Christian Persecution

Religious Freedom a Low Priority

May 7, 2010

OneNewsNow - A member of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) says while it's good that the White House is calling attention to worldwide persecution, the current administration can do more to stem the violence.

The USCIRF, established by the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act, recently released its 11th annual report dealing with religious persecution worldwide. Thirteen nations, including Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, North Korea, Pakistan, and Iraq, were listed as countries of particular concern as they are known to violate religious freedom.

Dr. Richard Land, a member of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, believes there are several steps the Obama administration can take. One particular issue holds a high priority.

"The first thing I'd like to see them do is to appoint an ambassador for religious freedom," he suggests. "That's been vacant since Mr. Obama took office, and I think it unfortunately says something about the level of priority that he's giving to this issue."

Land finds it troubling that Obama has yet to appoint an ambassador-at-large after having been in office more than a year.

U.S. Post for Religious Freedom Still Vacant

January 1, 2010

OneNewsNow - Open Doors is calling on President Barack Obama to appoint an ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom.

More than ten years ago, President Bill Clinton signed the International Religious Freedom Act into law. The bill created the Office of International Religious Freedom in the State Department -- an office that tracks the state of religious freedom in every country in the world, except the United States, and produces annual reports on each country.

The ambassador-at-large oversees the office and, among other duties, engages in diplomacy with countries that suppress religious freedom. But that spot has been vacant since President Obama took office one year ago.

Lindsay Vessey with Open Doors USA explains why her organization has launched a petition drive over the issue.

"Without an ambassador in that position, the office is still functioning -- there is still staff there, writing the annual reports, monitoring religious freedom -- but there are a lot of important jobs that aren't being done because there's no ambassador," she says.

The petition states:

"It is imperative the United States have an Ambassador at Large to advance the right to freedom of religion abroad, to denounce the violation of that right, and to recommend appropriate responses by the US government when this right is violated.

We ask that you appoint an individual with a proven history of commitment to the promotion of international religious freedom. We ask that you make this important appointment as soon as possible."

Vessey points out that a recent Pew Research Center report found 70 percent of the people in the world live in countries with high levels of restriction on religion.