Members of Congress Call on President Obama to Fill Critical Position on International Religious Freedom

Urge the President to Make International Religious Freedom a Priority in U.S. Foreign Policy

March 31, 2010 - Congressman Trent Franks (AZ-02) and Emanuel Cleaver II (MO-05), Co-chairs of the International Religious Freedom Caucus, along with 16 other members of the U.S. House of Representatives, sent the following letter to President Obama.  This letter calls on the President to make the appointment of an Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom a priority.  By waiting more than a year to fill this position, members of Congress fear that the Administration is sending a dangerous signal to foreign governments that this issue is no longer one of our main concerns.  As the U.S. is one of the few countries that discuss this internationally recognized human right with foreign governments, members fear that the noticeable absence of our leadership could potentially exacerbate the problem of religious persecution worldwide.   

Congressman Franks stated, “The Ambassador at Large is one of the most critical foreign diplomats the United States has.  America was founded on religious liberty, and those persecuted for their religious beliefs expect us to help their governments understand the many blessings we have experienced by valuing this freedom.”  Franks continued, “The Ambassador ensures that people like Gao Zhisheng of China, who was taken by police and whose whereabouts were unknown for the past year, is freed and allowed to leave the country to rejoin his family in the United States.  With how indebted the U.S. is to China, our only hope is for us to help them see the benefits of human freedom and democracy; these issues must be a top priority with China and all other governments.”

The International Religious Freedom Caucus was founded by Franks and Cleaver in 2006 to ensure that the promotion and protection of the religious freedom rights of all people remains a priority of U.S. foreign policy.  Moreover, the Caucus was created to honor the broad bipartisan, bicameral, and multi-faith support which enabled the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA) to become law. 

Congressman Cleaver stated, “I have met many individuals who understand the dynamics of international standards on religious freedom and how to effectively engage this issue through U.S. foreign policy.  Therefore, I know there are many individuals who are more than capable of serving as our next Ambassador at Large on International Religious Freedom.  This is an important issue that has bi-partisan support and I sincerely hope the President will consider expertise and personal commitment to religious liberty as the most important qualities for the next Ambassador.” 

A PDF copy of the letter is attached.  The letter states:

March 25, 2010

The Honorable Barack H. Obama

President of the United States of America

The White House

Washington, D.C.

Dear Mr. President,

            We write as members of Congress to urge you to appoint an Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom.  As you know, the United States stands as a beacon of religious freedom to the world for our historical commitment to this fundamental expression of human freedom.  Given our unique experience with religious freedom, in 1998 Congress passed bi-partisan legislation that affirmed the universal recognition of this right and made its promotion and protection a priority in our nation’s foreign policy.  Congress recognized that

The right to freedom of religion undergirds the very origin and existence of the United States. Many of our Nation's founders fled religious persecution abroad, cherishing in their hearts and minds the ideal of religious freedom. They established in law, as a fundamental right and as a pillar of our Nation, the right to freedom of religion. From its birth to this day, the United States has prized this legacy of religious freedom and honored this heritage by standing for religious freedom and offering refuge to those suffering religious persecution.

The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA) called for the appointment of an Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom who would serve as a “principal adviser to the President and Secretary of State.”  The legislation calls for the Ambassador to have the primary responsibility for advancing religious freedom as internationally accepted abroad, denouncing violations of this right, and recommending appropriate responses for the U.S. government to take in order to secure this freedom. 

Former Ambassadors worked with several countries, including Vietnam and Saudi Arabia, to improve laws and conditions specifically affecting religious freedom while also working to end policies that would limit religious freedom.  They worked with our embassies abroad and foreign governments to negotiate the release of people imprisoned for their religious beliefs, and they sought justice for the victims of religious persecution. 

As you rightly stated in Cairo last year, “People in every country should be free to choose and live their faith based upon the persuasion of the mind and the heart and the soul.”  Yet, the millions of people living in the world without the most basic right to do these things, who are often persecuted for trying to exercise these freedoms, look to the United States for leadership.  Our voice is critical for those who have none, which is why the need for an Ambassador is so urgent. 

As members of the bi-partisan International Religious Freedom Caucus, we strongly believe that the promotion of this fundamental human right will lead to greater human freedom, economic prosperity, and security throughout the world.  Therefore, we strongly urge you to appoint as soon as possible a qualified person who has a proven commitment to the promotion of this issue and skills in international diplomacy to fill the role of Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom. 

Under past administrations, the Office of International Religious Freedom has been limited in its ability to directly advise the President and Secretary of State by its placement within the Department of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor – a status inconsistent with that of other similar offices, such as the Trafficking and Global Women’s Issues offices.  While we greatly appreciate the excellent work of Michael Posner, Assistant Secretary for the Department of Human Rights, Democracy and Labor, in addressing this issue since his appointment, we are concerned that the mandate established in IRFA cannot be fully addressed without an Ambassador at Large wholly dedicated to leading the Office of International Religious Freedom and serving as a principal adviser to the President and Secretary of State. 

We commend you for requesting a sufficient budget for the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and we hope you will work with the Secretary of State to ensure that the Office of International Religious Freedom, given its extensive mandate, also has a more robust budget in order to best fulfill the mandate of the Office and reflect the critical role of religious freedom in U.S. foreign policy.

Thank you for your attention to this letter and we look forward to working with you and the Ambassador at Large that you will appoint on religious freedom in the near future.

                                                            Most sincerely, 

Emanuel Cleaver, II

Trent Franks

Michele Bachmann

Gus M. Bilirakis

Dan Burton

Anh “Joseph” Cao

Donna Christensen

Joseph Crowley

Jeff Fortenberry

Bob Inglis

Zoe Lofgren

Thaddeus G. McCotter

Mike McIntyre

Joseph R. Pitts

Mike Rogers

Chris Smith

Zach Wamp

Frank R. Wolf

Cc: The Honorable Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State