NEW YORK – During his speech at the Global Call to Protect Religious Freedom event at the United Nations yesterday, President Donald Trump stated, “Today, with one clear voice, the United States of America calls upon the nations of the world to end religious persecution.”
President Trump is now the first president to convene a meeting on religious freedom at the United Nations. In attendance were survivors of religious persecution from around the globe, civil society leaders, religious leaders, business executives, administration officials such as Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary Mike Pompeo, Ambassador Sam Brownback, members of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, and members of the faith community. Over 130 U.N. heads of state and delegations, as well as U.N. Secretary Antonio Gutierrez, attended the event to hear President Trump address the critical need to advance religious freedom around the world.
During his speech, President Trump stated, “The United States is founded on the principle that our rights do not come from government; they come from God. This immortal truth is proclaimed in our Declaration of Independence and enshrined in the First Amendment to our Constitution’s Bill of Rights. Our Founders understood that no right is more fundamental to a peaceful, prosperous, and virtuous society than the right to follow one’s religious convictions. Regrettably, the religious freedom enjoyed by American citizens is rare in the world. Approximately 80 percent of the world’s population live in countries where religious liberty is threatened, restricted, or even banned. And when I heard that number, I said, “Please go back and check it because it can’t possibly be correct.” And, sadly, it was. Eighty percent.”
Trump concluded, “Today, I ask all nations to join us in this urgent moral duty. We ask the governments of the world to honor the eternal right of every person to follow their conscience, live by their faith, and give glory to God.”
Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, “Since President Trump took office on January 20, 2017, he has proven to be the most pro-religious liberty president in the history of the United States, and the historic Global Call to Protect Religious Freedom event is a great example of that. We must continue to embrace and protect our religious freedom in America and around the world. Christians and religious minorities are now suffering more persecution than at any time in history.”
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