“Thousands of world leaders, activists, lawmakers, and more are in Washington this week with the goal of shining a spotlight on those being persecuted for their faith. They’re a part of the International Religious Freedom Summit, which was created to highlight the issue of religious freedom for everyone, everywhere, all the time. With an uptick in global unrest over the last year, organizers believe religious freedom is not only a fundamental human right but also an important foreign policy issue. ‘The United States must continue to be a voice for the voiceless who are persecuted for their beliefs,’ said Rep. Mike McCaul (R-TX) during the opening session of the IRF Summit. Former Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, Sam Brownback, says this issue plays a significant role in current global events. ‘Take Ukraine right now. Ukrainians splitting off a Ukrainian Orthodox Church from the Russian Orthodox Church was one of the things that caused Putin to move.’ It’s Russia’s ally China, however, that Brownback believes poses the greatest international threat to religious freedom. ‘It’s an authoritarian regime; it’s seeking to expand their model, and to export their technology to do it,’ Brownback said.”
“2023 International Religious Summit,” CBN News, Feb. 1, 2023
