President Barack Obama waves after his speech at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 6, 2014 as First Lady Michelle Obama, Sen. Bob Casey (D., Pa.) and Rep. Janice Hahn (D., Calif.) applaud. (Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images) Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
President Barack Obama said religious freedom is under threat, and highlighted the plight of two American Christians held in North Korea and Iran.
In his address to the National Prayer Breakfast, an annual gathering of lawmakers and numerous faith leaders, Mr. Obama said it’s clear that “around the world freedom of religion is under threat.” He said the U.S. works with countries that don’t live up to America’s standard of religious tolerance and pointed to China as an example. He said America’s relationship with the Chinese is important to the world but said that he stresses in meetings with Chinese leaders the need to uphold universal rights for Christians, Tibetan Buddhists and others.
“Nations that do not uphold these rights sow the bitter seeds of instability and violence and extremism. So freedom of religion matters to our national security,” he said.
Jared A. Favole reports on President Obama’s speech on religious freedom for the Wall Street Journal.