick and Rachel Laser of Americans United for Separation of Church and State to discuss th ... Show More
53m 44s
Jan 2022
Twist of faith: religious hatred in India
<p>As the country celebrates its secular constitution, we examine the <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/01/15/hindu-bigots-are-openly-urging-indians-to-murder-muslims?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.cont ... Show More
22m 45s
Nov 2020
Liberty and Mercy for All
The recent tragic events in France once again bring to the forefront the age-old debate over government and the limits of allegiance. This episode examines the current crisis through the lens of our sacred texts, which harmonize the concepts of obedience, freedom, and the pursuit ... Show More
37m 9s