NEWS & EVENTS

Press Release: March 20, 2009

Jubilee Campaign hosted a very successful reception on Thursday, March 19 to honor the work of the International Religious Freedom Caucus Congressional members and highlight the importance of continuing U.S. government efforts to promote and protect this foundational freedom. Over 90 attendees piled into a conference room to listen to personal testimonies from the persecuted and speakers from the state department and other organizations.

Opening remarks were given by Executive Director of Jubilee Campaign, Ann Buwalda and Congressmen Trent Franks and Emanuel Cleaver, II, co-chairs of the Caucus. The speakers included Kurt Donnelly, Director of the Department of State’s Office of International Religious Freedom; Mark Hetfield, Director of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society; Thomas Melia, Deputy Director at Freedom House; and a statement from Dr. Yang Jianli, President of Initiatives for China. All of the speakers pointed to religious freedom as the cornerstone of our way of life honoring individual freedoms and assured continued commitment to the pursuit of religious freedom for all.

Personal histories and testimonies of persecution were given by Imam Azhar Haneef of the Ahmaddiyah Muslim Community; an anonymous Mandaean refugee from Iraq accompanied by Dr. Suhaib Nashi of the Mandaean Society of America; Zuhdi Jasser of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy; and Juliana Taimoorzay of the Iraqi Christian Relief Council. Their testimonies appealed to a universal “brotherhood” and its “core issue of humanity” and tied religious freedom to the ability to tolerate, love, and be at peace with those who believe differently.

The overwhelming support for this event marks a renewed effort to enforce religious freedom internationally as it is guaranteed under Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

“Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”

Please ASK YOUR CONGRESSMAN today to join the Caucus and continue meaningful work in the next administration.

JUBILEE CAMPAIGN PROMOTES THE HUMAN RIGHTS AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTY OF ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS MINORITIES; ADVOCATES THE RELEASE OF PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE; AND PROTECTS AND PROMOTES THE FREEDOM AND SAFETY OF CHILDREN ABANDONED, ORPHANED, HOMELESS, AND OTHERWISE REFERRED TO AS STREET CHILDREN, FROM BODILY HARM AND SEXUAL EXPLOITATAION.