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At the release of the 2017 International Religious Freedom Report, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the report “a testament to the United States’ historic role in preserving and advocating for religious freedom around the world."
Good morning, everyone. It is my great privilege to join you this morning and to release the 2017 International Religious Freedom Report. This report is a testament to the United States’ historic role in preserving and advocating for religious freedom around the world. Religious freedom is in the American bloodstream. It’s what brought the pilgrims here from England. Our founders understood it as our first freedom. That is why they articulated it so clearly in the First Amendment. As James Madison wrote years before he was president or secretary of state, quote, “conscience is the most sacred of all property,” end of quote. Religious freedom was vital to America’s beginning. Defending it is critical to our future. Religious freedom is not only ours. It is a right belonging to every individual on the globe. President Trump stands with those who yearn for religious liberty. Our Vice President stands with them, and so do I. Advancing liberty and religious freedom advances America’s interests. Where fundamental freedoms of religion, expression, press, and peaceful assembly are under attack, we find conflict, instability, and terrorism. On the other hand, governments and societies that champion these freedoms are more secure, stable, and peaceful. So for all of these reasons, protecting and promoting global respect for religious freedom is a priority of the Trump administration. As our National Security Strategy so clearly states: “Our Founders understood religious freedom not as the state’s creation, but as the gift of God to every person and a fundamental right for a flourishing society.” We’re committed to promoting religious freedom around the world, both now and in the future. And Ambassador Brownback and I will talk about that today. We have underscored that commitment with his appointment. It’s great to have a friend and a fellow Kansan up here with me today. International religious freedom deserves to be a front-burner issue, and Ambassador Brownback and I, with him leading the way, will ensure that it continues to be so. The ambassador and our team in our Office of International Religious Freedom have been working tirelessly throughout the federal government and with our colleagues here at the department and in embassies overseas with NGOs, foreign partners to defend religious freedom in the farthest corners of the globe. This report demonstrates the hard work of American diplomats to protect American and universal values. I’m proud of my team in completing this report. The release of the 2017 International Religious Freedom Report is critical to our mission to defend religious liberty. It brings to light the state of religious freedom all over the world. It documents, across 200 countries and territories, reports of violations and abuses committed by governments, terrorist groups, and individuals so that we may work together to solve them. I have a number of examples here. For the sake of time, I’m going to pass through them. But know that we are working in countries around the world to ensure that religious freedom remains the case, and where it is not, that it becomes so. Governor – or excuse me, Ambassador Brownback will provide to you more details. But we are very ignited[1]to announce that later this year we will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the International Religious Freedom Act, a law that reinforces America’s commitment to religious freedom and to helping the persecuted. It is also the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the UN, which proclaimed the importance of human rights, including the right for religious freedom. The world has made important strides, but we still have a lot of work to do. In that regard, I am pleased to announce that the United States will host the first ever Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom at the Department of State on July 25th and 26th of this year. I look forward to hosting my counterparts from likeminded governments, as well as representatives of international organizations, religious communities, and civil society to reaffirm our commitment to religious freedom as a universal human right. This ministerial, we expect, will break new ground. It will not just be a discussion group. It will be about action. We look forward to identifying concrete ways to push back against persecution and ensure greater respect for religious freedom for all. The ministerial will also be my first to host as a Secretary of State, and that’s very intentional. Religious freedom is indeed a universal human right that I will fight for, one that our team at the department will continue to fight for, and one that I know President Trump will continue to fight for. The United States will not stand by as spectators. We will get in the ring and stand in solidarity with every individual who seeks to enjoy their most fundamental of human rights. Thank you all for your time. Ambassador Brownback, thank you for this putting this together. I look forward to working with you on it.
诸位早上好。很荣幸今天早晨能与诸位一起发布2017年度国际宗教自由报告。这份报告见证了美国为维护和倡导世界各地宗教自由发挥的历史性作用。 宗教自由是美国的生命线，是当年促使清教徒从英格兰（England）来到这里的动因。我国的开国元勋认识到，这是我们的第一项自由。为此，他们通过第一修正案（First Amendment）明文宣告了这一点。詹姆斯·麦迪逊（James Madison）在担任总统或国务卿前的多年内曾写道，“良知乃所有财产中最神圣之物。” 宗教自由在美国创建之初具有关键意义。捍卫宗教自由对我们的未来至关重要。 宗教自由不仅属于我们，也是全球人人享有的权利。特朗普总统（President Trump）坚定地支持积极争取宗教自由的人们。我们的副总统支持他们。我也同样如此。 倡导解放和宗教自由有助于促进美国的利益。在宗教自由、表达自由、新闻自由及和平集会的自由等基本自由受到攻击的时候，我们就会面临冲突、不稳定和恐怖主义。然而，倡导这些自由的各地政府和社会则更安全、更稳定、更和平。 所以，由于上述所有的原因，捍卫和促进全球对宗教自由的尊重是特朗普政府的一项重点使命。我们的国家安全战略（National Security Strategy）明确指出，“我国的创始者认识到，宗教自由不仅是建国的原则，而且也是上帝（God）赋予每一个人的恩赐，是繁荣社会的一项基本权利。”我们坚定地承诺促进世界各地的宗教自由，不仅现在如此，未来同样如此。 今天，布朗巴克（Brownback）大使和我准备谈谈这个问题。我们通过对他的任命强调了上述承诺。今天能与我的朋友和堪萨斯州（Kansan）同乡一起出席这次活动，我感到十分荣幸。国际宗教自由理应是一项当务之急。布朗巴克大使和我，随着他在前方引路，将继续强调问题的紧迫性。 大使和我们在国际宗教自由事务办公室（Office of International Religious Freedom）的团队已经在整个联邦政府内不知疲倦地努力工作，与我们在国务院和海外使馆工作的同事及非政府组织（NGO）、外国伙伴方一起在各地捍卫宗教自由，遍及全球最遥远的角落。 这份报告体现了美国外交人员为保护美国和普遍的价值从事的艰苦工作。我为我的团队完成这份报告感到十分自豪。公布2017年度国际宗教自由报道对我们捍卫宗教自由的使命至关重要。报告揭示了世界各地宗教自由的现状。报告汇集了200个国家和领土的政府、恐怖主义团伙及个人采取侵犯和践踏行为的报告，为此我们可以共同努力解决这些问题。 我有一些具体的事例。但考虑到时间问题，我不在这里一一列举。但是应该指出的是，我们正与世界各地的国家共同努力，强调宗教自由仍然是问题所在，同时在问题未受到重视地方为之大声疾呼。 州长——请原谅，布朗巴克大使将为诸位介绍更多的详情。另外，我们很高兴地宣布，今年晚些时候我们将庆祝国际宗教自由法（International Religious Freedom Act）诞生20周年。这项法律增强了美国对宗教自由的承诺和为受迫害者提供帮助的决心。今年也是联合国（UN）世界人权宣言（Universal Declaration of Human Rights）诞生70周年。世界人权宣言强调人权的重要性，其中也包括宗教自由的权利。 全世界已经取得重要的进展，但我们仍然有很多工作需要做。为此，我很高兴地宣布美国将第一次主办促进宗教自由部长级会议（Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom）。这次会议预定今年7月25-26日在国务院举行。 我期待迎接志同道合的政府派遣有关官员以及代表国际组织、宗教社团和公民社会的人士赴会，再次重申我们对宗教自由作为一项普遍人权的承诺。我们预期这次部长级会议将开创新的局面。这次会议不仅仅是一次讨论，同时也将注重行动。我们期待寻求各种具体的方式抗击迫害行为，保障所有人的宗教自由得到进一步尊重。 这次部长级会议还将是我第一次作为国务卿主持会议的机会。这是一次国际性很强的会议。宗教自由的确是一项普遍的人权，我将为之奋斗，我们在国务院的团队将继续为之奋斗，我知道特朗普总统也将为之奋斗。美国不会作为旁观者不闻不问。我们将投身其中，支持所有的人争取自己最基本的人权。 感谢诸位拨冗莅临。布朗巴克大使，感谢你将有关资料编录成帙。我期待与你一起为之努力。 |
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