Religious Restrictions, Intolerance on the Rise Worldwide

Government orchestrated restrictions on religion are on the rise globally, as is religious intolerance, according to a recent study by the Pew Research Center.

According to Pew's report, the number of countries that saw "high" and "very high" levels of government restrictions on religion rose from 50 in 2015 to 55 in 2016.

The rise of religious intolerance highlighted in that study, and what can be done about its unpleasant results, were the subject of a conference on Capitol Hill on Wednesday entitled "The Rise of Global Religious Intolerance: What Must the U.S. Do to Stem the Alarming Tide of Religious Intolerance at Both at Home and Abroad," which was sponsored by the Anglosphere Society and the Congressional Caucus on International Religious Freedom.

Among the speakers were various advocates and warriors for increasing awareness on the topic, including Reps. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., and Dan Lipinski, D-Ill.

"Hate and hate groups have no place in our society," Bilirakis said.

He added "we're not going to take it," referring to anti-Semitic actions and speech being on the rise.

Common sentiments among the speakers was a call for increased action by the United States in condemning countries that promote religious intolerance and place restrictions on religious freedoms.

Nina Shea, Director of the Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom, emphasized the need for the Department of State to prioritize the protection of religious minorities globally.

Also weighing in on the topic was Farahnaz Ispanhani, a Global Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, who called for a conference among global leaders to address religious freedoms not unlike the Helsinki Accords in the 1970s (which stressed the importance of human rights).

"We need attention and we need to act" in order to stop the rise of religious intolerance around the world, declared Rep. Lipinski.

(Clare Hillen, a sophomore at George Washington University, is a summer intern at the Washington bureau of Newsmax).