US capital hosts world's 'largest' religious freedom summit with ministers from over 110 countries
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the US State Department in Washington will host the second "Religious Freedom" summit, attended by ministers and representatives from 115 countries, which, according to Sam Brownback, the US Ambassador-at-Large for Religious Freedom, is "the largest such summit ever."
Mr. Brownback says that 115 ministers and representatives from other countries have been invited to attend the meeting.
On Monday, July 14, the ministers invited to this meeting are scheduled to attend the Holocaust Museum in the US capital.
The official opening of the second "Religious Freedom" meeting with the presence of ministers and representatives will be on Tuesday, July 15. In addition to ministers from other countries, the meeting will be attended by religious freedom activists, organizations, some religious leaders, and civil society activists.
Sam Brownback, during a press conference last week, referred to the state of religious freedom in Iran, saying that the Islamic Republic of Iran has one of the worst records in violating religious freedom. Religious minorities such as Christians, Jews, Baha'is, Zoroastrians, Dervishes, and even Sunni Muslims face persecution and imprisonment for their beliefs.
He said that the Islamic Republic was not invited to this meeting, and we hope that one day they will accept and say that we have enough confidence to allow other religions to be allowed to operate and work together in peace.
This is the second ministerial meeting "to advance religious freedom." The first meeting was held in August last year with representatives from 80 countries.
At last year's summit, US Vice President Mike Pence, in part of his speech, referred to the violations of the rights of religious activists in Iran and called on the Iranian people to continue their efforts.
Source: Voice of America
