2. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom
Description
In this episode, we talk to Amiad from Vietnam about the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, USCIRF. This commission is funded by the US government, and its purpose is to monitor countries around the world for any violations of religious freedom. Commissioners are appointed by the president, secretary of state, and congress. USCIRF has been criticized (correctly) for having a pro-Christian, right-wing bias, and for the controversial figures like Tony Perkins and Gary Bauer, who have served on the commission. We talk about the implications for the people living in what USCIRF designates as "countries of particular concern," and the commission's obvious anti-communist, anti-socialist bias in how it determines what countries to put on its watch lists.




