Each year the State Department issues a comprehensive report on religious freedom around the world. Today marks the first such report from the Obama administration. In her remarks, Secretary Clinton voiced strong opposition to misguided laws that would restrict free speech under the guise of protecting religious liberty.
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.
You can read the Executive Summary of the report here. A table of contents with links to individual country reports is here. Comment from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom is here.
[UPDATE: You can watch video of today's State Department press conference – including both Secretary Clinton's remarks and the very informative, interesting Q & A session with Michael Posner, the Undersecretary of Diplomacy and Human Rights. Among other things, he noted that the State Department is looking to designate the Countries of Particular Concern, guided by the annual report, "in the next few months."]
