The right to practice the religion of one's choice is a fundamental human right. Yet 70 percent of the world live in areas with severe restrictions on how or if people can worship.

Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Christopher Coons (D-DE), Thomas Tillis (R-NC) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) have introduced S.Res. 52, a resolution recognizing religious freedom as a fundamental right and reaffirming U.S. support for international religious freedom as a cornerstone of foreign policy. With rising threats to religious minorities worldwide, this resolution is a crucial step toward ensuring accountability for perpetrators of religious persecution as well as protection for those facing persecution.

The U.S. Department of State reports that religious minorities face genocide and targeted persecution, including:

1. Burma – Since 2017, security forces have committed genocide against Rohingya Muslims through mass killings, torture, and confinement in overcrowded camps without basic necessities. The military junta has also destroyed about 200 religious sites, including Buddhist monasteries, churches, and mosques, while enforcing strict laws against non-Buddhists.

2. China – Since 2017, the government has committed genocide against Uyghurs by:

   • Detaining over 1 million in re-education camps,
   • Forcing sterilizations and abortions,
   • Separating families,
   • Conducting intrusive surveillance,
   • Erasing the Uyghur language from schools.
     China also targets Christians, Tibetan Buddhists, and Falun Gong practitioners, monitoring and detaining them for their beliefs. Additionally, mosques, shrines, and gravesites across Xinjiang and beyond have been destroyed.

3. Sudan – Armed forces have attacked religious sites, including a Coptic Christian monastery and an Episcopal Church in Khartoum, using them as military bases.

📢 Stand for religious freedom. Act now. Tell your U.S. senators to support and co-sponsor S.Res.52.

For More Information:

Click here for the status, text, and co-sponsors of S.Res.52 on international religious freedom