Speak Against Religious Persecution of Christians and other Religious Minorities in Middle East and South Central Asia

Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East and South Central Asia often face persecution under the law and violence at the hands of militants. The urgency of the worsening situation in Syria and elsewhere demands a swift response. Please urge the Senate to pass the Near East and South Central Asia Religious Freedom Act of 2013 (S.653). If you prefer another approach, please propose a policy that would achieve the bill's basic purposes: to promote religious freedom and explicitly denounce specific instances of religious persecution; to stimulate international cooperation in order to hold those people accountable who persecute religious minorities; and to ultimately secure safety and equal rights for religious minorities in these regions.