3 Things You Should Know About the New International Religious Freedom Bill

By Brandon Showalter, Opinion writer and social commentator Friday, December 16, 2016

The bill more accurately categorizes degrees and types of religious persecution

(L to R) Phillip Bethancourt, Sheikh Hamza Yusuf, Russell Moore, Archbishop William E. Lori, Elder Dallin H. Oaks on a ERLC panel, “With Liberty and Justice for All: Why We Should Pursue Religious Freedom for Everyone,' Washington, D.C., May 23, 2016. — (L to R) Phillip Bethancourt, Sheikh Hamza Yusuf, Russell Moore, Archbishop William E. Lori, Elder Dallin H. Oaks on a ERLC panel, “With Liberty and Justice for All: Why We Should Pursue Religious Freedom for Everyone," Washington, D.C., May 23, 2016. | (Photo: The Christian Post/Sam Smith)

Religious liberty advocates consider this new bill a modernization of the 1998 law, legislation which takes into account everything they have learned about religious persecution since its adoption 18 year ago.

According to Catholic News Agency, the new policy sets forth a broader range of distinctions than the stark difference between a "Country of Particular Concern" where a government either persecutes certain religious groups itself or knowingly allows it to occur, and a compliant nation where freedom of religion is protected. A lower-tier "Special Watch List" for nations with bad track records on respecting religious freedom has been added. And the government is now required to create and maintain a "comprehensive religious prisoners list" for people who have been jailed unjustly.

"Recognizing gradations of IRF environments provides incentives for reform efforts as changes in status are more feasible," said Hawkins of the ERLC on these updates.

Also defined in the new bill are what is called "Entities of Particular Concern" for non-state actors, so the U.S. government can sanction and investigate the finances of militant groups like Islamic State, Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram.