āHow Will Rashad Hussain Contend with Sharia-Supremacist Hostility
Towards Everyoneās Religious Freedom?,ā Save the Persecuted Christians,
November 1, 2021:
Coalition Seeks Ambassador-Designateās Answers to Questions Prior to Senate Vote
WASHINGTON, D.C.ā An open letter organized by the Save the Persecuted Christians Coalition
was sent today to President Bidenās controversial choice to be the next
U.S. Ambassador-at-Large (AAL) for International Religious Freedom
(IRF), Rashad Hussain. The letterās 124 signatories ask the nominee to address a series of important questions that were not posed during his largely pro forma hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week.
The questions seek to clarify, among other things, how President
Obamaās special envoy to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC),
whose devotion to Islam prompted him to memorize the entire Koran, will
address threats to the religious liberty of non-Muslims, a right not
recognized by the Islamic doctrine of Sharia. For example, the letter
asks:
āIn light of differences in the understanding of personal rights and
freedoms under Sharia rules versus those protected under international
laws concerning human rights and religious freedom, what standard would
you advocate for when issues arise affecting the freedom of non-Muslims
to practice their faiths ā especially in Muslim-majority nations ā if
confirmed as Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom?ā
In light of Mr. Hussainās ties to the OIC, the letter also asks:
āSharia law is sometimes interpreted to permit faithful Muslims
to punish and even kill those who blaspheme against Islam. In your
testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, you professed a
commitment to work against blasphemy laws. Yet, the OIC historically
has championed such laws as part of their efforts to ācriminalizeā
criticism of Islam. If confirmed as AAL for IRF, would you expressly
reject the OICās Sharia-blasphemy agenda and seek the repeal of
blasphemy laws worldwide?ā
In addition, the signatories request Mr. Hussainās view of the
Sharia-supremacist Muslim Brotherhood and the access it should enjoy to
him and others in the U.S. government, including:
āDo you believe that groups promoting the positions of the Muslim
Brotherhood should be able to freely interact with and influence the
U.S. government ā notably at the White House, the National Security
Council, and the State Department, including with the Departmentās
Office of International Religious Freedom (OIRF) and the office of the
Ambassador at Large for IRF?ā
In light of Mr. Hussainās involvement in promoting the false narrative of Benghazi, the letter asks:
In your capacity as Special Envoy to the OIC, you were among the U.S. officials who promoted on
September 12, 2012, the false narrative that the murderous and
pre-planned jihadist attack in Benghazi which resulted in the death of
the US Ambassador to Libya and others was actually a spontaneous ā and,
by implication, an understandable ā response to an anti-Islam video
with, as you put it, ādisgusting images.ā Do you repudiate that position
today?
The open letterās signers respectfully request that Mr. Hussain
respond to their questions before the U.S. Senate is asked to vote on
his nomination.
The mission of Save the Persecuted Christians
is to save lives and save souls by disseminating actionable information
about the magnitude of the persecution taking place globally and by
mobilizing concerned Americans for the purpose of disincentivizing
further attacks on those who follow Jesus.
With so much of the worldās Christian population being imprisoned
and/or harassed for their beliefs, such as Christians in Nigeria, the
need has never been greater for the sort of grassroots campaign STPCās SaveUs Movement
is working to foster. Its efforts are modeled after a miraculously
successful one that helped free another population suffering from heavy
persecutionāSoviet Jewsāby penalizing those in the Kremlin responsible
for such repression.
Through this movement,