At this conference, religious minorities told each other’s stories of persecution
IRF Summit 2021

Imagine the conflicts that could be ended and prevented if the world’s faith leaders got to know one another and began to advocate for those experiencing religious persecution everywhere, said Sam Brownback, the former U.S. ambassador for international religious freedom under Donald Trump.
Brownback spoke during “In Solidarity with the Persecuted,” an opening day session of the July 13-15 International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington D.C., which he helped to organize.
“What wars could we stop in the world, what carnage and killing could we stop with that alone? And then, what if we stood up for each other’s’ fundamental human right to practice your own faith as you see fit? And what if we meant it? This is a powerful force for good in a world that’s headed toward more carnage if we don’t stop this clash of civilizations, and most civilizations are built on religion,” Brownback said.