US Senate votes for religious freedom special envoy

On 10 July the U.S. Senate passed the Near East and South Central Asia Religious Freedom Act of 2014, which creates a special envoy within the State Department to promote the religious freedom of religious minorities in the region.

The envoy would be required to:
(1) Promote the right of religious freedom of religious minorities in the countries of the Near East and the countries of South Central Asia, denounce the violation of such right, and recommend appropriate responses by the United States Government when such right is violated.
(2) Monitor and combat acts of religious intolerance and incitement targeted against religious minorities in the countries of the Near East and the countries of South Central Asia.
(3) Work to ensure that the unique needs of religious minority communities in the countries of the Near East and the countries of South Central Asia are addressed, including the economic and security needs of such communities.
(4) Work with foreign governments of the countries of the Near East and the countries of South Central Asia to address laws that are discriminatory toward religious minority communities in such countries.

The bill will now be sent back to the House. US NGO Coptic Solidarity is urging President Obama to sign the bill into law as soon as the House and Senate finalise it, and to immediately appoint a candidate to fill the position.

Other News Items

Current Status of Persecuted Christians in Nigeria – ACN Bishops Event March 2025

Bishops from Nigeria ask the UK Parliament to consider the underlying drivers for the mass displacement of over 3 million people who wish to return to their lands to farm and to live in peace.

Mahvesh Sabet Release

Film Event with the APPG North Korea

Humanitarian Concerns in Parachinar: APPG FoRB Meeting Highlights

Business Question on Prisoners of Conscience – Jim Shannon

Jim Shannon MP asked the following Business Question on 13 Feb 2025: "I wish to highlight the case of Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, a Nigerian Sufi musician sentenced to death for blasphemy in 2020. in March 2020, authorities arrested Sharif-Aminu, a musician and follower of the Sufi islamic beliefs, after a series of audio messages circulated via WhatsApp were made public of him for sharing allegedly “blasphemous” song lyrics on WhatsApp about .....

“Human Rights are not a privilege conferred by government.  They are every human beings entitlement by virtue of their humanity”

– Mother Teresa –