Amid the final campaign push, the 10th anniversary of the nation's landmark covenant on international religious freedom passed largely unnoticed on Monday. That is more than a shame. The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA) was passed by a Republican Congress and signed by a Democratic president who provedto be better at promoting this issue than his ostensibly faith-friendly successor, George W. Bush.This issue is not only one of the pressing moral concerns of the day, but good for national security, as well--and smart politics, if either campaign had noticed. The issue is one I have spent a good deal of time researching, and I wrote about IRFA and the lost opportunityin an op-ed for The Star-Ledger of New Jersey on Sunday.This is an issue of great concern to Catholics, and one where the global reach and traditions of Catholicismoffer a particular contribution. In the Ledger piece Icite Georgetown scholar-in-residence and former diplomat Tom Farr, and his excellent new book, "World of Faith and Freedom: Why International Religious Liberty Is Vital to American National Security." Farr is one of the best go-to sources I've found. Let's hope that whoever wins on Tuesday, they'll appreciate the advantages and virtues of promoting religious rights abroad.
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