The U.S. State Department’s Annual Report on International Religious Freedom is Released
by Danny Fisher
The U.S. State Department has released its Annual Report on International Religious Freedom. You can download the full report here.
The 2009 report was especially critical of “what it says are international efforts to limit free speech in the name of combating defamation of religion.”
In comments introducing the annual report, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the United States will always stand against religious-based discrimination and persecution, but that it strongly disagrees with those who would combat such problems by curbing free speech.
“The best antidote to intolerance is not the ‘Defamation of Religions’ approach of banning and punishing offensive speech, but rather a combination of robust legal protections against discrimination and hate crimes, proactive government outreach to minority religious groups, and a vigorous defense of both freedom of religion and expression,” said Secretary Clinton.
