U.S. COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ISSUES ANNUAL REPORT...FINDINGS CONFIRM NEED FOR EDUCATION

   RICHMOND, Va. (June 7, 2004) – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom recently issued its 2004 annual report, and the results are deeply troubling. The Commission found that the situation for religious freedom around the world is getting worse, not better. This deteriorating state underscores the importance of increasing education about this most fundamental human right, a gap in education that a Virginia-based organization seeks to fill.
   "Unlike much of the world, America has been free of religious violence and war because freedom of religion was built into the very fabric of our democracy," said Tommy Baer, president of the Council for America’s First Freedom, a non-political, non-denominational, non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and expansion of religious freedom worldwide through education and awareness. "America was the first nation in history," Baer continued, "to guarantee freedom of conscience by law and to disestablish church from state."
   Today more than 24 countries are conducting religious wars for control of governments and suppression of opposing religious views. But beyond the ongoing struggle to address international terrorist acts by militant fundamentalist groups, Americans continue to be targeted abroad by such groups. One example is Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter who was kidnapped and murdered in 2002 by an Islamic militant group in Pakistan, one of the "countries of particular concern" listed in the Commission’s report.
"Education is the emphasis of the Council’s efforts because education changes lives," said Mariane Pearl, journalist and widow of Daniel Pearl. "The Council understands that education can and will lead to a better, safer and more respectful world. In light of the multiple religious conflicts around the world, this subject matter couldn’t be timelier."
   To that end, the Council is establishing the First Freedom Center in Richmond, Va., to champion the cause of religious freedom for all humankind. The Center’s location is important because the guarantee of religious freedom was first established by law in Richmond in 1786 with passage of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, which was the precursor to the religion clause in the First Amendment. The First Freedom Center will educate the public through interactive exhibits, as well as extend its educational resources nationally and internationally through curricula for teachers, speaker series, symposia, Web publishing, partnered programs and various other outreach initiatives.
   "America began the ongoing effort to end oppression and abuse due to religious conflict more than 400 years ago and through the First Freedom Center, that effort will be continued today," Pearl added.
For more information on the First Freedom Center, please contact Laura Baliles, Communications Director at (804) 643-1786 or at lbaliles@firstfreedom.org.

About USCIRF’s Annual Report: The Commission’s report singled out 11 nations as "countries of particular concern," including Burma, the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea (North Korea), Eritrea, India, Iran, Pakistan, the People’s Republic of China, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan and Vietnam. The Commission found these countries to be engaging in ongoing and systematic abuse of religious freedom, conscience and belief. For a complete copy of the report, please visit www.uscirf.gov.

About the Council: The Council for America’s First Freedom (CAFF) is a non-denominational, non-political, non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization based in Richmond, Virginia. Established in 1984, CAFF’s mission is to champion religious freedom worldwide through education and to strengthen appreciation for America’s protection of this fundamental human right. Currently, CAFF is developing the First Freedom Center, a world-class facility that will offer a dynamic visitor experience with state-of-the-art, interactive exhibits exploring the development of religious freedom in America, and today’s related national and international issues. In addition, CAFF sponsors the following annual initiatives: Presidential Proclamation of National Religious Freedom Day (January); First Freedom Awards; and America’s First Freedom Student Competition. For more information, please visit www.firstfreedom.org.

About the First Freedom Center: The First Freedom Center will be a dynamic and international cultural attraction to inform, educate and inspire people worldwide about religious liberty. The Center, scheduled to open in 2007 on the historic site of the former State Capitol of Virginia where Thomas Jefferson’s Statute for Religious Freedom was adopted in 1786, will be the premier religious freedom education center in the world.