Mobile Menu - OpenMobile Menu - Closed

“All human beings are born free and equal

in dignity and rights.”

- Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The State of Religious Freedom Around the Globe

Date: 
Tuesday, July 13, 2021 - 2:00pm
Location: 
Virtual via Cisco WebEx

Announcement

Please join the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission for a hearing to examine the state of religious freedom around the world.

Article 18 of both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights recognize the fundamental right to “freedom of thought, conscience and religion.”  However, the State Department’s Bureau of International Religious Freedom observed in its 2020 International Religious Freedom Report that “Across the globe, in far too many places, individuals continue to be killed, tortured, jailed, harassed, and threatened on account of their religious identity or beliefs. Left unaddressed, such abuses threaten societal cohesion and political stability, undermine economic development, and can foster radicalization and violent extremism.”

Coinciding with the nongovernmental International Religious Freedom Summit to be held July 13-15, 2021, a panel of experts will examine the status of religious freedom around the globe, with emphasis on four countries where religious freedom is threatened either due to state repression or the sustained failure of the government to contain non-state actors intent on religious persecution: China, Iran, Pakistan and Nigeria.

This hearing will be virtual. Pursuant to H. Res. 965, Members of Congress and witnesses will participate remotely via Cisco WebEx. Members of the public and the media may view the hearing by live webcast on the Commission website and will also be available for viewing on the House Digital Channel service. For any questions, please contact Piero Tozzi (for Co-Chair Smith) or Kimberly Stanton (for Co-Chair McGovern).

Hosted by:

Christopher H. Smith
Member of Congress
Co-Chair, TLHRC
James P. McGovern
Member of Congress
Co-Chair, TLHRC

Opening Remarks

Witnesses

Panel I

  • Nadine Maenza, Chair, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
    Written testimony

Panel II

Bios

Submitted for the record

Video

117th Congress