Persecution Complex

THE stated goal of the Freedom from Religious Persecution Act, sponsored by Rep. Frank Wolf (R., Va.) and Sen. Arlen Specter (R., Pa.), is to help eradicate religious persecution around the world-a laudable goal, but one the bill is unlikely to achieve. It imposes economic sanctions on persecuting countries, but, except for the specific case of Sudan, those sanctions are weak, and can be waived at any time by the President.

Meanwhile, the bill contains refugee and asylum provisions that could have a significant effect-not toward the bill’s stated purpose of mitigating religious persecution, but rather in terms of leading to substantial increases in the numbers immigrating to the United States as refugees and asylum-seekers.

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Don Barnett

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Religious Persecution

THE stated goal of the Freedom from Religious Persecution Act, sponsored by Rep. Frank Wolf (R., Va.) and Sen. Arlen Specter (R., Pa.), is to help eradicate religious persecution around the world-a laudable goal, but one the bill is unlikely to achieve. It imposes economic sanctions on persecuting countries, but, except for the specific case of Sudan, those sanctions are weak, and can be waived at any time by the President.

Meanwhile, the bill contains refugee and asylum provisions that could have a significant effect-not toward the bill’s stated purpose of mitigating religious persecution, but rather in terms of leading to substantial increases in the numbers immigrating to the United States as refugees and asylum-seekers.