U.S. Foreign Policy and the Defense of Religious Freedom in India

Kristina M Teater

doi:10.3390/rel11030143

Abstract

The defense of religious freedom around the world is a U.S. foreign policy initiative upheld by successive administrations since the passing of the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA). Supported by various religious constituencies that advocate for the freedom of religion of like-minded individuals across borders, the U.S. government engages with foreign governments, human rights groups, and NGOs to preserve an individual’s right to freedom of religion or belief. Their results, however, are mixed, especially in diverse contexts where religious rights are deeply contested. This paper explores the advocacy effort in response to the Government of India’s crackdown on the inflow of foreign funds to NGOs, many of which are faith-based. Using the revocation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) license of faith-based NGO Compassion International as a case study, this paper finds that U.S. involvement in defense of religious freedom meets counter-narratives. These counter-narratives include the preservation of state sovereignty, the protection of national interest, and the privileging of religious tolerance over religious freedom.

Highlights

The defense of religious freedom around the world is a U.S foreign policy initiative upheld by successive administrations since the passing of the 1988 International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA)
Supported by various religious constituencies that advocate for the freedom of religion of like-minded individuals across borders, the U.S government engages with foreign governments, human rights groups, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to preserve an individual’s right to freedom of religion or belief codified in international law
The U.S government’s efforts in support of Christian NGO Compassion International, which were the result of an extensive grassroots campaign that involved calls and letters from religious constituents, illustrate the influence of religious constituencies on U.S foreign policy

Summary

Introduction

The defense of religious freedom around the world is a U.S foreign policy initiative upheld by successive administrations since the passing of the 1988 International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA). The existing scholarship places insufficient attention on the specific U.S advocacy measures taken in defense of international religious freedom and the subsequent responses from foreign governments in the form of counter-narratives. These counter-narratives that are often reinforced by existing laws can complicate how religious freedom advocacy is received. The purpose of this paper is to uncover some of the counter-narratives that emerge from foreign governments in response to religious freedom advocacy. I find that the defense of religious freedom as a foreign policy initiative faces challenges in the form of counter-narratives, including the preservation of state sovereignty, the protection of national interest, and the privileging of religious tolerance over religious freedom. I examine the counter-narratives that emerge as a response to U.S efforts and discuss conceptual differences in religious freedom vocabularies

Freedom of Religion in the Indian Context

The Case of Compassion International

Preservation of National Sovereignty

Protecting the National Interest

Privileging Religious Tolerance over Religious Freedom

Conclusions