Faith Under Fire: The Urgent Fight for Religious Freedom Worldwide

In 1776, the Founders of our nation boldly declared that, “all people are endowed with certain unalienable rights, among them: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”  Religious freedom is at the very heart of that liberty—the freedom to worship, to speak our beliefs, and to live according to our faith. It is enshrined in our Constitution, reflecting the belief that the right to practice one’s faith without government interference is essential to individual liberty and human dignity.

As an evangelical Christian, my faith informs how I live, how I work, and how I think. I spent many years as a Sunday school teacher and a deacon at my home church in Wichita, Kansas. This experience solidified the fundamental importance of the right to freedom of conscience and freedom of religious expression for all. With this week’s release of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom’s (USCISF) 2025 Annual Report, I am reminded of my time serving as the Secretary of State.  As America’s senior diplomat, I was able to elevate the USCIRF and worked to create the U.S. State Department’s Commission on Unalienable Right to ensure that religious freedom was a universal and unalienable right that should be afforded to all, not just a privileged few.

Religious freedom is a cornerstone of liberty, justice, and human dignity. We, as Americans, believe and uphold that individuals should be free to practice their faith without fear or repression, punishment, and violence. Religious freedom is not just about the right to worship in peace—it is a foundation for society. From the atrocities perpetrated against Rohingya Muslims in Burma, religious violence against Christians in Nigeria, severe punishments for religious activities in North Korea, the suppression of religious groups in Russia that are wrongfully deemed extremist, the imprisonment and execution of religious minorities in Iran, and the systematic repression of Uyghur Muslims in China, brave men and women all over the world are taking the risk of freedom to continue to fight for respect for their right to worship because their conscience demands it.

As the leader of the free world, the U.S. has a unique responsibility to take a stand on behalf of persecuted religious groups. Authoritarian regimes, terrorists, and governments around the world are trampling religious freedom. We must use our faith and exercise moral witness against the persecution of believers from every corner of the world.

The fight for religious freedom is a call to action; it’s a fight that must be fought by all individuals who believe in the dignity of human life and liberty. At the heart of the U.S. commitment to religious freedom is the belief that our Creator endows individuals with certain unalienable rights. A right to our faith is integral to what makes us human. I have seen the unspeakable impact that religious persecution has on individuals and societies around the world. Still, I have also been witness to the unshakeable perseverance of those who continue to fight for their right to worship freely.

The United States has a moral obligation to lead the charge for religious freedom on the world stage. We must be unwavering in our commitment to stand with those who face persecution for their faith. This means using diplomatic, economic, and political leverage to pressure governments that violate religious freedoms. The United States, along with our allies, must continue to pressure authoritarian regimes that suppress religious expression.