US Bishops, Religious Leaders: Congress Must Re-Authorize International Religious Freedom Commission
(CNSNews.com) – The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) joined other civic and religious leaders last weekurging [1] Congress to re-authorize the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) with only a month remaining before its mandate expires. The bishops called the re-authorization “vital” at a time when religious freedom is “imperiled globally.”
USCIRF [2], a nine-member independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission, is dedicated to “defending the universal right to freedom of religion or belief abroad.” The Commission reviews religious freedom violations and makes policy recommendations to the president, the secretary of State, and Congress. The Commission has documented many abuses against Christians and other religious groups around the world since its inception as part of the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act.
“At a time when religious freedom appears to be more imperiled globally, it is vital that USCIRF be reauthorized before its September 30th authorization expires in order to continue its excellent work of raising the profile of those who are discriminated against, harassed and even killed for their faith,” Bishop Oscar Cantu of Las Cruces wrote August 26th in his capacity as chairman of the U.S. bishops’ International Justice and Peace Committee.
“USCCB has long advocated for the reauthorizations of USCIRF because of its vital role in promoting human dignity and human rights around the world by monitoring and promoting religious freedom,” he continues.
The letter goes on to cite cases of persecution that it says are “indicative of a worldwide pandemic of religious intolerance that is threatening the stability of so many countries.”
“Christians and members of other minority groups are seeking refuge from violence in Syria and Iraq. Religious minorities are jailed on blasphemy and apostasy charges in Pakistan, Burma, and Sudan, just to note a few countries where vulnerable persons can be killed with impunity,” the letter points out.
The letter quotes Pope Francis’ August 5th message to the Knights of Columbus that “the protection of religious freedom must … engage the consciences of believers on the global level, in response to the attacks unleashed on minority communities, most often Christian, in various parts of our world.”
The International Religious Freedom (IRF) Roundtable wrote a separate August 24th letter [3] to Sens. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.), chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, urging “swift passage” of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Reauthorization Act of 2015 [4], sponsored by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).
The IRF Roundtable wrote that USCIRF "has been vital to elevating the promotion of religious freedom in U.S. foreign policy."
The commission "can be counted upon to give an unvarnished view of the state of religious freedom in any given country regardless of the complexities of the bilateral relationship between our respective governments," according to the letter.
“While there is very little we agree on theologically, or politically, we all agree on the importance of international religious freedom. It strengthens cultures and provides the foundation for stable democracies and their components, including civil society, economic growth, and social harmony,” the letter emphasized.
Christian organizations, Jewish, Sikh, Baha’i and humanist organizations were among the many signers of the letter.
“Given the deteriorating conditions for religious freedom across the globe, USCIRF's work is more critical than ever,” Princeton professor Robert George, USCIRF's chairman, told CNSNews.com via email Wednesday, “Its reauthorization is an urgent priority.”
“We are grateful for, and honored by, the support of the IRF Roundtable,” George added. “No one is more aware of the situation for religious freedom, or the nature and importance of USCIRF's work, than the Roundtable's members. They are dedicated champions of international religious liberty and tireless warriors against persecution and oppression.”
Congress passed a nine-month extension reauthorizing the commission in December 2014. Currently, Rubio’s legislation is competing in the Senate with Sen. Richard Durbin’s (D-Ill.) Further Independence of Religion for Security and Tolerance Freedom Act of 2015 [5] (S. 1860).
The IRF Roundtable said of Durbin’s bill, “While S. 1860 includes significant refugee-related provisions that many of us support, some of these provisions are part of an ongoing debate which is unlikely to be resolved prior to the rapidly-approaching expiration of USCIRF’s current authorization.”
They added that “many of the USCIRF-related provisions in S. 1860 are deeply concerning and could potentially undermine USCIRF’s vital work.”
Corker and Cardin did not respond by press time to CNSNews.com’s request for comment on the calls to re-authorize the USCIRF.
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