President
of the United States Barack Hussein
Obama spoke at the National Prayer
Breakfast, a decades-old Washington tradition, on February 06, 2014. "To
harm anyone in the name of faith is to diminish our own relationship with God",
says the President.
As
instances of persecution and other violation of basic freedoms scar the lives
of millions of people in different parts of the world, the President reminds that
to respect human rights, particularly religious freedom, leaders everywhere
must do more. Among the cases of egregious violation of religious freedoms, the
President remembers the plight of, among others, the Ahmadi Muslims of
Pakistan.
Read the Extracts from the Speech:
So each time we gather, it’s a
chance to set aside the rush of our daily lives; to pause with humility before
an Almighty God; to seek His grace; and, mindful of our own imperfections, to
remember the admonition from the Book of Romans, which is especially fitting
for those of us in Washington: “Do not claim to be wiser than you are.”
So here we put aside labels of
party and ideology, and recall what we are first: all children of a loving God;
brothers and sisters called to make His work our own. But in this work,
as Lincoln said, our concern should not be whether God is on our side, but whether we
are on God’s side…
Now, here, as Americans, we affirm the freedoms endowed by our
Creator, among them freedom of religion. And, yes, this freedom safeguards
religion, allowing us to flourish as one of the most religious countries on
Earth, but it works the other way, too -- because religion strengthens America.
Brave men and women of faith have
challenged our conscience and brought us closer to our founding ideals, from
the abolition of slavery to civil rights, workers’ rights…
Yet even as our faith sustains us, it’s also clear that around the
world freedom of religion is under threat. And that is what I want to reflect
on this morning. We see governments engaging in discrimination and violence
against the faithful. We sometimes see religion twisted in an attempt to
justify hatred and persecution against other people just because of who they
are, or how they pray or who they love.
Old tensions are stoked, fuelling conflicts along religious lines, as we’ve seen in the Central African
Republic recently, even though to harm anyone in the name of faith is to
diminish our own relationship with God. Extremists succumb to an ignorant nihilism that shows they don’t
understand the faiths they claim to profess -- for the killing of the innocent
is never fulfilling God’s will; in fact, it’s the ultimate betrayal of God’s
will.
Today, we profess the principles we know to be true. We believe
that each of us is “wonderfully made” in the image of God. We, therefore,
believe in the inherent dignity of every human being -- dignity that no earthly
power can take away. And central to that dignity is freedom of religion -- the
right of every person to practice their faith how they choose, to change their
faith if they choose, or to practice no faith at all, and to do this free from
persecution and fear.
Our faith teaches us that in
the face of suffering, we can’t stand idly by and that we must be that Good
Samaritan. In Isaiah, we’re told “to do right. Seek justice. Defend the
oppressed.” The Torah commands: “Know the feelings of the stranger, having
yourselves been strangers in the land of Egypt.” The Koran instructs: “Stand out firmly for justice.”
So history shows that nations
that uphold the rights of their people -- including the freedom of religion --
are ultimately more just and more peaceful and more successful. Nations that do
not uphold these rights sow the bitter seeds of instability and violence and
extremism. So freedom of religion matters to our national security.
As I’ve said before, there are
times when we work with governments that don’t always meet our highest
standards, but they’re working with us on core interests such as the security
of the American people. At the same time, we also deeply believe that it’s in
our interest, even with our partners, sometimes with our friends, to stand up
for universal human rights. So promoting religious freedom is a key objective
of U.S. foreign policy. And I’m proud that no nation on Earth does more to
stand up for the freedom of religion around the world than the United States of
America.
It is not always comfortable to
do, but it is right. When I meet with Chinese leaders -- and we do a lot of
business with the Chinese, and that relationship is extraordinarily important
not just to our two countries but to the world -- but I stress that realizing
China’s potential rests on upholding universal rights, including for
Christians, and Tibetan Buddhists, and Uighur
Muslims.
When I meet with the President
of Burma, a country that is trying to emerge out of a long darkness into the
light of a representative government, I’ve said that Burma’s return to the
international community depends on respecting basic freedoms, including for
Christians and Muslims. I’ve pledged our support to the people of Nigeria, who
deserve to worship in their churches and mosques in peace, free from terror. I’ve
put the weight of my office behind the efforts to protect the people of Sudan
and South Sudan, including religious minorities.
As we support Israelis and
Palestinians as they engage in direct talks, we’ve made clear that lasting
peace will require freedom of worship and access to holy sites for all faiths.
I want to take this opportunity to thank Secretary Kerry for his extraordinary
passion and principled diplomacy that he’s brought to the cause of peace in the
Middle East. Thank you, John.
More broadly, I’ve made the
case that no society can truly succeed unless it guarantees the rights of all
its peoples, including religious minorities, whether they’re Ahmadiyya Muslims
in Pakistan, or Baha’i in Iran, or Coptic Christians in Egypt. And in Syria, it
means ensuring a place for all people -- Alawites and Sunni, Shia and
Christian.
Going forward, we will keep
standing for religious freedom around the world. And that includes, by the way,
opposing blasphemy and defamation of religion measures, which are promoted
sometimes as an expression of religion, but, in fact, all too often can be used
to suppress religious minorities. We continue to stand for the rights of all
people to practice their faiths in peace and in freedom. And we will continue
to stand against the ugly tide of anti-Semitism that rears it's ugly head all
too often…
So around the world we’re
elevating our engagement with faith leaders and making it a regular part of our
diplomacy. And today, I invite you to join us in focusing on several pressing
challenges. Let’s do more together to
advance human rights, including religious freedom. Let’s do more to promote the
development that Raj describes -- from ending extreme poverty to saving lives,
from HIV/AIDS to combating climate change so that we can preserve God’s
incredible creation. On all these issues, faith leaders and faith
organizations here in the United States and around the world are incredible
partners, and we're grateful to them.
And in contrast to those who
wield religion to divide us, let’s do more to nurture the dialogue between
faiths that can break cycles of conflict and build true peace, including in the
Holy Land.
And as we pray for all
prisoners of conscience, whatever their faiths, wherever they’re held, let’s
imagine what it must be like for them. We may not know their names, but all
around the world there are people who are waking up in cold cells, facing
another day of confinement, another day of unspeakable treatment, simply
because they are affirming God. Despite all they’ve endured, despite all the
awful punishments if caught, they will wait for that moment when the guards
aren’t looking, and when they can close their eyes and bring their hands
together and pray.
In those moments of peace, of
grace, those moments when their faith is tested in ways that those of us who
are more comfortable never experience; in those far-away cells, I believe their
unbroken souls are made stronger. And I hope that somehow they hear our prayers
for them, that they know that, along with the spirit of God, they have our
spirit with them as well, and that they are not alone.
Today we give humble thanks for
the freedoms we cherish in this country. And I join you in seeking God’s grace
in all of our lives. I pray that His wisdom will give us the capacity to do
right and to seek justice, and defend the oppressed wherever they may dwell.
I want to thank all of you for
the extraordinary privilege of being here this morning. I want to ask you for
your prayers as I continue in this awesome privilege and responsibility as
President of the United States. May God bless the United States of America, and
God bless all those who seek peace and justice. Thank you very much.