Faith, the most basic liberty, is threatened in more and more places<\/p>\n
By Clifford D. May
Tuesday, May 2, 2017<\/p>\n
ANALYSIS\/OPINION:<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe that God has planted in every heart the desire to live in freedom.\u201d So said President George W. Bush in 2004. Leave for another day the debate over whether such a belief is more hopeful than realistic. What we do know: Tyrants and terrorists around the world are persecuting, torturing and slaughtering those whose hearts do desire freedom \u2014 even the most basic.<\/p>\n
Last week, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) issued its annual report covering 37 countries. Thomas Reese, USCIRF\u2019s chair, minced no words: \u201cThe Commission has concluded that the state of affairs for international religious freedom is worsening in both the depth and breadth of violations.\u201d<\/p>\n
USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan federal government commission. Its task: to monitor religious freedom around the world and offer recommendations to Congress<\/a>, the secretary of state and the president. Its nine unpaid commissioners are appointed either by the White House or congressional leaders. I currently serve as a commissioner. Let me add: Any opinions expressed in this column are mine, not necessarily those of USCIRF.<\/p>\n As I see it, religious freedom is the seed that must be planted in order for other liberties to have a chance to grow. Governments that fail to secure the natural right to believe (or not believe) as one\u2019s conscience dictates, and to worship (or not worship) as one chooses will always repress other liberties \u2014 freedom of expression, association and assembly among them.<\/p>\n The International Religious Freedom Act, passed in 1998, requires the U.S. government to designate the most egregious violators of religious freedom as \u201ccountries of particular concern\u201d (CPCs). The State Department currently designates 10 CPCs. USCIRF\u2019s new report recommends adding six more.<\/p>\n There are an additional 12 countries on USCIRF\u2019s Tier 2 list. The rulers of those lands flagrantly violate religious freedom, though not \u2014 or at least not yet \u2014 on the level of the CPCs. You won\u2019t be surprised to learn that Turkey has been added to that list.<\/p>\n We might call this an embarrassment of wretchedness \u2014 more nations than the commission can comfortably monitor, certainly more than I can talk about in one column. So let me just hit a few of the lowlights.<\/p>\n The new USCIRF report urges the secretary of State to designate Russia a CPC because new Russian laws have effectively criminalized religious speech not authorized by the state. Most recently, Russia banned the Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses, accusing the group of posing \u201ca threat to the rights of citizens, public order and public security.\u201d That\u2019s both unfair and puzzling: The Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses are avowedly apolitical and pacifist.<\/p>\n In China, Uighur Muslims, the Falun Gong and Tibetan Buddhists are among those being persecuted and whose members have been tortured. Last year, in the words of the USCIRF report, \u201cAuthorities evicted thousands of monks and nuns from the Larung Gar Buddhist Institute in Tibet before demolishing their homes.\u201d The Panchen Lama, who should serve as one of the leaders of Tibetan Buddhists, was abducted by the Chinese government when he was six years old. April 25 was his 28th birthday and almost nothing is known about him \u2014 not even where he is.<\/p>\n