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Tuesday, June 02, 2015

Special Religious Freedom Envoy Post Still Empty

(CNSNews) – Almost 10 months since Congress overwhelming passed legislation creating a special envoy to protect religious minorities in the Middle East and South Central Asia, the White House has no news on when the post will be filled.

“I have no personnel announcement to make at this time,” a spokesman for the National Security Council told CNSNews via email when asked when or if the post will be filled.

President Obama signed the Near East and South Central Asia Religious Freedom Act on Aug. 8, 2014. His administration earlier opposed the measure, calling the move unnecessary and duplicative of efforts already underway.

The NSC spokesman said the Obama administration has helped Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq and Syria.

In a letter to Obama last month, arranged by the International Religious Freedom Roundtable, religious freedom advocates urged him to fill the post, the Religion News Service reported at the time.

The letter cited the ongoing persecution of Christians in the Middle East and South Central Asia, including rape, torture, kidnappings and killings of Christians and other religious minorities.

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1 comment:

Claudia Balzac said...

He has no business enacting laws regarding other countries' rights. If they want religious freedom, it will not come from some foreign limp-wristed dictator making laws and appointing emissaries. It will only happen if the people in that country want it bad enough to fight for it, like we did in this country.