FROM THE EDITORS


The right to freedom of religion undergirds the very origin and existence of the United States. Many of our nation's founders fled religious persecution abroad, cherishing in their hearts and minds the ideal of religious freedom. They established in law, as a fundamental right and as a pillar of our nation, the right to freedom of religion. From its birth to this day, the United States has prized this legacy of religious freedom and honored this heritage by standing for religious freedom and offering refuge to those suffering religious persecution.

International Religious Freedom Act of 1998      


In his farewell address to the nation in 1789, George Washington reminded his fellow citizens that religion as well as government is a part of the fabric of life. "Religion and Morality are indispensable supports," he said. "In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men and Citizens."

Washington saw that as well as good governance, there must also be the right of the people to practice the faith that they deemed necessary for the "great pillars of human happiness."

This electronic journal takes Washington's premise one step further and looks at religious freedom as a universal human right. To begin, Tom Farr, the director of the Office of Religious Freedom at the Department of State explains how the international religious freedom report, which his office releases each year, came about and why it is so important in a world where many countries continue to violate the religious freedom of their people.

The United States has a longstanding commitment to religious liberty. America's founders made religious freedom the first freedom of the U.S. Constitution. Following in that vein, the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 mandated that the United States publish an annual report each year to draw attention to those countries that prevent their citizens from enjoying religious freedom. We have provided the preface and introduction to the 2001 Annual International Religious Freedom Report, with a link to the Department of State's web site, which holds the report.

Many people around the world, including Americans, are unaware of the richness of religions in the United States today. But Dr. Diana L. Eck, a professor of comparative religion and Indian studies at Harvard University, has studied this diversity and shows how the United States has become the world's most religiously diverse society. In an excerpt from her recent book, A New Religious America, Dr. Eck explores the various religious cultures in the U.S. and talks about how Christianity, Islam, Judaism and a variety of other faiths co-exist.

Finally, Derek H. Davis, the director of church-state studies at Baylor University examines the four pillars of international religious freedom: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; the U.N Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief; and the Vienna Concluding Document. He also looks at how we must continue to use international treaties to further religious freedom through legislation, education, and a separation of church and state.