More than a billion people live under governments that systematically
suppress religious freedom. New technologies have given repressive
governments additional tools for cracking down on religious expression.
Members of faith communities that have long been under pressure report
that the pressure is rising. Even some countries that are making
progress on expanding political freedom are frozen in place when it
comes to religious freedom. So when it comes to this human right, this
key feature of stable, secure, peaceful societies, the world is sliding
backwards.
Meanwhile, several countries with diverse faith communities are now
in the process of navigating transitions toward democracy. They are
wrestling with questions of whether and how to protect religious freedom
for their citizens. This goes from Tunisia to Burma and many places in
between. But take, for example, Egypt, which I visited two weeks ago. I
had a very emotional, very personal conversation with Christians who are
deeply anxious about what the future holds for them and their country.
What Egypt and other countries decide will have a major impact on the
lives of their people and will go a long way toward determining whether
these countries are able to achieve true democracy.
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[P]eople aren’t asking for much. They just want to worship their god
and raise their children and make their homes and honor their ancestors
and mourn their loved ones in a way that speaks to their hearts and
reflects their beliefs. What could be more fundamental to human dignity
than that?
That is what religious freedom makes possible. And that is why the
United States will also stand for the value, the principle that
religious freedom represents, not only for us but for people everywhere.
It is not only a value that we enshrined in our constitution, but we
know from long experience it goes right to the heart of the stability
and security of so many countries in the world.
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QUESTION: Religion is sometimes mixed with some other issues
like terrorism and separatism. And the terrorists and the separatists
usually takes religion as a tool to mobilize supporters. So how to
balance the dilemma of protecting religion, religious freedom, and
counterterrorism as well as counter-separatism? Thank you.
SECRETARY CLINTON: That’s an important question, because
oftentimes when we talk about religious freedom, there is a tendency for
people to worry about the free exercise of religion is somehow
supporting terrorists and separatists.
I have almost the opposite view. I think the more respect there is
for the freedom of religion, the more people will useful ways to
participate in their societies. If they feel suppressed, if there is not
that safety valve that they can exercise their own religion, they then
oftentimes feel such anger, despair that they turn to violence. They
become extremists.
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