Biden Administration Shifts Focus Away from International Religious Freedom

A rise in international religious persecution is expected as the Biden administration backs away from promoting religious freedom abroad, despite progress made by the Trump administration. In March, Secretary of State Antony Blinken overturned an executive order signed under the Trump administration that required federal agencies to “prioritize international religious freedom in the planning and implementation of United States foreign policy.” The current administration is taking a broader approach and does not want to appear to be giving certain issues precedent over others. Lisa Peterson, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, claimed that there is a standalone report on international religious freedom separate from the 2020 country reports on human rights practices. While Peterson and her colleagues are “deeply concerned” about questions on religious freedom, they will have to focus on the bigger picture of human rights.-- More...