U.S. Government Not Fully Supporting Freedom of Religion, Says Commission

clipped from beforeitsnews.com WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. foreign policy does not reflect the central importance of religious freedom, according to members of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). “You cannot do statecraft without understanding the importance of religion,” said Dr. Don Argue, a Commissioner of USCIRF at an April 29 press conference. He noted the importance that former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright gave to religious freedom late in her tenure. “Neither prior Democratic and Republican administrations, nor the current administration, have been sufficiently engaged in promoting freedom of religion or belief abroad,” said the 373-page 2010 Annual Report, released at the news conference. The Obama administration was rebuked for allowing the position of ambassador-at-large on International Religious Freedom to go unfilled for over a year.

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