“There has never been a more critical time to protect religious freedom”: U.S. Senators urged to condemn religious freedom violations

WASHINGTON, DC (5 April 2024) ADF International, along with 112 religious freedom advocates and organizations affiliated with the International Religious Freedom Roundtable, have sent a letter to U.S. Senate leaders, including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senator Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Ranking Member Jim Risch (R-ID), stressing the importance of adopting proposed Senate Resolution 569, recognizing the importance of international religious freedom.  

The letter states: “We have seen firsthand the increasing threats to religious freedom around the world described in the resolution. From ongoing genocides and mass atrocities perpetrated against religious minority groups, to individuals imprisoned and exiled for their faith and beliefs, from unjust restrictions on religious gatherings and practices, to the destruction of religious sites, these threats against both people of faith and no faith are not only grave violations of fundamental human rights, but also lead to instability, insecurity, and a lack of economic development.” The letter expresses the advocates’ support for the resolution and urges the U.S. Senate to pass it “quickly”.  

The bipartisan resolution, introduced last month, recognizes “religious freedom as a fundamental right, expressing support for international religious freedom as a cornerstone of United States foreign policy, and expressing concern over increased threats to and attacks on religious freedom around the world.”  

The resolution, led by Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), James Lankford (R-OK), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Thom Tillis (R-NC), calls for the U.S. to “leverage all diplomatic and sanctions tools available to the United States Government to hold religious freedom violators accountable for their actions”.   

Sean Nelson, Legal Counsel for Global Religious Freedom for ADF International, stated, “There has never been a more critical time to protect religious freedom. Across the globe, we are seeing the rights of people of faith regularly and grievously violated. We are grateful to the members of the U.S. Congress who have proposed this vital legislation, and we are hopeful that U.S. influence on this important matter will encourage much needed change throughout the world. No person should be punished or persecuted for their faith, and we pray for the day when all can worship and live out their faith freely.”  

Religious freedom violations across the globe  

The proposed Senate resolution highlights that religious minorities and people of faith face “harassment, intimidation, violence, and imprisonment from state and non-state actors around the world”. It specifically points to religious freedom violations in Nigeria, India, Pakistan, and Nicaragua, among other countries.    

The resolution also calls attention to blasphemy laws in Nigeria, where recent reports show that over 7,000 Christians were killed for their faith last year, with at least 200 Christians murdered by militants in Plateau State, Nigeria, this past Christmas. The resolution states: “the government’s enforcement of blasphemy laws embedded in Nigeria’s criminal and Shari’a codes results in the arbitrary detainment and imprisonment of those who express their religious identity.”  

ADF International is supporting the legal defence of Nigerian musician Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, a Sufi Muslim who was sentenced to death by hanging for sharing song lyrics that were deemed “blasphemous” on WhatsApp. Yahaya is appealing his case to the Supreme Court of Nigeria seeking to overturn the death penalty blasphemy laws in Nigeria. ADF International also is supporting the defence of Rhoda Jatau, a Christian and mother of five from Nigeria, who is recently out on bail following time in prison for allegedly sharing a video on WhatsApp condemning the lynching of Nigerian Christian Deborah Emmanuel Yakubu.