International Relations
United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
- 11 Dec 2019
- 3 min read
Why in news
Recently, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has raised concern over Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB), 2019.
- This concern is related to the provision of granting citizenship based on religion in CAB, 2019.
- Earlier in August, 2019 USCIRF had also issued a statement against the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam and a mob lynching incident in Jharkhand.
Controversial Clause of CAB, 2019
- In 2016, a Bill was introduced to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955. However, it lapsed with the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha.
- Subsequently, the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 is has been introduced in the Parliament in December 2019.
- The 2019 amendment Bill provides for an exception for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, with regard to qualification for citizenship.
USCIRF
- It is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission created by the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA), 1998. It monitors the universal right to freedom of religion or belief abroad.
- USCIRF uses international standards to monitor religious freedom violations globally, and makes policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress.
- USCIRF Commissioners are appointed by the President and Congressional leaders of both political parties.
- Their work is supported by a professional, nonpartisan staff. USCIRF is separate from the State Department, although the Department’s Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom is a non-voting ex officio Commissioner.
- Its recommendations are not binding and acts only as a conscience-keeper for the two branches in the US government — the legislature and the executive.
International Religious Freedom report, 2019
- USCIRF releases International Religious Freedom report annually. The Report consists of country-wise chapters.
- The 2019 report on India discussed mob-related violence, religious conversion, the legal status of minorities and government policies.
- It has placed India on its Tier 2 category for engaging in or tolerating religious freedom violations that meet at least one of the elements of the “systematic, ongoing, egregious” standard for designation as a “country of particular concern,” or CPC, under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA).
