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President Bush Honors the 10th Anniversary of the International Religious
Freedom Act
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For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary July 14, 2008

President Bush Honors the 10th Anniversary of the International Religious
Freedom Act Roosevelt Room

˙ /news/releases/2008/07/20080714-1.wm.v.html ˙˙Presidential Remarks
˙˙Audio ˙˙En Espa¤ol


11:51 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all, please be seated. Welcome. I want to welcome
Congressman Wolf, Congressman Smith, Congressman Franks, former Senator
Nickles; thank you all for coming. I'm so honored that you've come to
celebrate the 10th anniversary of the International Religious Freedom Act.

This legislation that we commemorate today builds on a tradition that
defined our nation. After all, when the Founding Fathers adopted the Bill
of Rights, the very first liberty they enshrined was the freedom of
religion. They recognized that the most basic freedom a man can have is the
right to worship his own God as he sees fit. Today we are blessed to live
in a country where that freedom is respected.

In too many countries, expressions of freedom were silenced by tyranny,
intolerance and oppression. So a decade ago, members of Congress -- I
suspect some of the members here -- and religious leaders and human rights
activists came together to advance religious freedom around the globe. The
result of their work was the International Religious Freedom Act. The bill
created vital diplomatic tools to help our government to promote religious
liberty abroad. The Act established an ambassador-at-large position to
ensure that religious liberty remains a priority of every administration --
and I want to thank our current Ambassador, John Hanford, for joining us
today. And thank you for taking on this important job.

The Act established the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
to monitor the state of religious liberty worldwide. The Act requires
annual reporting on the state of religious freedom in every nation, to help
identify the most egregious offenders. The Act authorizes sanctions against
regimes.

In all these ways, the Act has placed religious liberty where it belongs --
at the center of U.S. foreign policy.

We've seen some hopeful progress during the last couple of years. We've
seen in Turkmenistan, where the nation's chief mufti had been ousted and
imprisoned for refusing to teach state propaganda as a sacred religious
text. Through efforts authorized by the International Religious Freedom
Act, the United States pressed for the mufti's release. In 2007, mufti
Ibadullah pardoned and freed -- he has since become an advisor to
Turkmenistan's Council on Religious Affairs.

We've seen some progress in Vietnam. The United States used the tools of
this Act to press for the release of dozens of religious prisoners -- all
of whom have been freed. Vietnam's government has reopened many of the
churches it had shut down. And most religious groups report a decrease in
the government's oppression of believers. This Act has encouraged Vietnam
to take some promising first steps toward religious liberty -- and we're
going to continue to work toward the day when all Vietnamese are free to
worship as they so desire.

The 10-year anniversary of the International Religious Freedom Act is also
an occasion to remember the many people who have yet to secure this
precious liberty. Our thoughts turn especially to those living in the
countries where religious freedom is of particular concern. Some of these
nations have taken steps toward reform. Others haven't. Today we urge the
leaders of all these countries to immediately end their abuses of religious
freedom. And we urge these leaders to respect the rights of those who seek
only to worship their God as they see fit.

Today, we remember those seeking religious freedom in Iran, where the
regime's anti-Semitism has provoked global outrage. We remember those
seeking religious freedom in Eritrea, where approximately 3,000 religious
prisoners languish in the nation's jails. We remember those seeking
religious freedom in Sudan, where police have used tear gas to attack a
Christian church, and where Christian leaders who met with a Muslim woman
wanting to convert were beaten and detained.

We remember those seeking religious freedom in North Korea, where those
caught practicing faiths other than the state ideology are imprisoned, and
people found with Bibles can be executed. We remember those seeking
religious freedom in Burma -- especially the nation's Buddhist monks, who
have endured brutal raids on their monasteries, and suffered tear gas
attacks and gunfire during peaceful protests.

We remember those seeking religious freedom in Uzbekistan, where in the
past members of religious minorities have been beaten and jailed -- yet
where recent agreements give us hope that these abuses will not be repeated
in the future.

We remember those seeking religious freedom in Saudi Arabia, where the
religious police continue to harass non-Muslims -- yet where we also
believe reforms pledged by King Abdullah can bring real change. We remember
those seeking religious freedom in China, and we honor those who press for
their liberties -- people like Uighur Muslims. I had the honor of meeting
Rebiya Kadeer. I've also had the honor of meeting those who attend
underground churches in China. And we also honor the courage of the Dalai
Lama, and the Buddhists in Tibet.

And you know, last month here at the White House I met with a Chinese
dissident named Li Baiguang. He's a lawyer who worked on human rights
cases; he's a "house church" Protestant. For his work, he's been repeatedly
jailed and attacked. A few weeks ago, he was scheduled to meet with members
of Congress. State authorities blocked the meeting and detained Li on the
outskirts of Beijing. This determined man has pledged: "I'll continue to
... seek justice for victims of rights abuses, and promote the rule of law
in China." And my message to President Hu Jintao, when I last met him, was
this: So long as there are those who want to fight for their liberty, the
United States stands with them.

Whenever and wherever I meet leaders, I'm going to constantly remind them
that they ought to welcome religion in their society, not fear it. I'll
remind them someone pledged to love a neighbor like they'd like to be loved
themselves is someone who will add to their society in constructive and
peaceful ways.

I'm met by men and women who are working for religious freedom around the
globe, people like Li. And when I do I'm always impressed by their courage.
I've attended worship services from Hanoi to Beijing. And when I speak to
world leaders, I remind them -- leaders in those countries, that the
worship services are a necessary part of developing a society for which
they can be proud.

And so as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the International Religious
Freedom Act, we pray that all those who seek their God will be able to do
so free of oppression and fear.

I want to thank you all for your good work, and I ask for the good Lord to
continue to bless our country. Thank you for your time. (Applause.)
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