Islam plays a significant role in Africa’s past and present, with at least 500 million Muslims living in Africa today. While many Muslims in Africa practice their faith in peace and harmony, across the region some Muslim communities have been denied their right to freedom of religion or belief by both governments and nonstate actors.

Given the important role that Islamic traditions and practice play for many Africans, we examine some of the specific challenges facing Muslims on the African continent. USCIRF Policy Analyst Madeline Vellturo joins us today to discuss the range of violations in recent years that a diversity of Muslim traditions have and continue to encounter to this day.