United States Commission on International Religous Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2015

Floor Speech

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Mr. HULTGREN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support a commission which
embodies the highest of our democratic principles: independence,
bipartisanship, transparency and the defense of our fundamental
freedoms.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom was
created from a landmark piece of legislation, the 1998 International
Religious Freedom Act (IRFA).

How that bill came about is a story in its own right, and a
demonstration of how a diverse set of our nation's leaders can come
together to protect a foundational freedom.

One of the best ways to expose attacks on religious freedom is
meticulous chronicling of such abuses and then proclaiming them loud
and clear to a watching world.

The importance of USCIRF's mission of monitoring, recording and
publishing attacks on religious belief--or any belief at all--cannot be
overestimated.

Their annual report is an invaluable reference for my colleagues and
me and our staffs.

Like the TIP report which monitors countries' records on human
trafficking, the USCIRF annual report exposes lawbreakers and violators
of human rights--and recommends what actions should be taken.
And we have seen how across the world religious minorities are under
attack.

Christians made up 20 percent of the Middle East population at the
start of the 20th century.

Given a sustained attack in recent years on Christian belief and
practice, that number is now around 5 percent and declining.
In fact, less than 1 percent of the world's more than 2 billion
Christians live in the Middle East--the birthplace of the religion.
Other religions and belief systems have suffered under sustained
persecution.

Yazidis in Iraq and Syria have been systematically targeted by ISIS
for slavery and execution.

Just this week, news reports have revealed Yazidi women have taken
their own lives out of despair after repeated rapes and assaults.
USCIRF has documented ethnic cleansing of Muslims and sectarian
violence in the Central African Republic, and urged the State
Department designate it as a Country of Particular Concern.
In Russia, ``serious violations of freedom of religion or belief
continue.''

China has taken further steps to ``consolidate'' its ``authoritarian
monopoly'' over the lives of its citizens.
This has led to ``unprecedented violence'' against Uigher Muslims,
Tibetan Buddhists, Catholics, Protestants, and Falun Gong
practitioners.

And the list goes on and on.
An attack on the religious belief of one is an attack on all of us.
USCIRF is a unique, independent voice calling the world to pay
attention and act, especially when this freedom can take a backseat in
foreign affairs.

The world forgets that the chilling of religious belief is the first
step toward totalitarian control over all areas of life.
All other freedoms flow from religious liberty.

Without the freedom to believe what your conscience tells you, and
live that belief out without fear of violence or other persecution, all
other freedoms are meaningless.

USCIRF recognizes this reality, and acts in defense of all peoples
everywhere.

I urge the House and reauthorize this important commission, and
continue to defend and promote our First Amendment freedoms around the
world.

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