Freedom of religion and belief, a right so deeply ingrained within each of us that it essentially defines who we are as human beings, is under attack in many parts of the world. Repressive laws, exclusion, deportation, imprisonment, and outright genocide threaten the freedom of too many religious communities in too many places.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), created by an act of Congress 26 years ago, exposes violations of religious freedom, shines a spotlight on violators, and recommends economic and political sanctions to hold them accountable. It is a nonpartisan federal agency whose mission is to There used to be nothing.
USCIRF Chairman Stephen Schneck brings a background of combined activism and academic consideration to the leadership position he assumed earlier this year.
To commemorate USCIRF’s 26th anniversary, Chairman Schneck spoke to Freedom Magazine about the critical need to protect freedom of religion and belief around the world and his thoughts on America’s important role.
Logan H. Merrill: When did you first realize the importance of religious freedom? Did it mean anything different to you then than it does now?
Stephen Schneck: I have always recognized and supported freedom of religion and belief, but during my years at USCIRF it became very painful for me personally. Hearing the stories of victims, their families, and their representatives forces you to change. Hearing the stories of people who have been tortured, imprisoned, disappeared, and murdered because of what they believe or don’t believe is something you’ll never forget.
“Freedom of religion” is a word that gets thrown around a lot, and it’s something we all want. To be sure, universal religious freedom is a long-term goal. But are there any signs of hope? Is it gaining momentum? Are there any metrics you’re looking for that make you think, “I see!” when you see them? We are getting there!
To me, one of the most hopeful signs is the scope and strength of today’s international religious freedom movement. Many governments are now prioritizing this issue in their foreign policy, working together through networks such as the International Contact Group and the Article 18 Alliance. Parliamentarians from different countries collaborate through their own networks. And NGOs are collaborating through various roundtables. This is important because religious persecution is a global problem that requires a global solution.
Merrill: What is it like working with a group of commissioners from such diverse political, ethnic, and religious backgrounds?
Schneck: Honestly, it’s been a moving privilege to work with commissioners of so many faiths and different political viewpoints. I am proud that we work so well together, modeling religious freedom and a bipartisan mission.
Merrill: Thomas Jefferson famously said, “Constitutional religious freedom is the most inalienable and sacred of all human rights.” do you agree? If so, why?
Schneck: I believe that all human rights hinge on the idea that being human means being free to think and believe. Religious freedom is a basic expression of the same idea. yes.
Merrill: What would happen if America did not play a leadership role in global religious freedom?
Mr. Schneck: The many blessings that America enjoys come with a moral obligation to model and share those blessings. Whether we believe that these blessings are due to providence or the good fortune of history, we cannot shrug off the responsibility. I recognize my religious freedom responsibilities and am proud to serve our country in my role at USCIRF. We also recognize that if the United States did not lead nations in protecting and promoting religious freedom and belief rights, millions more people around the world would be without them. . The world is indebted to leaders like Frank Wolff who recognized that need and responsibility. (Mr. Wolf is a former member of Congress and was instrumental in passing the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, which created USCIRF).
No country in its foreign policy devotes more resources to promoting international religious freedom than the United States. America’s leaders will be very lonely if this is no longer the case. But I don’t expect anything like that to happen. For more than 25 years, international religious freedom has been a top priority in Republican and Democratic administrations alike, and it remains an issue with strong bipartisan support.
Merrill: Your Wikipedia page describes you as an American Catholic activist. You have served on the boards of various Catholic advocacy organizations over the years. Was there an event or turning point when you decided that activism within a Catholic framework was your life path?
Schneck: Yes. My vocation, so to speak, came from the ideas that emerged in Catholic thought after the Second Vatican Council. It argues that the measure of our collective life should be how the poorest among us live. This idea comes from the Latin American Catholic experience, and it is sometimes called the “preferential option for the poor.” I understand “poor” not just as an economic term, but to refer to all those who are vulnerable, marginalized, oppressed, and powerless. That thought changed me and inspired me to practice social justice. It became the way I understood the Gospels and the mission of Christianity in the world.
Merrill: How has your Catholic faith influenced your desire to fight for the religious freedom of others?
SCHNECK: Here in the United States, Catholics, like many other religious minorities throughout American history, have experienced prejudice and discrimination over the years. That history has certainly sharpened my own awareness of the importance of freedom of religion and belief. I don’t know how true that is, but my grandmother, for example, has been known to talk about the time when the KKK burned a cross near a church when she was a child. But also, the change in my church’s thinking after Vatican II to embrace the idea of religious freedom was something that really supported my own defense of religious and religious freedom.
Merrill: Did you give outgoing Chairman Rabbi Abraham Cooper any advice when he was elected to succeed him?
Schneck: I will miss Rabbi Cooper. Although he didn’t pull me aside to share personal advice, I shamelessly stole many of Rabbi Cooper’s little tricks for running a meeting. He was a master.
Merrill: Who is on your personal Mount Rushmore and why?
Schneck: It’ll embarrass him, I know, but I’ll put my former colleague Frank Wolf on my personal Rushmore. I admire his personal integrity and passion for religious freedom and country. We may belong to different political parties, and there are many issues in politics on which we disagree, but he is an example of principled service to our nation and its ideals.
Merrill: Political theorist and philosopher Fred Dallmeier, who passed away earlier this year, was the subject of a book you edited called Letting Be. Does his international worldview influence the way you approach your work today?
Schneck: Thank you for your question about Fred Dallmeyer. Yes, Fred’s vision for a diverse, multicultural world, one that achieved civilization through dialogue and mutual respect, continues to inform my own, not only in my work on the committee but also in my involvement in American public life. It is a forming part of the approach.
Merrill: If you look at the USCIRF world map, the countries on the Special Concern and Special Watch List are overwhelmingly located in the Eastern Hemisphere. What more does the USCIRF want from the United States when it comes to sanctions against these countries? Is there any way forward with these?
Mr. Schneck: In USCIRF’s view, the U.S. government needs to focus more on consequences and accountability for serious religious freedom violators, including China. While reports and public statements are important in highlighting human rights violations, they are not sufficient to change the behavior of repressive governments.
USCIRF recommended that the United States impose more targeted sanctions on Chinese individuals and entities responsible for human rights abuses, including the Chinese Communist Party’s United Front Work Department and public security and national security agencies. USCIRF also asked Congress to prohibit lobbying in the United States on behalf of the Chinese government or its state institutions.
Merrill: Why should Americans care about religious freedom in other countries?
Schneck: Ideas and ideals, like viruses, do not respect national borders. They are widespread, both good and sadly bad. In the age of social media and an increasingly global culture, they can spread like wildfire. At this historical moment, dangerous concepts are proliferating and infecting from country to country. In particular, the rights of conscience, belief, faith and religion have fallen victim to the global virus of authoritarianism. Therefore, supporting the right to freely believe and practice faith in India, Hungary, and Nicaragua protects freedom of religion and belief in our own homes and neighborhoods. More importantly, these rights are at the very heart of human dignity itself.
Americans should care about religious freedom because of the human costs of not having it. Millions of people around the world suffer persecution and discrimination just for what they believe. Americans also need to be mindful of important practical reasons.
Countries that suppress religious freedom are more likely to become unstable and violent than countries that protect religious freedom. As a result, promoting religious freedom is not only a humanitarian concern, but also an issue of international security and peace.
This article is republished with permission from Freedom.
