State Department Official Testifies On Religious Freedom In Middle East

On Nov. 19, a subcommittee of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs held a hearing on The State of Political and Religious Freedom in the Middle East. Michael H. Posner, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, testified. (Full text of Posner's statement.) He said in part:

We recognize that there are many significant challenges to religious freedom and tolerance in the Middle East and South Asia. Throughout the region religious minorities do not enjoy equal access to education, employment, healthcare, and legal recourse. In some places, blasphemy and apostasy laws inhibit the social contributions of minorities and exacerbate inter-religious tension. In many Muslim-majority countries, minority Muslim sects are marginalized and members of the majority sect are not free to challenge official religious opinions. I want to emphasize that religious freedom is not just a concern for religious minorities; majority communities need space to self-critique and adapt to changing conditions over time.

Reporting on the hearing, the Pakistan Christian Post yesterday said that questions asked of Posner during the hearing demonstrated that the U.S. has not seriously pressured its allies Saudi Arabia and Egypt to comply with international human rights law.