8 Federal Agencies Clarify When Title VI Bars Discrimination Related to Religion

The White House announced yesterday that eight federal agencies have "clarified—for the first time in writing—that Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits certain forms of antisemitic, Islamophobic, and related forms of discrimination in federally funded programs and activities."  The agency actions are seen as part of President Biden’s National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism.  Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act covers discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. It does not explicitly bar religious discrimination.  The agency Fact Sheets publicized by the White House each focuses on the kind of discrimination against persons of a particular religion that could come within the scope of Title VI. Here are the agencies' interpretations:

Department of Agriculture Fact Sheet; Department of Health and Human Services Fact Sheet; Department of Homeland Security Fact Sheet; Department of Housing and Urban Development Fact Sheet and Memorandum; Department of Interior Fact Sheet; Department of Labor Fact Sheet; Department of Treasury Fact Sheet; Department of Transportation Fact Sheet.

China Imposes Sanctions On USCIRF Commissioners

Radio Free Asia reports that yesterday China imposed sanctions on the chair, vice-chair and two commissioners of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. They will be barred from entering China, and any assets they hold in China will be frozen.  The move comes in response to recent sanctions imposed on Chinese officials by the U.S. Treasury Department because of human rights abuses against Uyghurs and members of other predominantly Muslim ethnic minority groups in Xinjiang Region. USCIRF issued a press release condemning the Chinese government's action.

Treasury Department Imposes Sanctions On Chinese Officials Over Uyghur Human Rights

The Treasury Department announced yesterday that its Office of Foreign Assets Control has imposed sanctions on two Chinese government officials in connection with human rights abuses against ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The officials sanctioned are Wang Junzheng and Chen Mingguo who are connected with arbitrary detention and severe physical abuse targeting Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in the region.

Treasury Department Sanctions Turkish Officials Over Imprisoned American Pastor

The U.S. Department of Treasury announced yesterday that its Office of Foreign Assets Control has imposed sanctions on Turkey's Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gul and its Minister of Interior Suleyman Soylu.  They are leaders of Turkish government organizations responsible for the arrest and detention of American pastor Andrew Brunson. Brunson has lived in Turkey for more than 20 years.  According to the Treasury Department:

Pastor Andrew Brunson has reportedly been a victim of unfair and unjust detention by the Government of Turkey.  He was arrested in Izmir, Turkey in October 2016, and with an absence of evidence to support the charges, he was accused of aiding armed terrorist organizations and obtaining confidential government information for political and military espionage. 

Vox, reporting on the Treasury Department's action, says that Brunson's case has become a personal issue for President Trump and Vice President Pence, and is important to many Christian evangelicals.  Turkey, however, apparently sees Brunson's case as tied to its attempt to get the U.S. to extradite Turkish cleric Fethullah Gülen to Turkey.