IRF Summit

Bringing together the broad coalition of organizations that passionately supports religious freedom around the globe. #IRFSummit2026

[IRF Summit @IRFSummit]

Stirring testimony from @NEDemocracy on the sobering state of religious freedom in Nicaragua. Thank you, Eddy, for bearing witness to the grave violations taking place in that country and for giving voice to those daily being repressed for their faith.

[Damon M. Wilson @DamonMacWilson]

More than 27,000 religious processions and acts of worship banned. Churches surveilled. Religious leaders driven into exile.

As @NEDemocracy’s Eddy Acevedo told the Senate, Nicaraguans are still documenting abuses, defending victims, and working for democratic change.

The Ortega-Murillo regime fears independent voices. NED stands with those who refuse to be silenced.

“Supporting their work will help preserve the possibility of democratic change.”

[IRF Summit @IRFSummit]

IRF Summit 2027 Early-Bird Registration Ends This Week!

This February 1-2, 2027, meet and connect with experts, thought-leaders, advocates, policymakers and people on the frontlines of the international religious freedom community, and hear directly from survivors of persecution around the world.

Come learn, connect, and advocate for those without a voice. Sign up now: https://t.co/ENdkYxr4rK

#IRFSummit #IRFSummit2027 #religiousfreedom

[IRF Summit @IRFSummit]

At #IRFSummitNorthAfrica, panelists explored social dynamics related to religious freedom in North Africa and considered how individuals and communities navigate diversity of belief in daily life in the region.

Of particular interest were the areas of friction between communities and examples of toleration between differing communities.

Thank you to all who participated in the Lived Religion, Identity, and Social Negotiation Panel!

Watch the full panel here: https://t.co/DOgJeiwTZU

#IRFSummit #religiousfreedom #FoRB

[IRF Summit @IRFSummit]

"Community building is one of the most powerful expressions of freedom of belief" - Yassine Bakir, Member of the Baha’i Liaison Office in Morocco, at #IRFSummitNorthAfrica. 🌍

We love to talk about legal protections, but religious freedom is also about creating relationships and spaces that allow diverse communities to safely worship, connect, and participate openly in society.

We were thrilled to host IRF Summit North Africa in Morocco, a country that is beginning to implement some of the very measures we hope to see across North Africa. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Yassine!

Watch Yassine's full session here: https://t.co/g9TW7byRs3

#IRFSummit #religiousfreedom #FoRB

[Lantos Foundation for Human Rights & Justice @LantosFndn]

Peaceful members of the Bahá’í community have long faced severe persecution in Iran, and now they must increasingly fear deportation from Qatar with no explanation or path to appeal. Qatar must cease its efforts to erase this religious minority from the country.

[Sam Brownback @SamuelBrownback]

China should allow Pastor Cao to return to his family in America. He has served his sentence for fictitious crimes. It is cruel to make him stay in China, especially now that he has Stage 4 cancer. I hope @POTUS raises his case with President Xi.

https://t.co/5k2RySindZ

[ONE @ONECampaign]

Religious freedom isn't just about the freedom to worship. It's about protecting the freedom to put compassion into action.

In the latest edition of One Stubborn Thing, ONE's President and CEO, Amb. Mark Green (ret.) shares his remarks from #IRFSummitNorthAfrica, which convened earlier this week in Casablanca.

At a time when 5.4 billion people live in countries where religious freedom faces grave violations, protecting religious freedom means protecting one of the world's greatest forces for hope and human dignity.

Read more here: https://t.co/xGjtsWpCam

@IRFSummit

[IRF Summit @IRFSummit]

North Africa stands at a pivotal point for religious freedom change, and we were excited to be a part of that! 🌍

At IRF Summit North Africa last week, policy makers, IRF experts, and local leaders convened in Morocco to discuss the complex intersection of religion, law, and society across the region. Thank you to all who participated!

Highlights included:

🟢 Insightful plenary panels covering topics like constitutional reform, religious freedom and legal frameworks, civil society's role in advancing FoRB, transnational repression, women's leadership, and pathways to greater pluralism across North Africa.

🟢 An incredible lineup of speakers, including Lord David Alton, Amb. Mark Green, Amb. Robert Rehak, Amina Bouayach, and the Summit co-chairs, among others.

🟢 A Freedom House-sponsored training on psychosocial resilience.

🟢 A side session by our partner, AfricanDefenders, covering African Union's Agenda 2063, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 16), as well as State reporting processes at both regional and international levels where FoRB remains chronically underreported.

🟢 A dinner in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Forum for Peace celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Marrakech Declaration and looking forward to its implementation in legislation throughout the North Africa region and beyond. This ongoing effort is crucial in the region and one that we are eager to support.

We would like to thank all of our partners who supported this event, and especially the Menassat for Research and Social Studies and its leader, Aziz Mechouat, for their invaluable on-the-ground support with the event.

We will see you in just a few months at #IRFSummit2027!

https://t.co/5TI2iZB3eh

#IRFSummit #ReligiousFreedom #FreedomOfReligion #NorthAfrica #Morocco #HumanRights #InterfaithDialogue #Pluralism

[IRF Summit @IRFSummit]

The IRF Summit is grateful for the courageous advocacy of Uyghur leaders, including @Dolkun_Isa, and firmly believes that all defenders of religious freedom should be able to participate in these critical international dialogues without fear or obstruction.

[World Uyghur Congress @UyghurCongress]

📰PRESS RELEASE📰 WUC Condemns the Deportation of Uyghur Activist @Dolkun_Isa from Morocco

https://t.co/s1KTtVGz2U

Mr. Isa travelled to Casablanca on 20 July 2026 to attend a regional conference on freedom of religion or belief, the International Religious Freedom Summit. Upon arrival, he was stopped at immigration, taken for secondary screening, and detained overnight for approximately 15 hours with little explanation. He was subsequently deported to Germany and prevented from attending the conference.

[IRF Summit @IRFSummit]

95% of Africans identify with a religion, yet governments continue to restrict religious practices.

95% of Africans identify with a religion, yet many worshipers live in fear of terrorism by violent extremists, unprotected by their governments.

At #IRFSummitNorthAfrica, we will explore how constitutional systems in North Africa regulate religion and how these systems impact public order and individual freedoms. The goal of this session is to better understand the religious freedom landscape in the region, including the major legal factors impacting–for better or worse–the free practice of religion.

Learn more about the event at https://t.co/NAaPvwdbYH!

[IRF Summit @IRFSummit]

#IRFSummitNorthAfrica kicks off in just a few weeks!

We are excited to welcome religious freedom advocates, scholars, local leaders, and faith communities to Africa's biggest interfaith religious freedom event.

So why North Africa?

❌ Egypt continues to leverage restrictions on religious minorities, blasphemy prosecutions, and persecution against Coptic Christians, Baha'is, and others.
❌ Ahmadi Muslims and protestant Christians continue to face church closures and restrictions in Algeria.
❌ In Tunisia, constant pressure on religious minorities on issues surrounding conversion and apostasy.

... among other #FoRB issues, which will be discussed.

Learn more at https://t.co/NAaPvwdbYH!

[IRF Summit @IRFSummit]

The IRF Summit is thrilled that Pastor Ezra Jin has been reunited with his family, including his daughter @GraceJDrexel, who advocated tirelessly for him.

Jin was one of thousands of religious prisoners of conscience globally and was featured in the Summit's 2026 RPOC campaign.

[IRF Summit @IRFSummit]

Religions in Africa can coexist in peace. We'll prove it.

At #IRFSummitNorthAfrica, the panel "Lived Religion, Identity, and Social Negotiation" explores social dynamics related to religious freedom in North Africa and consider how individuals and communities navigate diversity of belief in daily life in the region. When freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) is protected, communities thrive and respect is mutual.

Of particular interest will be areas of friction between communities and examples of toleration between differing communities. We look forward to sharing more!

Want to attend the Summit? 🌍 Space is limited! Apply to register here: https://t.co/5TI2iZB3eh

[Falun Dafa Information Center @FalunInfoCtr]

The CCP's persecution of Falun Gong doesn't end at China's borders.

A new report from the Falun Dafa Information Center, based on over 1,000 survey responses from practitioners across the United States, documents a coordinated campaign of transnational repression targeting Americans.

Researchers identified 646 incidents involving surveillance, physical assaults, violent threats, harassment, property damage, censorship, and reprisals against family members in China.

The findings reveal a systematic effort to silence Americans for exercising their freedom of belief and speaking out about human rights abuses.

Read the full report at https://t.co/UbjnCDQR6l

[IRF Summit @IRFSummit]

Next month, we will be welcoming attendees at #IRFSummitNorthAfrica for a time of enriching dialogue, religious freedom discourse, community building, encouragement, and interfaith collaboration.

The event is FREE, but space is limited! Visit https://t.co/NAaPvwdbYH for more information and to apply for attendance.

Why attend?

🟢 Engage with Renowned Experts in Religious Freedom: Hear from top experts on religious freedom issues in North Africa.

🔴 Dive Deep into Complex Geopolitical Concerns: Participate in in-depth conversations on North Africa’s religious landscape.

🟡 Engage in Interactive Workshops and Panels: Join interactive sessions designed to enhance understanding and collaboration.

#IRFSummit #religiousfreedom #FoRB

[IRF Summit @IRFSummit]

A once-thriving community in Afghanistan, today Afghanistan's #Sikh religious population has dwindled to just a handful of families, mostly scattered outside of Afghanistan.

Since the Taliban returned to power, persecution towards Sikhs have made living in their home country a near impossibility. Facing extinction and physical violence, most have fled to India and surrounding countries.

Last year, a delegation of Hindus and Sikhs from Afghanistan met Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi at the Afghanistan Embassy to propose a return to Afghanistan if the Taliban regime could assure their safety, but tangible improvements seem to be limited or unclear.

Persecution of Afghan Sikhs raises urgent questions for the international community about asylum pathways, accountability for attacks, and long-term preservation of minority cultures at risk of disappearing.

We strive to highlight those religions at our annual Summit and elevate their cause to legislative changemakers.

Thank you for following #IRFSummit as we continue to advocate for religious minorities across the globe.
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#Afghanistan #Sikh #Sikhreligion #religiouspersecution

[IRF Summit @IRFSummit]

@USCIRF has released its 2026 annual report detailing religious freedom abuses around the world. USCIRF’s report emphasizes a troubling trend: both non-state violence and state repression are on the rise.

The report paints an alarming picture of the rise of global persecution and discrimination:

📌 House church arrests in China
📌 Mob violence in India and Pakistan (as well as new blasphemy laws that functionally silence minorities)
📌 New legislation in Tajikistan that prevents parents from teaching their children about their faith.

Recommendations to the Trump Administration and Congress include designating five additional nations as Countries of Particular Concern (CPC), including Afghanistan, India, Libya, Syria, and Vietnam, and adding several countries to the Special Watch List (SWL).

We encourage the IRF community to closely review USCIRF’s recommendations and use them to inform advocacy efforts this year, including keeping an eye on its CPC, SWL, and Entities of Particular Concern recommendations.

https://t.co/7B1yA2Jxj8
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#religiousfreedom #USCIRF #IRF

[IRF Summit @IRFSummit]

We MUST not stop fighting!

At #IRFSummit2026, IRF Summit Co-Chair Katrina Lantos Swett briefs Summit attendees on the state of the #IRF movement:

"In many ways, the movement to advance freedom of religion or belief for everyone, everywhere, has never been stronger. In terms of momentum, attention, and resources, our cause is growing and on the move, and all of you are the reason why... But sadly, more people than ever now live in countries and regions where their most fundamental rights of conscience are restricted, repressed and threatened by governments, ideologies and too much indifference."

Join our cry for religious freedom at #IRFSummit2027!

[IRF Summit @IRFSummit]

Featured #PartnerHighlight 🤝 Alliance of Virtue

IRF Summit is proud to partner with the Alliance of Virtue, an interfaith initiative which brings together Jews, Christians, Muslims, representatives of other religions, and other people of goodwill, under shared virtues of human dignity, religious freedom, tolerance, justice, and peace. Their commitment strengthens the global movement for international religious freedom.

Enjoy these photos from their sponsored lunch at IRF Summit 2026, including the 10th anniversary of the Marrakesh Declaration, a statement made in January 2016 by "more than 250 Muslim religious leaders, heads of state, and scholars", which champions "defending the rights of religious minorities in predominantly Muslim countries."

Thank you for your support of #IRFSummit2026!
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#internationalreligousfreedom #globalpeace

[IRF Summit @IRFSummit]

Over the past few years, #Rwanda has closed hundreds of churches over regulatory compliance issues. Now, devout Catholic and political opposition figure Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza has been barred from attending church by the Rwandan government.

"Christians tend to be known in societies for daring to stand for justice despite the dangers... Being from a different religious group doesn’t mean you’re a threat." Umuhoza's daughter shared.

Read more here: https://t.co/tJk7mswCh9