United States Senate

Protecting Religious Freedom Abroad United States Senate

This committee hearing examines the work that is being done worldwide to protect individuals of all faiths from repression from governments like North Korea, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Assyrian Christians in northeastern Syria or groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq or Levant (ISIL) or Boko Haram. Religious persecution in the world has a heavy impact on U. S. foreign policy, but the response cannot be just a military one, political and economic issues must also be addressed. Expert witness testimony from David N. Saperstein, Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, U. S. Department of State, Bishop Oscar Cantú, Chairman, Committee on International Justice and Peace of the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Tony Perkins, President, Family Research Council, and Dr. Jay A. Sekulow, Chief Counsel, American Center for Law and Justice is included. The chairman of the hearing is Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.