April 24, 2008 - Yesterday, Congressman Trent Franks (AZ-02), co-chair of the congressional Task Force on International Religious Freedom, introduced House Resolution 1140, calling on the United States to recognize the tenth anniversary of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA).  The bi-partisan resolution was introduced with twenty-one original cosponsors.

Franks stated, "Since the International Religious Freedom Act was passed ten years ago, our nation has been grievously confronted with the deadly consequences posed by a lack of respect for this most sacred freedom throughout the world.  Respect for the international standard for religious freedom is critical for human freedom to flourish.

“This nation has a long history of strong support for religious freedom and the International Religious Freedom Act made the promotion and protection of this right a priority of United States foreign policy ten years ago.  I've introduced this bill to ensure that this fundamental commitment to the religious freedom, the cornerstone of human freedom, continues in years to come."

H.Res.1140 highlights some of the policies which were affected by America's commitment to international religious freedom in the past ten years, such as:

• Working with the Sudanese Government to bring an end to their civil war and protect religious freedom in the peace agreement;
• Preventing foreign government officials that are directly responsible for severe violations of religious freedom from receiving a visa to enter the United States;
• Undertaking multilateral initiatives to combat violations of religious freedom, including anti Semitism, at the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe;
• Securing the release of a number of individuals imprisoned as a result of their religious beliefs;
• Protecting individuals who escaped religious persecution and fled to the United States from being returned to persecution.

The resolution also highlights new situations that impact the religious freedom rights of a large percentage of the world's population of 6.6 billion people who continue to be discriminated against, tortured, attacked, threatened, imprisoned, and denied other basic rights simply for their religious beliefs. 

To address challenges to the full protection of this fundamental human right, H.Res.1140 reaffirms America's historical commitment to religious freedom and support for the international standard of religious freedom. 

According to Article 18 of the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights, this includes the idea that, “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. This right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance.”