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 Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 1:06 pm |
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Note: Following is a transcript. The 2009 report itself can be
accessed at:
http://cl.exct.net/?qs=260b098f06ec987794f400a6a97c763a3d007df8737891f2463aaa2f660a89ea
USIP Religion and Peacemaking List
Democracy, Human Rights, Refugees: Remarks on The Release of the 2009
Annual Report on International Religious Freedom
Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:51:23 -0500
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
October 26, 2009
SECRETARY CLINTON: Hello, everybody. How are you? Am I up?
MR. KELLY: Yes, you are.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Oh, there's no like, opening band or anything?
(Laughter.) Hello, Matt.
QUESTION: Hello.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, good afternoon, everyone. I feel honored to
be here today to announce the publication of the State Department's
2009 Report on International Religious Freedom . The right to profess,
practice, and promote one's religious beliefs is a founding principle
of our nation. In fact, many of our earliest settlers came because
they wanted the freedom to practice their own religion without a state
interfering or oppressing that practice. It is the first liberty
mentioned in our Bill of Rights, and it is a freedom guaranteed to all
people in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
I want to underscore that, because this is not just an American value.
This was agreed to be a universal value. Religious freedom provides a
cornerstone for every healthy society. It empowers faith-based
service. It fosters tolerance and respect among different communities.
And it allows nations that uphold it to become more stable, secure and
prosperous. As President Obama said in Cairo, freedom of religion is
central to the ability of peoples to live together. These facts
underlie our commitment to the cause of religious freedom. That's why
we make the issue of religious freedom a priority in our diplomacy,
and this annual report is the centerpiece of our efforts.
Every year, the staff of our office of International Religious Freedom
works with our embassies overseas and experts here in Washington to
produce the world's most comprehensive survey of religious freedom.
This report examines how governments in 198 countries and territories
are protecting or failing to protect religious freedom. It shines a
spotlight on abuses by states and societies, and it draws attention to
positive steps by many countries and organizations to promote freedom
and interreligious harmony.
The President has emphasized that faith should bring us together, and
this year's report has a special focus on efforts to promote
interfaith dialogue and tolerance. We commend, for example, the
Philippines leadership in the Tripartite Forum on Interfaith
Cooperation for Peace at the United Nations. We commend Jordan's role
in initiating the common word dialogue and many other international
and domestic initiatives. The United States is also expanding programs
that work to bridge the divide between religious groups. These
important efforts build on the shared values and common concerns of
faith communities to sow the seeds of lasting peace.
I obviously believe that our country has been strengthened by its long
tradition of religious pluralism. From the largest denominations to
the very smallest congregations, American religious bodies and faith-
based organizations have helped to create a more just and
compassionate society. Now, some claim that the best way to protect
the freedom of religion is to implement so-called anti-defamation
policies that would restrict freedom of expression and the freedom of
religion. I strongly disagree. The United States will always seek to
counter negative stereotypes of individuals based on their religion
and will stand against discrimination and persecution.
But an individual's ability to practice his or her religion has no
bearing on others' freedom of speech. The protection of speech about
religion is particularly important since persons of different faiths
will inevitably hold divergent views on religious questions. These
differences should be met with tolerance, not with the suppression of
discourse.
Based on our own experience, we are convinced that the best antidote
to intolerance is not the defamation of religion's approach of banning
and punishing offensive speech, but rather, a combination of robust
legal protections against discrimination and hate crimes, proactive
government outreach to minority religious groups, and the vigorous
defense of both freedom of religion and expression.
So it is our hope that the International Religious Freedom Report will
encourage existing religious freedom movements around the world and
promote dialogue among governments and within societies on how best to
accommodate religious communities and protect each individual's right
to believe or not believe, as that individual sees fit.
I would now like to welcome Assistant Secretary Michael Posner to
elaborate further on the report and to answer any questions you might
have. Michael. |
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