NEW YORK (Diya TV) — Dr. Gunisha Kaur has become the first known Sikh American appointed to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.
Sen. Chuck Schumer recommended Kaur for the bipartisan commission. The agency monitors religious freedom violations worldwide and advises the president, Congress, and the State Department on international religious liberty issues. Kaur is an anesthesiologist and human rights researcher with extensive experience in global health and advocacy. She currently serves as director of the Human Rights Impact Lab at Weill Cornell Medicine. She also serves on the board of Ensaaf and is affiliated with the Council on Foreign Relations and the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, commonly known as USCIRF, is an independent federal agency that tracks violations of religious freedom abroad. Commissioners serve two-year terms and receive appointments from the White House and congressional leaders from both parties. The commission studies issues such as religious persecution, discrimination, and displacement in countries around the world. It also recommends policies to improve protections for religious minorities and vulnerable communities.
Schumer described Kaur as an “exceptional” choice for the commission and praised her work in medicine, anthropology, and human rights advocacy.
“Dr. Kaur will make history as the first and only Sikh to serve on the commission,” Schumer said. “I am confident that she will bring her deep medical, academic, research, and leadership expertise to her service on the commission.”
Schumer also highlighted Kaur’s leadership at Weill Cornell Medicine, where she directs global health and human rights initiatives. Her work focuses on the intersection of medicine, humanitarian issues, and social justice.
