• Commentary,  Welcoming and Integrating Immigrants and Refugees

    Religious Freedom – Not to Be Taken for Granted

    Yesterday, President Obama spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, DC.  Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to be part of deliberations on matters related to religious freedom and expression. Three things in particular caught my attention: It was a national prayer breakfast. The President quoted Pope Francis and spoke about his upcoming meeting with him. The issue of religious persecution was discussed by the President. A number of years ago, I participated in testimony before a congressional  committee considering legislation that would include monitoring violations of religious freedoms as part of a broader focus on international human rights violations.  This legislation passed and now there are regular…