Sam Brownback: “I rise to urge my colleagues and the American people to seriously consider the state of religious freedom around the…”

“I rise to urge my colleagues and the American people to seriously consider the state of religious freedom around the globe. Exactly 5 years ago we passed groundbreaking legislation aimed at combating international religious persecution. The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 only established the U.S. Commission on Religious Freedom and the International Religious Freedom Office at the Department of State, but it brought the issue of the religious persecution to the forefront of foreign policy initiatives. Religious persecution remains one of the leading violations of human rights in our world today. It is particularly important that on the 5 year anniversary of the passage of this bill, we remind the world of our commitment to promote religious liberty for all people. This Nation, founded by those seeking to adopt, believe, worship, observe, teach, and practice their religion, has declared in the first amendment that, ``Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . . .'' And over time, the United States was joined by other countries in signing numerous declaration and international agreements specifically acknowledging the universal human right to freedom of religion. Despite the great achievements we have made concerning religious liberty, we can not close the book on the millions that still suffer persecution.”