Washington DC, December 13 – Final in-person IRF Roundtable in 2024 recognizes IRF Ambassador Rashad Hussain on Capitol Hill
On December 9, the IRF Roundtable convened in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill for the last in-person IRF Roundtable of the year. Civil society representatives and the U.S. Government discussed ongoing plans and challenges to advance international religious freedom.
The meeting began with co-chairs Greg Mitchell and Nadine Maenza acknowledging the following: Ambassador Rashad HusseinHe is an exemplary figure who served as an ambassador for international religious freedom at the U.S. State Department. The IRF Roundtable community expressed its deepest gratitude to Ambassador Hussein for his continued participation in discussions and wished him well in his future endeavors. In response, Ambassador Hussein expressed his gratitude to the IRF roundtable participants for their joint efforts.
Ambassador Rashad Hussein, nominated in July 2021 and confirmed by President Joseph Biden on January 24, 2022, “serves as a key advisor to the Secretary and advisor to the President on religious freedom conditions and policies. He leads the department’s efforts to monitor religious freedom violations, persecution, and discrimination worldwide. “He is also committed to overseeing policies and programs to address these issues and to building diverse and dynamic partnerships with the broadest possible civil society through equitable and meaningful inclusion of faith actors globally.”
Along with Ambassador Hussein, special guest speakers from the U.S. government include:
- Erin ShinsinseokExecutive Director, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)
- Amanda BignoInitiative Leader, Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
- Miranda JolicoureDirector, USAID Legal, Human Rights and Security Department
- Jenny YangUNHCR, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) External Relations Officer
The IRF roundtable concluded with civil society representatives addressing critical issues in Turkey, Pakistan, India, Egypt, South Korea, and Burma, along with global efforts to support prisoners of conscience. Participants also discussed several active interreligious correspondences.
- We call for an urgent end to legal proceedings against university students detained in connection with the Hizmet movement in Türkiye.
- A collective letter of support for Senator Marco Rubio’s continued commitment to advancing international religious freedom.
- Additional letter encouraging Senator Rubio’s continued advocacy for prisoners of conscience if he serves as Secretary of State.
Before and after the IRF roundtable, participants gathered together for light holiday refreshments and shared their best wishes to their fellow advocates during a time of hope, gratitude, and prayer for world peace. The IRF Secretariat expressed its sincere gratitude to all participants, both offline and online, for their unwavering commitment to promoting international religious freedom.
Ambassador Rashad Hussein,
We sincerely thank you for your dedication and influence during your many years of service as Ambassador for International Religious Freedom. We appreciate your continued collaboration with the IRF Roundtable.
thank you,
Greg Mitchell and Nadine Maenza, IRF Roundtable Co-Chairs
