Speaking before the United Nations today, President Trump praised the countryโs religious freedom record and citedย figuresย that suggest the rest of the world hasย much work to do, as he announced new funding to protect religious sites as well as business partnerships to fuel the cause.
โOur nation was founded on the idea that our rights do not come from government, but from God,โ said Trump. โRegrettably, the freedom enjoyed in America is rare in the world.โ
Trump said he had asked Vice President Mike Pence to double-check the figure of 80 percent of the worldโs population living in areas that restrict religious freedom. According toย Pew Research, 83 percent of the population lives in places with โhighโ or โvery highโ restrictions, mostly targeting religious minorities.
โToday, with one clear voice, the US calls on the nations of the world to end religious persecution,โ Trump said.
Pence stated that Trump was the first world leader to chair a meeting on religious freedom at the United Nations.
Seeking international consensus on religious freedom, he called outย Iran,ย Iraq,ย China,ย Venezuela, andย Nicaraguaย for their violations and mentioned the terrorist tragedies that struck down Jews inย Pittsburgh, Muslims inย New Zealand, and Christians inย Sri Lanka.
Under Trumpโs leadership, Pence said, the United Statesย passedย the Genocide Recovery and Persecution Response Act to protect religious minorities in the Middle East, and the State Departmentโs International Religious Freedom Fund dispersed 435 rapid response grants since 2018, aiding 2,000 victims of persecution. A year ago, the Trump administrationย doubledย its funding for Christians and religious minorities returning to Iraq.
โAs President, protecting religious freedom is one of my highest priorities, and always has been,โ said Trump, who today pledged an additional $25 million to protect religious sites and relics around the world that are under threat. He urged the global community join in โmeasures to prevent the intentional destruction of religious sites and relics,โ including attacks on houses of worship.
A number of evangelical leaders cheered his remarks, including Franklin Graham and Cissie Graham Lynch of Samaritanโs Purse, who attended the UN event in person. Trump called Graham โinstrumentalโ and praised his involvement in disaster relief. Grahamย thankedย the President for โshining a spotlight on this critical issue.โ
Read Full Article: In UN Speech, Trump Announces New Religious Freedom Initiatives