Oct 10, 2003

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 10, 2003

Contact:
Anne Johnson, Director of Communications, (202) 523-3240, ext. 27

WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush today met with Commissioners of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an independent and bipartisan federal agency. They presented to him the Commission's 2003 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom. Commissioners commended the President for his personal commitment to promoting globally freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.

Present Commissioners attending the meeting were Preeta D. Bansal, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, Felice D. Gaer, Richard D. Land, Bishop Ricardo Ramirez, Nina Shea, Michael K. Young, and Ambassador John V. Hanford. Former Commissioners attending were Firuz Kazemzadeh, Bishop William F. Murphy, Leila Nadya Sadat, and Ambassador Charles R. Stith

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to monitor the status of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief abroad, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international instruments, and to give independent policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and the Congress.

Dean Michael K. Young,Chair

 

  • Felice D. Gaer,Vice ChairNina Shea,Vice ChairPreeta D. BansalArchbishop Charles J. ChaputKhaled Abou El FadlRichard LandBishop Ricardo RamirezLeila Nadya SadatAmbassador John V. Hanford III,Ex-OfficioJoseph R. Crapa,Executive Director