President Obama yesterday announced his intent to appoint Suzan Johnson Cook to the vacant position of Ambassador-At-Large for International Religious Freedom. Dr. Cook is the Founder and President of Wisdom Worldwide Center, and has also served as the Senior Pastor of Bronx Christian Fellowship Baptist Church in New York City since 1996. Religious freedom advocates have been pressing for Obama to fill this position. (See prior posting.)
At the same time, the President announced two appointments to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. One is Felice D. Gaer who has seved a number of terms on USCIRF. Gaer directs the Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights of the American Jewish Committee. The second appointee, new to USCIRF, is Dr. William J. Shaw, Immediate Past President of the National Baptist Convention, USA. Inc. and Pastor of White Rock Baptist Church in Philadelphia. Under the International Religious Freedom Act, Sec. 201, three Commissioners are selected by the President, three by the Senate and three by the House.
