Trump urges U.N.: 'Stop crimes against people of faith'
President Trump on Monday became the first president of the United States to hold a meeting at the United Nations on religious freedom, calling on that organization, as well as all nations, to “end religious persecution.”
“Stop the crimes against people of faith. Release prisoners of conscience. Repeal laws restricting freedom of religion and belief. Protect the vulnerable, the defenseless, and the oppressed,” he said in his prepared remarks.
“Our Founders understood that no right is more fundamental to a peaceful, prosperous, and virtuous society than the right to follow one’s religious convictions,” he said, pointing out that 80 percent of the world’s people live in countries “where religious liberty is threatened, restricted, or even banned.”
Trump, in fact, has advocated for religious freedom since he took office.
His state department already has held two Religious Freedom Ministerials for more than 100 governments, has spearheaded the International Religious Freedom Alliance, dedicated $25 million to protect religious freedom and sites and has held the Summit on Combating Anti-Semitism.
It also has provided humanitarian aid to Christians and Yazidis who suffered at the hands of the Muslim terrorists in ISIS. It’s also helped Rohingya Muslim refugees fleeing persecution.
Further, he signed an executive order to advance religious freedom, took action to ensure Americans and organizations are not forced to violate their religious or moral beliefs by complying with Obamacare’s contraceptive mandate, established a new Conscience and Religious Freedom division, protected the right of healthcare entities to act according to their conscience, and finalized a rule providing more flexibility for federal employees whose religious beliefs require them to abstain from work on certain days.
A statement from the White House noted many faith groups are persecuted, but Christians are the most persecuted religious group in the world.
He said, “True tolerance means respecting the right of all people to express their deeply-held religious beliefs. … We ask the governments of the world to honor the eternal right of every person to follow their conscience, live by their faith, and give glory to God.”
He pointed out that America is different from other nations, in that it recognizes that rights come from God, not the government.
“No right is more fundamental than the right to follow one’s religious convictions,” he said.
Mike Berry, chief of staff for First Liberty Institute, noted, “President Trump has an outstanding record defending religious liberty thus far. Our Founders understood that no nation can long survive without freedom of conscience and vigorous free exercise of faith. If America is to be a city on a hill, our commitment to religious liberty must continue to serve as a model to the rest of the world.”
It was early in 2018 that the Trump administration stood up for religious freedom.
That was when he signed an executive order to ensure “that the faith-based and community organizations that form the bedrock of our society have strong advocates in the White House and throughout the federal government.”
His ordered was called “Establishment of a White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative” and sets up procedures to provide recommendations on the administration’s policy agenda affecting faith-based and community programs and provide recommendations on programs and policies where faith-based and community organizations may partner and/or deliver more effective solutions to poverty.”
In 2017, the DOJ issued 20 principles of religious liberty to guide the administration and months later it announced a religious liberty update to the U.S. Attorneys’ Manual, raising the profile of religious liberty cases and directing the designation of a Religious Liberty Point of Contact for all U.S. Attorney’s offices.
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