Washington D.C., Dec 6, 2011 / 12:51 pm
A religious liberty expert is concerned that the U.S. State Department appears to be collaborating with a group that has worked to outlaw criticism of Islam around the world.
“The U.S. government should not be getting into the business of trying to shape what people say about religion,” said Paul Marshall, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom.
Marshall made his remarks to CNA on Dec. 5, after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton invited the Saudi Arabia-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation to attend a Dec. 12-14 conference in Washington, D.C. to build "muscles of respect and empathy and tolerance."
In Marshall’s view, Americans should be “very concerned” that Clinton and the State Department “are taking the organization seriously.”