Religious freedom is facing intense global challenges. More than 6 billion people live in countries with high or very high restrictions. A multi-faceted, global effort is needed to confront the threats to religious freedom, writes Jeremy Barker, Director of RFI’s Middle East Action Team, in a recent piece for RealClearReligion.

As I testified during a recent Congressional hearing, much remains to be done despite the notable progress made in recent years. The threats to religious freedom are many, including technology-enabled state repression of religion, non-state violence aided by inept governance, and blasphemy and apostasy laws that are regularly weaponized against religious minorities or dissenters.

There are positive signs on multiple fronts: The International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief (IPPFoRB) has nearly 300 members from 90 countries, the International Religious Freedom Alliance now numbers more than 25 countries, and a recent White House Executive Order has given new resources for U.S. religious freedom efforts, and there is a growing movement of religious freedom roundtables convening civil society groups of all sorts to advocate for religious freedom for all.

Read the full article: Advancing Religious Freedom for All Requires a Multi-Faceted, Global Effort