Sec. Clinton condemns “Religious Defamation” laws and addresses international issues in annual Religious Freedom Report

On October 25, 2009, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton presented the annual International Religious Freedom Report, on behalf of the U.S. State Department Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. In the first IRFR from the Obama administration, Clinton stated her opposition to international laws that would propose to protect religious liberty by preventing negative speech about religious viewpoints.

In her speech, available online at C-SPAN, Secretary Clinton said:

[O]ur country has been strengthened by its long tradition of religious pluralism. From the largest denominations to the very smallest congregations, American religious bodies and faith-based organizations have helped to create a more just and compassionate society. Now, some claim that the best way to protect the freedom of religion is to implement so-called anti-defamation policies that would restrict freedom of expression and the freedom of religion. I strongly disagree. The United States will always seek to counter negative stereotypes of individuals based on their religion and will stand against discrimination and persecution.

But an individual’s ability to practice his or her religion has no bearing on others’ freedom of speech. The protection of speech about religion is particularly important since persons of different faiths will inevitably hold divergent views on religious questions. These differences should be met with tolerance, not with the suppression of discourse.

Clinton also addressed the status of religious freedom around the world and described several initiatives designed to promote interfaith dialogue and understanding.

In the Executive Summary of the report, available at the State Department web site, the Bureau describes international efforts, focusing on the efforts of the Vatican to engage Islam.    The Summary mentions that there is no “country report” for the Vatican which enjoys national sovereignty.

“The Holy See has taken a leading role in recent engagement with Islam, accompanied by growing interest from diverse religious groups and regions. . . . The Holy See favors a dialogue that will lead to greater religious freedom and tolerance for differences. In the letter exchange between Prince Talal and the Vatican, analysts have noted references from both sides to longstanding areas of concern, such as respect for the dignity of every human person and respect for religious freedom, often expressed in terms of “reciprocity.” Other areas of concern include educating the public on the essential elements of both religions, sharing religious experience, and promoting mutual respect instead of violence, especially among the young.”

The report also outlines progress toward religious reconciliation within countries. such as India which recently experienced violence between religious groups, the Ukraine, and several other nations.

There are several nations with severe religious liberty situations (designated as Countries of Particular Concern, or CPCs)  including Burma which is currently under U.S. sanction for human rights abuses, China with which the U.S. has a complicated relationship due to a combination of ongoing human rights abuses and trade, Eritrea, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Uzbekistan.  The report outlines specific concerns about these countries and others.

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Religious Persecution on the Horn of Africa (American Spectator)

http://spectator.org/archives/2009/03/03/religious-persecution-on-the-h

By Doug Bandow on 3.3.09 @ 6:06AM

Somalia continues to implode, as Islamists gain increasing control over what remains of the impoverished, conflict-ridden nation. But it is not the only human tragedy in the region. Eritrea, which won its independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after decades of war, has earned a reputation as one of the world’s youngest tyrannies. It also is one of the world’s worst religious persecutors.

Eritrea poses an early challenge to the Obama administration. Border disputes with Ethiopia continue to threaten to flare into combat. Moreover, U.S.-Eritrean relations deteriorated steadily during the Bush years, as Asmara banned operations by the U.S. Agency for International Development and Washington imposed an arms embargo because of Eritrea’s weapons shipments to next door Somalia. Eritrean President Isaias Afeworki now has approached the Obama administration lobbying for a change in U.S. policy — expressing his hope in his congratulatory letter to Obama on his election that the U.S. will now “advance the cause of regional peace, justice and legality” — but Washington should make Eritrea’s atrocious record of religious persecution part of any dialogue.

Read more at http://spectator.org/archives/2009/03/03/religious-persecution-on-the-h