Sam Brownback, US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom. (public domain)
ishtartv.com - catholicnewsagency.com
By Courtney
Grogan, Mar 26, 2018
“It is more dangerous now than any time in
history to be a person of faith,” said Ambassador Sam Brownback at an event
marking the second anniversary of U.S. recognition that the Islamic State
committed genocide against religious minorities, including Christians, in Syria
and Iraq.
Brownback,
who was sworn-in as ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom
last month, said that religious freedom should be advanced in U.S. national
security policy, assistance programs, and economic strategies.
“I
would like to see religious freedom be for this administration what climate
change was for the last,” said Brownback at the March 23 event hosted by the
Heritage Foundation.
“ISIS’
Genocide of Christians: The Past, Present and Future of Christians in the
Middle East” brought together human rights experts, academics, and
religious freedom advocates to examine how best to address the threats posed to
religious minorities by extremist groups such as the Islamic State.
The
U.S. House of Representatives voted unanimously “that the atrocities
perpetrated by ISIL against religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria
include war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide” in March 2016.
Shortly after, Secretary of State John Kerry named Yazidis, Christians, and
Shia Muslims as victims of genocide in the region.
While
the panel discussions focused on Christians in the Middle East, Brownback also
spoke of threats to religious liberty throughout the world. He highlighted the
plight of the Rohingya Muslims in Burma, Tibetan Buddhists and Uyghur Muslims
in China, and Catholic leaders in Venezuela, who came under fire from President
Nicolas Maduro for speaking out about the country’s current crisis.
Brownback
called for alliances between the political left and right in working towards
greater religious freedom abroad urging, “We are at a critical moment for the
future of religious minorities globally.”
He
also asked for prayers for the persecuted and for those involved in religious
freedom causes.
"By
God's grace, life always triumphs over death, freedom overcomes oppression, and
faith extinguishes fear. This is the source of our hope and our confidence in
the future,” said Brownback.
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