Denis McDonough’s Address

Denis McDonough’s Address

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Remarks as Prepared for Delivery By Denis McDonough
Deputy National Security Advisor
International Religious Freedom Conference
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The Catholic University of America
Washington, D.C.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

U.S. Policy and International Religious Freedom

Good evening.  Your Eminence, Cardinal McCarrick, thank you for your very
kind introduction.  Even more, thank you for your leadership as one of our
nation’s most eloquent voices for religious freedom and tolerance—here at
home and around the world.  As the tragic events of the past 24 hours remind
us, we need such voices now more than ever.

Indeed, before I begin I want to reiterate what President Obama and
Secretary Clinton said earlier today.  The attack on our consulate in Libya—
and the murder of Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans—was an
outrage; an act of senseless violence without any justification.  Our
thoughts and prayers are with the families of the Americans we lost, with
our diplomats and development experts who represent our nation every day,
and we reaffirm our determination to carry on their work.

That includes building a world that is safer, more secure and the work that
brings us together here: a world where the dignity of all people—and all
faiths—is respected.  This work takes on added urgency given the truly
abhorrent video that has offended so many people–Muslims, and non-Muslims
alike—in our country and around the world.  So I want to commend Cardinal
Dolan and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for your powerful
statement today that “we need to be respectful of other religious traditions
at the same time that we unequivocally proclaim that violence in the name of
religion is wrong,”  This message is being echoed by faith leaders across
our country, and we call on religious and community leaders, and all people
of good conscience, to continue speaking out publicly so we make it
absolutely clear that hateful and divisive messages do not reflect the
United States of America or our values.

So to Archbishop Kurtz, Cardinal McCarrick, Bishop Pates, Monsignor Jenkins
and everyone at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops—thank you for
convening this discussion and for your tireless efforts to advance religious
freedom around the world—not only for Catholics and Christians, but for
people of all faiths.  I’m grateful to be among friends, including your
director of justice and peace, Dr. Steve Colecchi.  On behalf of President
Obama, I especially want to thank you for your partnership as we’ve worked
together on a whole range of challenges, including Sudan and South Sudan,
Cuba and Iraq.

To Bishop Kicanas, Carolyn Woo and everyone at Catholic Relief Services—
thank you for co-sponsoring this conference and for the life-saving work you
do around the world every day.  In particular, I want to commend you for
your mission—which we share in the United States government—to deliver
urgent medical care and emergency relief to Syrian refugees, a cause that
will receive renewed attention as Pope Benedict visits Lebanon.

I want to express our appreciation to President Garvey, Provost Brennan and
the Catholic University of America for hosting us and for your dedication to
“advancing the dialogue between faith and reason.”  I actually see this
tradition every day.  One of your graduates, Tom Donilon, the President’s
National Security Advisor, is my boss.  And I can attest—Tom has a lot of
faith and reason!

Finally, I want to acknowledge a leader who is guiding our efforts in this
area—a minister and faith leader in her own right—our dedicated Ambassador
at Large for International Religious Freedom, Suzan Johnson Cook.  Suzan,
thank you for being here.

Being with you tonight, my mind goes back to growing up in Stillwater,
Minnesota—a young boy, sitting in the pews at our home parish of St. Mike’s.
Back then, in my wildest dreams, I could have never imagined the journey
that has brought me here today.  I couldn’t have imagined traveling with
then-Senator Obama to Jerusalem, home to holy sites of three of the world’s
great religions.  I couldn’t have imagined traveling with President Obama,
the First Lady and their daughters to the Holy See, to the Apostolic Palace,
to meet His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI.  And I could have never imagined
standing before such an august audience as this.

I come to you today as President Obama’s deputy national security advisor.
But I also stand before you as a proud Catholic, deeply grateful for all
that the Church has given me in my life.  I’m one of eleven kids for whom
Sunday, after Mass, meant afternoons at church festivals.  I’m indebted to
the teachers who shaped me—from the Sisters of St. Joseph at St. Croix
Catholic elementary to the monks of St. John’s in Minnesota to my professors
at Georgetown.  As a husband, father and public servant, I’m thankful for
the counsel and wisdom of my older brothers—Bill, who was a priest, and
Kevin, who is a priest.

I’m also honored to serve a President—a brother in Christ—whose faith has
been a guiding force in his own life.  President Obama has described how his
earliest inspirations were faith leaders of the civil rights movement,
including Dr. King, and Catholic leaders like Father Ted Hesburgh.

In fact, the President first entered public service through the Catholic
Church.  His work as a young community organizer on the South Side of
Chicago was funded in part by the Catholic churches of Chicago and their
Developing Communities Project.  He was inspired by the sermons and example
of Joseph Cardinal Bernardin.  He was touched by the generosity of
congregations, of different faiths—in part, he admits, because he was broke
and they fed him.  As President Obama has said—after growing up in a
household that wasn’t particularly religious—it was that experience, working
with pastors and laypeople in service to others, that brought him to Christ.

Those of you who have attended the National Prayer breakfasts or Easter
prayer at the White House or our interfaith events have heard the President
speak of how he draws strength and comfort from prayer.  As a close advisor,
I’ve also seen how the President’s faith informs both his thinking and how
he confronts the challenges facing our nation.

As he’s said, “we can’t leave our values at the door.”  You see this in the
core beliefs that are at the root of his world view.  That we are all God’s
children.  That we are summoned to a sense of empathy—to see ourselves in
each other.  That—as he said at Notre Dame— we are “bound together in
service to others,” especially the least of these.  That in all our work, we
must be guided by that Golden Rule—that we do unto others as we would have
them do unto us.

Foreign policy is no exception.  The President has discussed how many of our
initiatives—promoting the development that lifts people from poverty,
strengthening the food security that reduces hunger, combating disease,
working to prevent atrocities in places like Libya and in central Africa—
these efforts advance American security and American interests.  At the same
time, they are rooted in the Biblical call to care for our fellow human
beings.

I share all this because the President’s faith—and his faith journey—is the
foundation for how he approaches the challenge of defending the freedom of
religion around the world.  And while I know this conference is focused on
freedom of religion internationally, I want to take a moment to discuss what
this means here in the United States.  Because President Obama has made it
clear that American leadership in the world starts at home, with fidelity to
our values.

President Obama understands that, as a nation founded by those who fled
religious persecution, freedom of religion is central to who we are as
Americans.  Our rights are not given to us by government, they are endowed
by our Creator.  We recognize, as does the Church, that we cannot live our
lives to their fullest—as authentic people—without the freedom to be true to
ourselves, including the right to worship as we choose.

Freedom of religion is enshrined in our Constitution, our very First
Amendment.  “We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus—and
non-believers,” the President said in his Inaugural Address, and this
“patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness.”  We were reminded of
this yesterday, as we marked the anniversary of the September 11th attacks,
and again today, when the President said that “we reject all efforts to
denigrate the religious beliefs of others.”

Indeed, it’s no coincidence that the United States is one of the freest
countries in the world and one of the most religious countries in the world.
From our Revolution to the abolition of slavery to the movements for women’s
rights and children’s rights and civil rights—our most significant reform
movements have often been led by men and women of faith.

Today, faith leaders and laypeople are at the forefront of the fights for
immigration reform in our own country and against poverty, mass atrocities,
human trafficking and modern day slavery around the world.  So President
Obama understands that freedom of religion—and the freedoms that go along
with it: freedom of expression, freedom of assembly—is what allows us to
advance as a nation.

This is one of the reasons the President expanded and strengthened the White
House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships—to make sure we’re
working closely with groups like Catholic Charities to better serve and lift
up our fellow Americans.  The strength that religion gives our nation is
also why—when Americans, or their houses of worship, have been targeted
because of their faith—President Obama has condemned such bigotry.  He’s
reaffirmed that every American has the right to practice their faith both
openly and freely, and that an attack on Americans of any faith is an attack
on the freedom of all Americans.

Even as we uphold the freedom of religion at home, we recognize that it is
not simply an American value.  It is a universal human right.  It is
codified in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights—which
167 nations have committed to adhere to—and it is reflected in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights.

Freedom of religion is central to the freedom and dignity of human beings —
our transcendental dignity.  At the same time, freedom of religion is not
only an end in itself, it is a key ingredient for stable, successful
societies and a just world.  We know that countries that truly protect
religious freedom are more likely to develop and prosper.  They’re more
likely to have stable democracies.  They’re more likely to protect the
rights of women and girls.  This shouldn’t surprise us.  After all, when
citizens can practice their faith freely, when they can find dignity and
fulfillment in worshiping as they choose, it’s easier for neighbors and
communities to come together to achieve progress together.  As the title of
this conference says, religious freedom is “an imperative for peace and the
common good.”

Likewise, we know that the lack of religious freedom—or discriminating
against people because of their faith–can be a recipe for instability.
When people of faith are denied the opportunity to worship freely, or
assemble in fellowship, grievances fester.  It creates fissures and mistrust
between faiths and sects.  It fuels sectarianism as people pull back to the
perceived safety of their fellow believers.  It emboldens extremists.  It
can increase instability and the likelihood of violence and war.  We’ve seen
this throughout history.  We’ve seen it during conflicts in our own time,
from Northern Ireland to Lebanon to the Balkans.  And we see the tensions it
causes today.

In China, government policies in Tibetan areas threaten the distinct
religious, cultural and linguistic identity of the Tibetan people, creating
tensions and contributing to a situation where dozens of desperate Tibetans
have resorted to self-immolation.  In Burma, preferential treatment for
Buddhists and prejudice against ethnic South Asians, particularly ethnic
Rohingya Muslims, fuels tensions between the Buddhist majority and Christian
and Muslim minorities.  In Pakistan, blasphemy laws and failures or delays
in addressing religious hostility has fueled acts of violence and
intimidation and emboldened violent extremists.

Put simply, religious pluralism, tolerance and freedom can help promote
stability, security, development and democratic progress.  And the lack of
religious freedom is itself destabilizing.  As Pope Benedict observed in his
Message for last year’s World Day of Peace, the absence of religious freedom
“is a threat to security and peace, and an obstacle to the achievement of
authentic and integral human development.”

For all these reasons, advancing religious freedom around the world is not
only consistent with our values as Americans, it advances our national
security interests.  This is formalized in the President Obama’s National
Security Strategy.  The Strategy states—and I quote—“the United States
believes certain values are universal and will work to promote them
worldwide. These include an individual’s freedom to speak their mind,
assemble without fear, [and] worship as they please.”  As Secretary Clinton
has said, for the United States “religious freedom is a cherished
constitutional value, a strategic national interest, and a foreign policy
priority.”

This starts at the highest levels, at the very top, with the President
himself.  Through his words and his deeds, President Obama has been a fierce
advocate for the cause of religious freedom around the world—in public and
in private.  I know, because I’ve been there, and I’ve seen it.

On his first trip overseas as President, during his visit to Istanbul, he
met with Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew, Armenian Orthodox Archbishop
Aran Stesyan, Chief Rabbi of Istanbul Isak Haleva, Grand Mufti of Istanbul
Mustafa Cagrici and Syrian Orthodox Archbishop Yusuf Cetin.  And in his
speech to the Turkish parliament, he publicly called on Turkey to reopen the
Greek Orthodox Halki Seminary in Istanbul—a message that President Obama and
other senior administration officials have raised with their Turkish
counterparts on numerous occasions.

When he went to Cairo and addressed Muslim communities around the world,
President Obama memorably called for a new beginning between Muslim
communities and the United States.  But often overlooked was his forceful
call for religious freedom in the Arab world.  “The richness of religious
diversity must be upheld,” he said, “whether it is for Maronites in Lebanon
or the Copts in Egypt.”  I would add that, more recently, as the Arab Spring
has unfolded, including in Egypt, President Obama has been clear that “for
this season of change to succeed, Coptic Christians must have the right to
worship freely.”

Also often forgotten is that he also used his speech in Cairo to condemn
anti-Semitism and denial of the Holocaust, which he called ignorant and
hateful, and he called upon nations to recognize Israel’s legitimacy and its
right to exist in peace.  In addition, he spoke out against the practice in
some Western countries of dictating what clothes Muslim women can and cannot
wear. “We can’t disguise hostility towards any religion,” he warned, “behind
the pretense of liberalism.”

When he went to China, and spoke in Shanghai, the President was unapologetic
about our advocacy for universal rights such as the freedom of religion.
“They should be available to all people, including ethnic and religious
minorities,” he said, “whether they are in the United States, China, or any
nation.”  And I assure you, when he has met with Chinese President Hu and
Vice President Xi Jinping, President Obama has spoken directly and candidly
about the importance of China upholding human rights, including the freedom
of religion.

In fact, at virtually every stop on his travels—from Brazil to Ghana, from
India to Indonesia, to the well of the United Nations General Assembly—
President Obama has called upon people of all faiths to remember our common
humanity; and to overcome differences of tribe and faith and sect, mindful,
as he said in his Nobel address, that the “spark of the divine lives within
each of us.”

In short, time and again—personally, forcefully, in public and in private—
President Obama has stood up for the freedom of religion around the world,
as he did again today.  In addition to meeting with faith leaders who
champion religious freedom and interfaith dialogue, he’s visited houses of
worship, such as the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Holy Savior in San
Salvador, where he paid his respects to Archbishop Oscar Romero.  And I know
that when they were in Rio, the President and his family were moved by their
visit to the iconic statue Christ the Redeemer, which has inspired so many
people around the world.

Beyond the President, Secretary Clinton has elevated religious freedom as a
diplomatic priority.  Secretary Clinton raises this issue in every region of
the world, at the highest levels.  In addition to Ambassador Cook, this
truly is a team effort.  In Michael Posner—our Assistant Secretary of State
for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor—we have a lifelong advocate for human
rights, including religious freedom.

Rashad Hussain—our Special Envoy to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation—
and Farah Pandith—our Special Representative to Muslim Communities—advocate
for religious freedom as part of their engagement with Muslim communities
around the world.  Led by Hannah Rosenthal—who has served as our Special
Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism—we are standing up against the
rising tide of anti-Semitism.  That includes a remarkable event in which we
brought religious leaders—including several imams—to visit Auschwitz and
Dachau.  As a result of that visit, these interfaith leaders joined in a
powerful statement condemning all forms of anti-Semitism, including
Holocaust denial.

Our efforts have taken on a new sense of urgency because—as we all know—
around the world, freedom of religion is under threat.  In many countries,
the pressure—the restrictions, the suppression, the persecution of and
violence against religious minorities—is increasing.  Today, more than one
billion people live under governments that systematically suppress religious
freedom—more than one billion people.  It’s been estimated that the vast
majority of the world’s people—some 70 percent—live in countries with
serious restrictions on religious freedom.

Our most recent report on international religious freedom, released by
Secretary Clinton in July, documents this disturbing and growing trend.
Specifically, it documents eight states of particular concern because of
their severe violations of religious freedom—Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran,
North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Uzbekistan.

With the remainder of my time tonight I’d like to address several countries
that I know are of special interest to this conference.  And I want to
discuss the actions that the Obama Administration is taking in response—
sometimes in public, sometimes in private, but always guided by our
commitment to pursuing the most effective way to achieve results for those
who are persecuted because of their faith.

In Asia, China continues to outlaw and imprison the worshippers of religious
and spiritual groups, including unregistered Christian churches and Tibetan
Buddhists.  In addition to the President’s personal advocacy and engagement
that I’ve already mentioned, the need for China to uphold the freedom of
religion is a key element at other levels of our engagement with China.  At
our annual Human Rights Dialogue with China, for example, religious freedom
has been one of the main agenda items. And we brought Chinese officials to
meet with Cardinal McCarrick and Catholic Charities to see how religious
organizations provide critical social services.  Going forward, we will
continue to urge China to uphold universal rights, including freedom of
religion, as a vital ingredient of a stable and prosperous society.

In Burma, while some restrictions on religious activity have been eased,
others remain, including the continued imprisonment of Buddhist monks. As
part of our broader engagement to encourage reform, our new ambassador to
Burma continues to work on behalf of justice and dignity for victims of
religious persecution.  In Vietnam, despite some progress, threats and
harassment of the faithful continue—in particular, against Christians—and
worshipers are imprisoned, including Father Nguyen Van Ly. We therefore
continue to maintain close contact with religious leaders and dissidents,
and have made religious freedom a focus of the U.S.-Vietnam Human Rights
Dialogue.

In Africa, sustained American diplomacy—including direct personal engagement
by President Obama himself—helped to avert a catastrophe in Sudan and usher
in the birth of the world’s newest nation, a free and independent South
Sudan.  And our efforts continue as we urge both Sudan and South Sudan to
protect religious minorities and resolve their differences peacefully.

Meanwhile, in Nigeria both Christians and Muslims continue to live in fear
of attacks by the extremist sect Boko Haram, and the incitement of communal
violence at times goes unpunished.  We therefore continue to engage with
Nigerian religious leaders, scholars and government officials to promote
interfaith dialogue, advance religious reconciliation and bring perpetrators
of violence to justice.

Across the Middle East and Southwest Asia—as today’s events in the region
remind us—we need to continue working on behalf of a future where people of
different faiths live side by side in peace—as they have done in many cities
and communities for many centuries.  In Iran, we welcome the release of
Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, who faced execution solely because he refuses to
recant his Christian faith.  And we continue to call upon Iran to release
those in prison simply because of their religious beliefs and to end the
suppression of religious minorities, including Sufi Muslims, the Baha’i and
Christians.  In Iraq, where recent years have seen outrageous attacks on the
faithful—including Shia pilgrims and Christians—we continue to work closely
with our Iraqi partners on behalf of an Iraq where all faiths and all sects
are protected.

In Afghanistan, we welcomed the release last year of two converts from Islam
who had been charged with apostasy and sentenced to death.  And our work to
build an enduring partnership with the Afghan people includes a commitment
to the security and dignity of all Afghans, regardless of sect or faith.  In
Pakistan, we welcome the release of the young Christian girl charged with
blasphemy, and we welcome the steps Islamabad has taken to recognize
religious minorities and promote national harmony.  Still, we continue to
call on Pakistan to end the mistreatment of minorities and reform blasphemy
laws.

And, of course, this Arab Spring and the transitions now underway in several
countries present both opportunities and urgent challenges when it comes to
freedom of religion.  This includes Egypt.  We were all inspired last year
by the images in Tahrir Square—Egyptians coming together, Muslims and
Christians, to demand change; Christians protecting Muslims in prayer, and
Muslims protecting Christians during Mass.  Since then, we’ve seen some
signs of greater inclusiveness, including a new anti-discrimination law and
the re-opening of some churches.  President Morsi has pledged to be a
president for all Egyptians, and we will continue to look to him to follow
through on that commitment.

Unfortunately, even before yesterday’s protest at our embassy, we’ve also
seen a troubling rise in sectarianism and violence.  Innocent Egyptians,
including Coptic Christians, have lost their lives.  And while some alleged
instigators of rioting and violence have been prosecuted, others have not.
As we’ve seen around the world, when justice is not administered equally and
fairly it deepens resentments, risks further instability and makes it harder
for citizens to come work together for democratic and economic progress.

Protecting religious freedom and religious minorities in Egypt is therefore
a key element of our engagement with Cairo.  President Obama has raised it
in his conversations with Egyptian leaders, including the right of
Christians to build churches.  Secretary Clinton discussed it with President
Morsi and representatives of Christian communities during her visit in July.
It is a constant focus of Ambassador Patterson and our embassy staff, as it
has been again over the past 24 hours.

Last month, Rashad Hussain led an interfaith delegation to Egypt that
included Father Moises Bogdady, Senior Priest and Hegomen at the Coptic
Orthodox Archdiocese of North America, and Imam Mohamed Magid, President of
the Islamic Society of North America.  And earlier this week I called Samir
Morkos, President Morsi’s adviser on the democratic transition – and himself
a Copt – to express our commitment to working with him and the Egyptian
government on our shared interests.

As President Obama has said many times, the future of Egypt belongs to the
people of that proud nation.  So too in Syria.  As we continue to support
the aspirations of the Syrian people to determine their own future without
President Assad, we’ll continue to call for an inclusive Syria that protects
the rights of all Syrians, regardless of their religious identity.  In
Egypt, Libya, Syria, and all of the Arab Spring countries in transition, the
United States will continue to stand for a set of principles that history
shows leads to progress and opportunity.  That includes the protection of
universal rights, including the freedom of religion.  For these transitions
to succeed, and for these countries to achieve their full potential, all
faiths must be respected and protected.

Closer to home, in Cuba, there has been some easing of restrictions on faith
groups, but significant repression continues.  For example, during Pope
Benedict’s visit to Cuba in March, authorities conducted a deliberate
campaign of incarceration and harassment to silence the opposition and
prevent activists, journalists and dissidents from attending religious
events.  Worshippers, including Damas de Blanco, have been assaulted by
government sponsored mobs or detained to prevent them from attending church.
It happened again just last week as Cubans sought to mark the anniversary of
Cuba’s patron saint, Our Lady of Charity.

Under President Obama’s leadership, we’ve therefore worked to help give the
Cuban people more independence from Cuban authorities.  We’ve made it easier
for Americans by removing restrictions and allowing nearly unlimited
religious remittances to Cuba.  We’ve made it easier for faith groups to
travel to Cuba in support of the Cuban people and civil society.  Going
forward, we’ll continue to look for ways to help the Cuban people realize
the freedom and liberty they deserve.

Beyond our efforts in specific countries, we’ve advanced the cause of
religious freedom through a variety of multilateral fora.  We have continued
to oppose efforts, including at the United Nations, to ban the so-called
“defamation of religion” because we believe that such measures, including
blasphemy laws, can be wielded to silence free expression and suppress
religious minorities.

Instead, after many years of stalemate, we worked successfully with
governments, international organizations and civil society at the U.N. Human
Rights Council to pass the landmark Resolution 16/18 to protect people
around the world who are targeted because of their faith.  It calls on
nations to take concrete actions against religious bigotry, and it
eliminates previous language that sought to penalize “defamation,” which
undermined free speech and expression.  Instead, it recognizes that the open
debate of ideas and interfaith dialogue “can be among the best protections
against religious intolerance.”

Building on this progress, Secretary Clinton and the OIC Secretary General
last year brought together some 20 nations, international organizations and
the Vatican in Istanbul to focus on combating religious intolerance.  The
United States hosted a follow-on meeting to pursue specific steps we can
take—as individual nations and as an international community.  And through
this “Istanbul Process” we’ll continue to work with our international
partners to reduce religious bigotry, discrimination and violence.

For our part—and in partnership with you—the United States will continue to
encourage the interfaith dialogue that promotes understanding around the
world.  This includes interfaith delegations, like those I’ve already
mentioned.   It includes campaigns like 2012 Hours Against Hate in which we
encourage young people to pledge their time to help a person of another
faith, culture or tradition.  It includes “interfaith diplomacy” and
outreach events organized by our dedicated embassy staffs around the world.
And it includes conferences like the one we are supporting in Morocco later
this year, which will bring together faith leaders to address minority
rights in Muslim-majority countries.

Finally, we’ll continue to encourage the interfaith cooperation that brings
different religions together to meet shared challenges.  As with our
faith-based initiatives here in the United States, we recognize that
religious leaders and organizations are uniquely positioned to serve
communities in need, whether it’s health, education, development or conflict
prevention.

So, for example, we’ve worked with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation
in the effort to eradicate polio and respond to the famine in Somalia and
the drought across the Horn of Africa.   Through USAID, more than 90
faith-based organizations have pledged to support the most impactful health
interventions that save the lives of children around the world.  And
building on the President’s Interfaith Campus Challenge here in the U.S.,
we’re encouraging students abroad to come together, across faiths, in
service to their communities.

The focus of such efforts is on the tangible benefits they deliver in our
daily lives. Still, the lesson is unmistakable—our security, prosperity and
dignity as human beings are advanced when members of different religions
partner on common challenges.  As such, faith-based organizations will
continue to be indispensable partners of the President’s development agenda.
In closing, let me say that for President Obama and those of us serving in
his administration, protecting and advancing the freedom of religion will
remain a foreign policy priority.  As he has said, this is not just an
American right; it is a universal human right.  And we will defend the
freedom of religion, here at home and around the world.  We do this, not
only because it is in our national security interests, we do it because it
is right.  As President Obama has noted, Scripture gives us the
responsibility to “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for
the rights of all who are destitute.”

I, for one, am reminded of the words of St. Augustine.  “Pray as though
everything depended on God,” he said, “work as though everything depended on
you.”  In the good and necessary work that brings us here tonight—and as we
mourn the violence and loss of life over the past 24 hours—I pray that the
God-given rights and liberties we cherish here in America will be enjoyed by
more and more people of the world.  Yet I’m mindful—as is the President—that
this will not happen on its own.  It depends on people—of all faiths— who
are willing to stand up for these freedoms when they are threatened. It
depends on us.  On behalf of President Obama and those of us in his
Administration, we are proud to be your partners in this important work.