Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Jan 15, 2008 / 00:18 am
While in Saudi Arabia, President Bush has decided to issue a proclamation establishing January 16, 2008 as “Religious Freedom Day” in keeping with the 16 year-old tradition.
The following is the proclamation released by the White House:
Thomas Jefferson counted the freedom of worship as one of America's greatest blessings. He said it was "a liberty deemed in other countries incompatible with good government, and yet proved by our experience to be its best support." On Religious Freedom Day, we celebrate the 1786 passage of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom.
The freedom to worship according to one's conscience is one of our Nation's most cherished values. It is the first protection offered in the Bill of Rights: that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." In America, people of different faiths can live together united in peace, tolerance, and humility. We are committed to the proposition that as equal citizens of the United States of America, all are free to worship as they choose.