Roy Blunt: “I would like to take a few moments to share a rare piece of good news related to international religious freedom. On…”

“I would like to take a few moments to share a rare piece of good news related to international religious freedom. On October 11 of last year I submitted for the Record the story of a Christian pastor in Iran who had been charged with apostasy and sentenced to death. Earlier this month, after almost 3 years of imprisonment, Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani has been released and is at home with his family. The good news for Pastor Youcef comes after years of struggle, and we can only imagine the joy his own family feels after a long, difficult fight for his freedom. Many organizations and individuals, often risking their own lives, deserve thanks for their enduring commitment to Pastor Youcef's cause. Pastor Youcef's enduring faith in God saw him through this trying time and his experience is an inspiration to people of faith everywhere. This moment of relief and thanksgiving comes as a reminder that the liberties we enjoy as Americans come at a high price to those who have fought and continue to fight for our freedoms. And too many people in countries like Iran, Iraq, Egypt, and Pakistan, to name a few, still do not enjoy the basic human rights you and I have here at home. The persecution of religious minorities and Christians like Pastor Youcef abroad is unfortunately nothing new. That's why I introduced the Near East and South Central Asia Religious Freedom Act in June of last year. The bill came out of coordination with U.S.…”