“Freedom of thought, conscience, and religion is understood to protect theistic and non-theistic beliefs,” the Act states for the first time, “and the right not to profess or practice any religion.”
US President Obama became the first leader to strengthen the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act — the Frank R Wolf International Religious Freedom Act— on December 16. In its new avatar, the Act protects religious believers around the world. But also, for the first time, atheists and other non-religious persons have been given explicit protection under the law.
The original version established the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, a religious freedom watchdog that has charted abuses against minorities across the world. The new law, named after a Virginia Congressman who championed the original version, extends protection to atheists as well.
“Freedom of thought, conscience, and religion is understood to protect theistic and non-theistic beliefs,” the Act states for the first time, “and the right not to profess or practice any religion.”
It also condemns “specific targeting of non-theists, humanists, and atheists because of their beliefs,” and enables the State Department to target “non-state actors” against religious freedom, like the Islamic State group, Boko Haram and other extra-government groups. Including atheism was a four-year process involving meeting with members of the State Department to raise awareness of the persecution of nonbelievers.
Non-theist groups have been lobbying Congress on behalf of imprisoned and persecuted atheists in Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Pakistan and elsewhere. Atheists here have faced imprisonment, lashings and execution, sometimes at the hands of violent mobs. In September, a Saudi man was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 2,000 lashes for professing his atheism via Twitter.
The new version of the bill will strengthen the existing law in several ways:
It directs the president to sanction individuals who carry out or order religious restrictions.
It instructs the U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom to report directly to the US Secretary of State.
It requires all foreign service officers to be trained in the “strategic value of international religious freedom.”
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