International Religious Freedom Alliance Launched in Washington
U. S. State Department launched the International Religious Freedom Alliance February 5 in Washington, D.C.
U. S. State Department launched the International Religious Freedom Alliance February 5 in Washington, D.C.
Religious freedom is once again taking center stage, as officials, religious leaders and human rights advocates from across the world head for Washington, D.C., and the Second Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom. As many as 115 invited foreign ministers are expected to attend.
Chair of Bipartisan U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and Vice Chair Kristina Arriaga put last week’s Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom into perspective.
The Trump administration is calling on Russia to release more than 150 political or religious prisoners and to cease suppressing dissent and peaceful religious practice.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pledged the administrations support for religious freedom May 29 at a news conference to release the annual International Religious Freedom Report.
In the annual report, released in April, USCIRF recommended that 16 countries be designated CPCs: Burma, Central African Republic, China, Eritrea, Iran, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
In an article published in Religion & Politics September 5, Shaun Casey, former U.S. State Department Special Representative for Religion and Global Affairs, wrote of his frustration with the State Department and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Tillerson’s decision to close the Office of Religion and Global Affairs.
In a statement issued July 19, the U.S. State Department called on Russia to end its persecution of minority religions. This was prompted by the Russia Supreme Court’s decision upholding an April ruling labeling Jehovah’s Witnesses “extremist.”
David N. Saperstein departed his position this month as Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom in the U.S. Department of State.