Family Life

10.27.09 | FL News Team

Religious freedom should be a shared, universal value. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made that statement while releasing the State Department's annual report on international religious freedom. She said religious freedom is a good way to promote more just and compassionate societies. Clinton said religious expression should be viewed with tolerance, not suppression. In a news briefing at the State Department, Assistant Secretary of State Michael Posner said China continues to be a nation of particular concern in the area of religious freedom. He cited ongoing, troubling trends and said religious freedom will be "part of the U.S.-Chinese dialogue for a long time." Posner noted that there's a growing recognition among many world leaders that religious freedom needs closer attention. Also on the list of the world's worst offenders of religious freedom abuse are Iran and North Korea.