It details many incidents and patterns of religious persecution that continue in many parts of the globe. The victims it spotlights are Bahais and Buddhists, Christians and Hindus, Jews and Muslims, Sikhs and others. The sad truth is that religious intolerance remains far too common in far too many places. Fortunately, however, the picture isn't entirely grim. This year's Executive Summary also highlights significant instances of progress in religious liberty.
Freedom of religion is a universal and fundamental right of people everywhere.
It can be one of the keys to a stable, humane and productive society. But religious freedom carries with it the responsibility to permit the free exercise of the same right by others. For where the rights of persons of any faith are not secure, no one's rights are secure. That is why America has chosen for so many years to stand for universal principles of tolerance and liberty. And it is why, as the most powerful nation in the world, we will continue to fight for the rights of the world's most persecuted individuals.