What are some of the issues USCIRF has addressed in its work and advocacy?
Along with focusing on specific countries, USCIRF also has investigated issues including the relationship between religious freedom and U.S. efforts to promote stability and counter religion-based violence and terrorism, and the so-called “defamation of religions.” Because of an explicit mandate in IRFA, USCIRF also has addressed the issue of asylum seekers in the expedited removal process. • Efforts to Counter Religiously-Motivated Extremist Violence: Developments of the past decade have strengthened attention to the importance of freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief, as the U.S. government navigates a world threatened by religion-based extremism and religion-imbued conflict. The issue of religious freedom has had a profound impact on America’s political and national security interests, as well as on stability throughout the world. Whether in the Middle East, Africa, South and East Asia, Europe or elsewhere, religion and the striving for religious freedom have often been
