Petition to the President

Dear friend,

It’s been over a year since President Obama was inaugurated, yet he still has not appointed an Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom.

Sign a petition today to President Obama>>

With the recent release of the 2010 World Watch List, we have decided to launch this crucial advocacy campaign. As your eyes are opened to the breadth and severity of persecution worldwide exposed in the World Watch List, this petition is one huge way you can make a difference for persecuted Christians.

In leaving this important position unfilled while appointing multiple czars for various other issues, the president has demonstrated that religious freedom is not a high priority on his agenda. Yet, not appointing an ambassador is in contravention of U.S. law.

Please act today and sign our petition asking President Obama to appoint an Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom immediately!

In 1998, a unique piece of legislation was passed and signed into law by President Bill Clinton called the International Religious Freedom Act. This bill created a special office, the Office of International Religious Freedom, within the State Department. This department researches and tracks the state of religious freedom in every country of the world except for the U.S., and produces annual reports on each country.

Each year, this department announces a list of the worst violators of religious freedom called Countries of Particular Concern (CPC). The government has a wide variety of options available to work with each country to improve religious freedom, including creating agreements or imposing sanctions on these CPCs.

The Ambassador at Large overseas this department, engages in diplomacy with countries that suppress religious freedom, helps negotiate within the U.S. government to determine which countries should be named as CPCs, and advises on U.S. policy towards each of these countries.

Considering the many religious conflicts around the world and the many Christians and people of other faiths who are persecuted for their beliefs, it is unconscionable that President Obama has failed to fill this position.

Please join with Open Doors and sign our petition to President Obama, urging that he not delay in appointing a qualified Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom.

Sincerely,

Lindsay Vessey