Dispatches on
Religion & Global Affairs

Friends and colleagues,

 

For this newsletter, I want to spotlight my book ENDING PERSECUTION: Charting the Path to Global Religious Freedom, which will be released on September 1. It's received endorsements from across the religious and political spectrum, including Mike Abramowitz (Freedom House), Mary Ann Glendon (Harvard), Simran Jeet Singh (Aspen Institute), David Alton (UK House of Lords), Nazila Ghanea (Oxford / UN special rapporteur), and others.

 

For the book's message to take root, I need people to read it, and advance sales can help raise its profile. I'd be honored if you'd purchase a copy or share this with your networks. As this project is about generating new ideas and not income, use discount code 14SUM24 to receive 40% off when pre-ordering through the publisher. But act soon, as the code expires on August 16.

 

Overall, I want to challenge the United States and like-minded allies to more effectively combat persecution on account of faith or belief. In the book, I offer a unique perspective on the state of global religious persecution, drawing from my 20 years of U.S. government service across Republican and Democratic administrations. I provide ideas for how the United States can better support religious freedom for all, not in a textbook format but in a practical examination of different kinds of persecution in places like India, Pakistan, Iraq, China, Burma, and elsewhere. I also include personal stories to make it engaging for policymakers, activists, students, and general readers interested in international affairs. 

 

I'll write again closer to the book's publication about ways you can help raise its profile, for instance, by rating it on Amazon. I'd also welcome recommendations for those who might review the book or suggestions of platforms interested in publishing an excerpt.

 

One of the book's themes is the need for consequential diplomacy. I wrote about this recently after attending the release of the State Department's religious freedom report and speaking briefly with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. I appreciated his strong speech and that of Ambassador at Large Rashad Hussain. However, for these words to matter, action needs to follow. My article addresses the need for consequential diplomacy that extracts a cost for continued abuses.

 

But this isn't my view alone; I also wrote about how Americans want values-based foreign policy for the Fletcher Forum of World Affairs. Surveys repeatedly show voters expect their elected leaders to incorporate human rights into U.S. foreign policy. Considering November's election may hinge on a few thousand votes in key states, politicians would be wise to note how many Americans in both parties want the United States to advocate for human rights abroad.

 

The same is true in the United Kingdom. With the election of a Labour government for the first time in 14 years, I wrote for the LSE Religion and Global Society Program about the importance of Prime Minister Starmer continuing the United Kingdom's leadership on freedom of religion or belief. A "FoRB for All" approach can support the new government's priorities. Continuity will maintain British influence by promoting religious freedom globally.

 

The stakes are high for groups facing violent persecution. August 3 will remind the world of the need for redoubled efforts with the 10th anniversary of the Yazidi genocide in Iraq. A new video series called Faces of Persecution demonstrates the impact of such violence on communities of faith. I contributed to the episode on the Yazidis. I'm amazed by their resilience, but they need help.

 

To have lasting success, we must expand the tent and introduce new approaches. For instance, my Pepperdine program is exploring untapped synergies between religious freedom advocates, cultural heritage experts, and interfaith practitioners around sacred sites. Check out the report from our Sacred Sites Promoting Pluralism conference, held at Pepperdine's Château d'Hauteville campus earlier in the spring. (Thanks to PaRD for making it available widely.)

 

In addition, we will convene a conference on October 24-25 at Dallas Baptist University to explore the Biblical mandate to defend people of all faiths or none facing persecution. "Praying for ALL the Persecuted: A Global Gathering" will inspire Christians to pray and advocate for anyone harmed for their beliefs. You can register now on the conference website, which we will continuously update as the program comes together. And watch this cool promotional video we posted on the CAAP Network website.

 

Lastly, my previous newsletter breaks down the Pew Research Center's findings on global religious trends, which paints a stark picture. The last newsletter also has posts on how Russia is Waging a War Against Religious Freedom in Ukraine, Promoting Peace and Stability in the Americas through Religious Freedom (leer en español), non-partisan approaches to international religious freedom, the Biblical imperative to fight against all religious persecution, and (on a lighter note) the greatness of the Kentucky Derby.

 

Feel free to share the newsletter with others; as always, the views expressed here are my own.

 

Regards,

Knox 

 

____________________________

Knox Thames

Senior Fellow, Pepperdine University

Director, Program on Global Faith and Inclusive Societies

Senior Visiting Expert (non-resident), U.S. Institute of Peace

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