Opinions

Obama needs to practice what he preaches

Freedom of religion is considered a basic right in the United States, but on the international stage, it is still a source of controversy. The Obama administration has been criticized for making public statements against the repression of religion in other countries, yet failing to demonstrate that there are consequences for the repression and prosecution of these people.

 
To be able to create a difference in other countries, the Obama administration needs to create a foundation where they practice what they preach. Due to the inactivity of certain offices that promote freedom of religion, the administration has disillusioned, not only those Obama claims to stand for, but also his followers.

 
Earlier this year, Obama attended the annual National Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C., an event, organized by the Fellowship Foundation that aims to unite people from all religious backgrounds and faiths.

 
According to the Washington Post, Obama spent most of his time talking about the importance of religious freedom not only in America, but also around the world. The Washington Times wrote that Obama scolded China, Iran, North Korea and other countries for the repression of religious minorities, stating that religious freedom was the basis to the well-being of a country as well as the central goal of the American foreign policy.

 
Although Obama spent most of his time speaking about the importance of religious freedom, there have been questions raised about the still vacant post of Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom. According to CFR.org, this position was established by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, “…because Congress wanted State, and the entire Executive Branch, to pay more attention to the issue of religious freedom.”

 
The position was vacant until Suzan Johnson Cook filled it; Cook wasn’t appointed until two years after the president came into office, which raised questions about the immediacy of the issue.  Cook resigned in October of 2013, and the position is yet to be filled. Critics fear that, due to the longevity of the vacancy, this is not as important of an issue as the Obama administration claims it is.

 
According to Religionnews.com, Thomas Farr, the director of the Religious Freedom Project at Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs stated, “a continued vacancy will confirm the suspicion that already exists among foreign governments, persecutors, victims and American diplomats that the issue is not a priority.”
Others criticize the West for its lack of attention toward the atrocities committed around the world.

 
Although there are causes that seem to capture the world’s attention and even result in military action and bouts of social activism, according to Deseret News, the world’s attention toward these issues “wanes” and dissipates.
Events like the crimes committed by Joseph Kony in Uganda, or the 234 girls who were kidnapped from their school in Nigeria by Boko Haram, have proven that there is a dire need for a long-term solution for the problem of religious freedom around the world.

 
Deseret News stated that these bouts of social activism have little to no effect on an issue that requires a long-term solution. “Religious intolerance is rampant in much of the developing world and impedes any sort of progress toward multi-cultural democratic societies.”

 
It is not enough to alleviate a single aspect of the problem without considering solutions that will not just place a Band-Aid on the issue, but also be able to offer preventive measures for the future.

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