Does Religious Freedom Register as a Foreign Policy Priority?

Continuing to spearhead the effort to more seriously incorporate international religious freedom (IRF) into the broader U.S. foreign policy calculus, Thomas Farr of the Berkley Center at Georgetown University draws upon the recently released U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) annual report to raise questions about the Obama administration’s commitment on this issue. Specifically, Farr wonders if Obama and Secretary 0f State Clinton will decide to “retool and upgrade an IRF policy that was neglected by prior administrations of both parties,” noting that religious freedom strategies are much more than simply a campaign of altruism; “they can also help achieve the national security goals” laid out in USCIRF’s report. Farr also echoes earlier rounds of criticism for the administration’s tardiness on appointing an IRF ambassador at large, as required by the 1998 IRF act. But even if Obama does fill that position in the near future, Farr worries that the IRF ambassador will be buried under multiple layers of bureaucracy, thereby mitigating his or her ability to assist in calibrating U.S. policy.