State Department condemns Iran, China for persecuting religious minorities

[Eugene]

Source: Washington Post

State Department condemns Iran, China for persecuting religious minorities

By Carol Morello June 21 at 5:21 PM

The State Department condemned China and Iran on Friday for treating religious minorities as national security threats meriting surveillance, imprisonment and sometimes death.

In introducing the annual report on International Religious Freedom, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo struck an unusual personal note, noting he had been a Sunday school teacher and a church deacon, and took a swipe at Washington.

“That might sound unusual to a lot of people inside the Beltway,” he said. “But I am one of millions of Americans, and billions of people across the world, who live in the knowledge of a higher power. I often humbly reflect on how God’s providence has guided me to this office, to defend this cause.”

Samuel Brownback, the ambassador for religious freedom, said: “We believe there is no more important time for the United States to promote religious freedom than now.”

-snip-

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/state-department-condemns-iran-china-for-persecuting-religious-minorities/2019/06/21/97b5621d-89c9-40d5-b86c-ea87a25b933b_story.html

[Iliyah]

1. Oh just stop this fakeness.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. So when is the Trump administration going to stop persecuting Muslims?

[Tiggeroshii]

3. Projection much?

[Freethinker65]

4. Satire. Please be satire

[Bretton Garcia]

5. So ...

... outrage about religious persecution, seems based in the prior belief that all or most religion must be good, and therefore, respected.

But suppose we examine that prior supposition.

..

For one thing, in the present case, it is 1) Trump's assistant, a 2) former CIA chief, who is lecturing us on the wonders of religion. Who, as the new 3) head of the State Department, is very close to having a religious war with Iran.

Yes Mr. Pompeo, 4) it does sound strange.

If Mr. Pompeo has a sense of Chrustianity that stresses peace, that could be very positive. But what if he doesn't?