04/22/2021 Washington D.C. (International Christian Concern) –Former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Samuel Brownback and United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Chair Gayle Manchin have confirmed the honorary congressional co-chairs and keynote speakers for the
International Religious Freedom Summit 2021, a grassroots gathering of civil society and religious groups from all over the world. The Summit will take place Tuesday, July 13 through Thursday, July 15 in Washington, D.C.
Honorary congressional co-chairs include:
●Sen. Christopher Coons — Delaware (D): Co-founder and co-chair of the U.S. Senate Human Rights Caucus; U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee; U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee; U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee; U.S. Senate Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee; U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics.
●Sen. James Lankford— Oklahoma (R): U.S. Senate Committee on Finance; U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources; U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs; U.S. Senate Committee on Ethics.
●Rep. Henry Cuellar — Texas, 28th District (D): Chief Deputy Whip, U.S. House of Representatives; U.S. House Appropriations Committee; Vice Chair, U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security; U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense; U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies.
●Rep. Christopher Smith — New Jersey, 4th District (R): Author, Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000; Co-founder and co-chair, Congressional Human Trafficking Caucus; U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs; U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights & International Organizations; Co-chair, U.S. House Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission; U.S. House Congressional-Executive Commission on China.
Keynote speakers include:
●Imam Mohamed Magid — Executive Imam, All Dulles Area Muslim Society Center
●Cardinal Timothy Dolan — Archbishop of New York, Catholic Church
● Archbishop Elpidophoros (Lambriniadis) — Archbishop of America, Greek Orthodox Church
●Frank Wolf — House of Representatives, Virginia, 10th District, 1981-2015 (R)
● Lord David Alton of Liverpool — Independent Crossbench Life Peer
● Archbishop Angaelos — Archbishop of London, Coptic Orthodox Church
The Summit is supported by more than 40 diverse partners, including the Religious Freedom Institute, Uyghur Human Rights Project, American Hindu Foundation, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and Alliance Defending Freedom, among others. It aims to bring greater attention to religious freedom violations and to create a powerful coalition to advance religious freedom around the world.
The U.S. Department of State held back-to-back Ministerials to Advance Religious Freedom in 2018 and 2019, which brought together international leaders to discuss religious persecution and discrimination throughout the world and pursue solutions. Brazil will host the 2021 Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom in the fall.
This civil society-led International Religious Freedom Summit will build on the movement started by the government-led ministerials.
More information on the International Religious Freedom Summit 2021 is available here.
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International Religious Freedom Summit 2021 is convening a powerful, broad coalition of religious and civil society groups to advocate for religious freedom for all people, everywhere at all times.
Samuel Brownback served as the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom from 2018 to 2021.
Gayle Manchin is Chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.
For interviews please contact Alison Garcia: press@persecution.org
