Needed Now More Than Ever: The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998

On December 10, Hudson Institute's Working Group on Christians and Religious Pluralism in the Middle East hosted a discussion on the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA). Two decades after its passage, IRFA and the concerns of the broad, faith-based mobilization behind it are no less salient. Keynote remarks were provided by former U.S. Representative and primary sponsor of the IRFA, Frank Wolf, and U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Samuel Brownback. Keynote remarks were followed by two panels of experts, including current and former members of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, who discussed IRFA and current religious persecution challenges in the Middle East. Also, at this event, 21 Wilberforce’s new publication, 20th Anniversary of the International Religious Freedom Act: A Retrospective, was released.

In 1998, IRFA formalized religious freedom as a major tenet of American foreign policy for the first time in U.S. history. Two decades later, the persecution of faith in China, Iraq, Syria, and other countries remains a critical issue being addressed by IRFA, government agencies and a broad coalition of faith-based organizations. This statute institutionalized religious freedom as a pillar of U.S. foreign policy. The speakers will address how this is making a difference in addressing challenges today.