United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
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The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is a US government agency created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to monitor the status of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief abroad, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international instruments, and to give independent policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and the Congress. It is based in Washington, DC.
The USCIRF makes recommendations to the US Department of State as to which countries it believes should be designated as a Country of Particular Concern for violations of religious freedom. The Secretary of State does not always follow the USCIRF recommendations.
[edit] Criticism
Both Copts and Muslims rejected a 2001 USCIRF visit to Egypt as American meddling. A member of the Commission was accused of being pro-Israel.[1]