Against this background, Congress passed the International Religious Freedom Act in the fall of 1998. One of its key provisions was the creation of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. The Commission has 10 members, appointed by the President and the Republican and Democratic leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives. The vice chair is Michael Young, dean of the George Washington University School of Law. Ambassador Seiple is an ex officio member of the Commission as well.
Religious freedom is a fundamental right in America.
That the United States should seek to affirm this right on an international basis lives up to our history and our highest ideals, he added. That the United States should be the first to speak out on behalf of those who are victims of persecution, imprisonment, torture, harassment and discrimination simply because of their religious beliefs shows that we live up to our highest religious ideals. It is a sad statement that we have yet to find a single religion whose followers are not persecuted somewhere. For her part, Dr. Al-Marayati sees the Commission as a way to help American Muslims articulate their concerns at the same time they reach out to defend the universal principle of religious freedom. We are all working toward the same goals.