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U.S. report on religious freedom critical of Iran and China; cites improvements in Saudi Arabia

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)—John V. Hanford III, Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, issued a report today on how religious minorities around the world are treated by their host governments.

Here is a transcript of his prepared remarks for a U.S. State Department press conference:

Thank you, Madame Secretary, and thank you for your own personal commitment to the issue of religious freedom. It is a great honor to serve both a Secretary and a President who are passionate about advancing religious freedom worldwide.

As President Bush said earlier this year, "The freedom to worship is so central to America's character that we tend to take it personally when that freedom is denied to others." He continued, "Our country was a leading voice on behalf of the Jewish refusniks in the Soviet Union. Americans joined in common cause with Catholics and Protestants who prayed in secret behind the Iron Curtain. America has stood with Muslims seeking to freely practice their beliefs in places such as Burma and China."

Indeed, there is no more fundamental issue for the United States than religious liberty, and today we have gathered to present the 2007 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom. The Report covers 198 countries and areas worldwide and offers the most comprehensive catalogue of both religious freedom abuses and of improvements with respect to this fundamental right. The drafting of the Report is an immense undertaking, but it is only one element of the Department of State's continuous work to advance religious freedoms for all persons and faiths.

Religious liberty is a revered pillar of our constitutional system, a cherished part of our history and national character. Accordingly, the policy of the United States is to condemn violations of religious freedom and to promote the enjoyment of this fundamental right for all. Our continuous work on this issue, all across the globe, tangibly reflects the commitment of the American people to those who suffer religious discrimination or persecution as the cost of their faith.
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On September 24, Israel will inspire a
new generation of ‘clever’ scientists

HAIFA (Press Release)-- Madatech– the National Museum of Science, Technology and Space has rented dozens of buses to bring students from Sderot and Netiv Ha’asara to a unique encounter with scientists, led by Nobel Prize Laureate Prof. Aaron Ciechanover.

Known in Israel as “Also Clever at Night,” the event is financed by the European Union (EU). In Europe, it is called “The Night of the Scientists.” The event will take place on September 24 at the Museum in Haifa. Last year, 6,000 students took part and this year, the organizers expect thousands of participants from Haifa and the North, including hundreds of soldiers, who will also be provided with organized transportation.

Technion President, Prof. Yitzhak Apeloig welcomed the EU initiative, which is being carried out in cooperation with the Israeli Ministry of Science, Culture and Sport.“This is an exceptional opportunity to provide youth, among them future scientists, with an encounter with the magical world of science in a lively atmosphere and in a language that speaks to all,” he said.

“The aim of the event is to bring together the general public with scientists and unique research in a pleasant, enjoyable atmosphere,” said the Museum’s director, Prof. Yoram Zvirin of the Technion’s Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. “The event will continue into the night, starting from 5 p.m., and is for the general public, especially youth. At the beginning of the evening, it also will be open to kindergarten and elementary school children.”

Entry to all events is free. Among other things, the students will be exposed to such topics as global warming (screening of Al Gore’s film and a discussion with the participation of experts), a science fair on water quality and the environment (with the participation of researchers from the Technion’s Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering), selected topics in medicine (with the participation of doctors from the Rambam Medical Center and the Technion’s Rappaport Faculty of Medicine), road safety (a special program for youth that includes a quiz with prizes) and astrophysics and space (with lectures, demonstrations and star-gazing).

There will also be workshops on a wide variety of subjects, including the popcorn workshop, mathematics fun, mazes and musical instrument building. Additional lectures by Technion experts will be given on nano-technology, robotics, chemistry, energy and the environment.

Participants can also enjoy performances in street stages, a missile show and star watching, as well as food and beverage stands.

This unique event of the EU and the Ministry of Science, Culture and Sport is also being held under the auspices of the Haifa municipality. In addition, the event will be taking place concurrently at the Hebrew University, the Bloomfield Museum of Science in Jerusalem, MIGAL in Kiryat Shemona and the Science Park at the Weizmann Institute of Science. A similar event will take place in Europe on September 28.

The preceding story was provided by the Technion

Lantos says limited U.S. troop withdrawals are insufficient

WASHINGTON, DC (Press Release) – U.S. Rep. Tom Lantos (Democrat, California), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement in response to the Administration’s report today on Iraq, which confirmed that Iraqi government leaders have gained little new ground on key political and military goals:

“The escalation that the President announced in January has proven to be a strategic failure. It was intended to buy time for Prime Minister Maliki and the other Iraqi political leaders to find ways to move toward a political settlement to end this terrible civil conflict. As best we can see, that time has been utterly squandered. Instead of working to build national institutions - a truly Iraqi army, a competent bureaucracy, a non-sectarian police force - Maliki has gone the opposite way. Instead of acting as a leader for Iraq as a whole, he has functioned as the front man for Shiite partisans.

“In Iraq today, we are ruining our military, forcing their families to suffer needlessly and sacrificing the lives of American men and women in uniform. The enormous financial cost of this war limits our ability to address our global security interests and forces us to give short shrift to pressing domestic needs such as health care, crumbling infrastructure and public education.

“We all heard the President last night. Despite the failure to meet our goals in Iraq, demonstrated by this report today and even more dramatically by independent assessments during the past two weeks, we can expect the Administration to continue asking for more money, more patience, and more sacrifices from our troops - all in the belief that our continued intervention in Iraq will eventually bear fruit. But this approach is not a strategy. And dumping another country’s religious civil war in your successor’s lap is an appalling legacy. It is time to redeploy our troops in Iraq – not merely to reverse the so-called ‘surge’ over the next several months. The United States needs a new direction in Iraq policy, and we need it now.”

The preceding was provided by the office of Congressman Lantos