[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 13 (Tuesday, January 21, 2020)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 3537-3538]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-01058]
[[Page 3535]]
Vol. 85
Tuesday,
No. 13
January 21, 2020
Part III
The President
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Proclamation 9976--Religious Freedom Day, 2020
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 85 , No. 13 / Tuesday, January 21, 2020 /
Presidential Documents
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Title 3--
The President
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Proclamation 9976 of January 15, 2020
Religious Freedom Day, 2020
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
From its opening pages, the story of America has been
rooted in the truth that all men and women are endowed
with the right to follow their conscience, worship
freely, and live in accordance with their convictions.
On Religious Freedom Day, we honor the foundational
link between freedom and faith in our country and
reaffirm our commitment to safeguarding the religious
liberty of all Americans.
Religious freedom in America, often referred to as our
``first freedom,'' was a driving force behind some of
the earliest defining moments of our American identity.
The desire for religious freedom impelled the Pilgrims
to leave their homes in Europe and journey to a distant
land, and it is the reason so many others seeking to
live out their faith or change their faith have made
America their home.
More than 230 years ago, the Virginia General Assembly
passed the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom,
which was authored and championed by Thomas Jefferson.
Jefferson famously expounded that ``all men shall be
free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their
opinions in matters of Religion, and that the same
shall in no wise diminish, enlarge or affect their
civil capacities.'' This statute served as the catalyst
for the First Amendment, which enshrined in law our
conviction to prevent government interference in
religion. More than 200 years later, thanks to the
power of that Amendment, America is one of the most
religiously diverse nations in the world.
Since I took office, my Administration has been
committed to protecting religious liberty. In May 2017,
I signed an Executive Order to advance religious
freedom for individuals and institutions, and I stopped
the Johnson Amendment from interfering with pastors'
right to speak their minds. Over the last 3 years, the
Department of Justice has obtained 14 convictions in
cases involving attacks or threats against places of
worship. To fight the rise of anti-Semitism in our
country, I signed an Executive Order last month to
ensure that Federal agencies are using
nondiscrimination authorities to combat this venomous
bigotry. I have also made clear that my Administration
will not tolerate the violation of any American's
ability to worship freely and openly and to live as his
or her faith commands.
My Administration also remains cognizant of the stark
realities for people seeking religious liberty abroad
and has made protecting religious minorities a core
pillar of my Administration's foreign policy.
Repressive governments persecute religious worshipers
using high-tech surveillance, mass detention, and
torture, while terrorist organizations carry out
barbaric violence against innocent victims on account
of their religion. To cast a light on these abuses, in
July 2019, I welcomed survivors of religious
persecution from 16 countries into the Oval Office.
These survivors included Christians, Jews, and Muslims,
who all shared similar stories of persecution. At the
United Nations in September, I called on global leaders
to take concrete steps to prevent state and non-state
actors from attacking citizens for their beliefs and to
help ensure the sanctity and safety of places of
worship. And,
[[Page 3538]]
last summer, the State Department convened its second
Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, where our
diplomats engaged a broad range of stakeholders in
government and civil society, both religious and
secular, to identify concrete ways to combat religious
persecution and discrimination around the world and
ensure greater respect for freedom of religion and
belief.
On this Religious Freedom Day, we reaffirm our
commitment to protecting the precious and fundamental
right of religious freedom, both at home and abroad.
Our Founders entrusted the American people with a
responsibility to protect religious liberty so that our
Nation may stand as a bright beacon for the rest of the
world. Today, we remain committed to that sacred
endeavor and strive to support those around the world
who still struggle under oppressive regimes that impose
restrictions on freedom of religion.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States, do hereby proclaim January 16, 2020, as
Religious Freedom Day. I call on all Americans to
commemorate this day with events and activities that
remind us of our shared heritage of religious liberty
and that teach us how to secure this blessing both at
home and around the world.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
fifteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and forty-fourth.
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2020-01058
Filed 1-17-20; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F0-P