The launch of U.S. Foreign Policy and International Religious Freedom: Recommendations for the Trump Administration and the U.S. Congress, a new policy brief co-published by the Religious Freedom Institute and the Institute for Global Engagement, took place March 20 in the historic Kennedy Caucus Room (SR-325) of the Russell Senate Office Building.
The policy brief’s co-authors, Tom Farr of RFI and Dennis Hoover of IGE, presented their recommendations. Members of Congress and other advocates and scholars of international religious freedom, including former Congressman Frank Wolf and former Canadian Ambassador for International Religious Freedom Andrew Bennet, spoke in favor of the recommendations to ensure the Administration and Congress hit the floor running to effectively fight the explosion of religious persecution that permeates the globe.
The speakers noted that there must be increased attention to religious freedom in U.S. foreign policy. Over 75 percent of the world’s people live in countries that suppress freedom of religion and persecute religious minorities. Global levels of religious persecution, violent religious extremism and religion-related conflict are dangerously high. U.S. international religious freedom policy needs to be more effective to address these threats to minorities, regional stability and national security. The new administration and Congress must take this opportunity to forge a successful U.S. international religious freedom policy.
