Religious Freedom

Legislative Information

H.R. 301 Cosponsors

Floor Statements

Statement Introducing the Special Envoy.

Floor Statement before House vote. (Watch Video)Press Conference on American Christian Leaders "pledge" to stand in solidarity with imperiled Christian communities in the Middle East

I have long believed that the United States has an obligation to speak out for religious freedom, often referred to as the “first freedom.” Recognizing that religious freedom was often sidelined in our bilateral relations and diplomatic engagement with other countries, in 1998, I authored the International Religious Freedom Act, which created the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and established the International Religious Freedom Office at the State Department headed by an ambassador-at-large. This was a critical first step in integrating religious freedom into our broader foreign policy, but much remains to be done.

Sadly, religious freedom advocacy has never been more needed. A landmark report on religious freedom, released by the Pew Forum in 2009, found that "nearly 70 percent of the world’s 6.8 billion people live in countries with high restrictions on religion, the brunt of which often falls on religious minorities." Pew has done subsequent studies on the issue and it’s 2014 report found that Incidents of abuse targeting religious minorities were reported in 47% of countries in 2012, up from 38% in 2011 and 24% in the baseline year of the study.” If the international community fails to speak out and advocate for those whose basic human rights are being trampled, the prospects for religious pluralism and tolerance are bleak.

Each year USCIRF recommends which countries the Secretary of State should designate as “Countries of Particular Concern” (CPCs) for committing particularly egregious violations of religious freedom. Click here for an interactive map depicting USCRIF’s current CPC countries.

Special Envoy for Religious Minorities

In January 2013 I reintroduced bipartisan legislation to create a special envoy within the State Department to advocate on behalf of vulnerable religious minorities in the Middle East and South Central Asia. 

Shabbaz Bhatti, Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Minority Affairs, and the only Christian Member of the cabinet was an outspoken critic of his country’s blasphemy laws.  On March 2, 2011 he was murdered, his car riddled with bullets, leaving his mother's house for work. In this video filmed shortly before his assassination, Bhatti appears to sense that the path he has chosen will come with a price.

In countries like Iraq and Egypt, ancient Christian communities are being driven from the lands they have inhabited for centuries.  In Iran, Baha’is are imprisoned and in some cases executed simply because of their faith. In Pakistan, Ahmadi graves are desecrated.  In Afghanistan, a country where America has sacrificed greatly in both blood and treasure, the most basic right to freedom of religion or belief is not recognized in the constitution. This is but a snap shot of the grave challenges facing these communities.

I first introduced the special envoy, bill - along with Democrat Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, in January 2011 following a Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission hearing during which we heard sobering testimony about the challenges facing religious minorities in Iraq and Egypt.  The hearing pre-dated the so-called “Arab Spring.” But arguably, the dramatic changes in the region have only made these communities more vulnerable.  Although the bipartisan bill overwhelmingly passed the House last Congress by a vote of 402-20, the legislation languished in the Senate once the State Department voiced opposition. I renewed my efforts in the 113th Congress to press for passage of this important legislation and to mobilize faith leaders in the West to advocate for these imperiled communities. In January I sent a letter to more than 300 Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox leaders in the West, calling for them to use their influence to speak out on behalf of the persecuted Church around the globe, specifically in the Middle East.  

I was pleased that on September 18, 2013 the House again overwhelmingly passed the Special Envoy vote by a vote of 402-22.  The Senate approved its version of the bill on July 10, 2014. I am hopeful a final version will get the president’s desk for his signature quickly. Each day that passes without a dedicated special envoy to advocate for these besieged religious communities, America’s first freedom, religious freedom, is under assault around the globe.

Click here for my December 2013 press release following the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Passage of the Special Envoy bill

Click here to read my blog with Rep. Anna Eshoo on the Special Envoy bill.

Click here to read my remarks at a Wilson Center event on religious minorities in the Middle East.

Letters of Support for the Special Envoy Bill

• General Board of Church & Society of the United Methodist Church
• Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ELRC) of the Southern Baptist Convention
• Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
• U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)
• Family Research Council
• Christians United for Israel
• Joint Letter from USCCB and ERLC Urging Swift Senate Action
• Resolution of the National Religious Broadcasters

News Articles

• The Middle East War on Christians (The Wall Street Journal)
• Talk is cheap: Obama must act now to save lives, protect religious freedom (Fox News)
• Rep. Wolf Chides Obama About 'Potential Persecution' (Newsmax)
• What 'Potential Persecution' of Christians? Rep. Wolf Asks Obama (Cnsnews.com)
• Worldwide Christian Persecution a Growing Trend, Report Shows (National Catholic Register)
• Carrying on the Legacy of Pakistan’s Shahbaz Bhatti (National Review Online)
• U.S. to Fight for Ahmadi Minority Rights (ABC Online)
• China Still Persecuting Christians (National Review Online)
• Kenya, Pakistan, Egypt—it is now open season on Christians (Fox News)Persecution in Syria?  No comment.  (World Magazine)
• Archives readies a schoolgirl's records and a trove of Jewish treasures for return to Iraq (Washington Post)
• Religious Freedom Panel Wants Vietnam, Burma on Blacklist (Radio Free Asia)
• Fear for religious freedom (Foreign Policy Magazine)
• Washington focuses on plight of Mideast's minorities (The Times of Israel)
• Wife of Christian pastor held in Iran to testify before Congress (Fox News)
• U.S. urged to aid Egyptian family facing prison for converting to Christianity (Fox News)
• A Congressman's Crusade for Human and Religious Rights (Front Page Magazine)
• Focusing on Global Religious Persecution: 'Not to Act Is to Act' (National Review)
• Religious leaders urged to fight global persecution (Catholic News Agency)
• House meaure would create religious minorities envoy (JTA)
• Bill would create special envoy for religious minorities in the Middle East/South Central Asia (Morning Star News)

Editorial

• Our View: Persecuted (Winchester Star)

International Religious Freedom Related Legislation

In addition to the legislation outlined above I have cosponsored several other bills dealing with religious freedom globally, including:

• H.Res. 418, Urging the Government of Burma to end the persecution of the Rohingya people and respect internationally recognized human rights for all ethnic and religious minority groups within Burma
• H. Res. 417, Praising India’s rich religious diversity and commitment to tolerance and equality, and reaffirming the need to protect the rights and freedoms of religious minoritiesH. Res. 136, Urging Turkey to respect the rights and religious freedom of the Ecumenical Patriarch
• H. Res. 218, Calling on the Secretary of State to list the Socialist Republic of Vietnam as a “Country of Particular Concern” with respect to religious freedom
• H.RES.732, Calling for the protection of the rights and freedoms of religious minorities in the Arab world.
• H.RES.709, Welcoming His Holiness, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the worldwide spiritual and administrative head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, to Washington, DC, and recognizing his commitment to world peace, justice, nonviolence, human rights, religious freedom and democracy.
• H.RES.556, Condemning the government of Iran for its continued persecution, imprisonment and sentencing of Youcef Nadarkhani on the charge of apostasy.
• H.RES.484, Calling on the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to respect basic human rights and cease abusing vague national security provisions such as articles 79 and 88 of the Vietnamese penal code which are often the pretext to arrest and detain citizens who peacefully advocate for religious and political freedom.
• H.RES.164, Expressing the condolences of the House of Representatives to the people of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan upon the assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti, Minister for Minorities, who courageously advocated for religious freedom and tolerance in Pakistan and calling on the United States to renew its efforts with international partners in the Human Rights Council and the United Nations General Assembly to promote religious freedom and tolerance in accordance with international human rights standards.