Washington D.C., Jul 26, 2013 / 17:05 pm
Leaders of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom say that religious liberty is an "essential element" of human dignity and its protection deserves prominence in U.S. foreign policy.
"Since America's founding, the country has honored this form of liberty," Robert P. George, the newly elected commission chair, and commission vice-chair Katrina Lantos Swett, wrote in the Wall Street Journal July 26.
"Today, when religious freedom in many parts of the world is under siege, one of the aims of U.S. foreign policy should be to combat such intolerance – not just because religious freedom reduces the risk of sectarian conflict, but more fundamentally because it protects the liberty that is central to human dignity."
The religious freedom commission monitors the state of liberty of religion, thought, conscience or belief in other countries. The commission uses as its standards the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international agreements. The commission gives independent policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress.