[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 127, 113th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 8926--JAN. 16, 2013

Proclamation 8926 of January 16, 2013

Religious Freedom Day, 2013
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Foremost among the rights Americans hold sacred is the freedom to
worship as we choose. Today, we celebrate one of our Nation's first laws
to protect that right--the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom.
Written by Thomas Jefferson and guided through the Virginia legislature
by James Madison, the Statute affirmed that ``Almighty God hath created
the mind free'' and ``all men shall be free to profess . . . their
opinions in matters of religion.'' Years later, our Founders looked to
the Statute as a model when they enshrined the principle of religious
liberty in the Bill of Rights.
Because of the protections guaranteed by our Constitution, each of us
has the right to practice our faith openly and as we choose. As a free
country, our story has been shaped by every language and enriched by
every culture. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and
Hindus, Sikhs and non-believers. Our patchwork heritage is a strength we
owe to our religious freedom.
Americans of every faith have molded the character of our Nation. They
were pilgrims who sought refuge from persecution; pioneers who pursued
brighter horizons; protesters who fought for abolition, women's
suffrage, and civil rights. Each generation has seen people of different
faiths join together to advance peace, justice, and dignity for all.
Today, we also remember that religious liberty is not just an American
right; it is a universal human right to be protected here at home and
across the globe. This freedom is an essential part of human dignity,
and without it our world cannot know lasting peace.
As we observe Religious Freedom Day, let us remember the legacy of faith
and independence we have inherited, and let us honor it by forever
upholding our right to exercise our beliefs free from prejudice or
persecution.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 16, 2013, as
Religious Freedom Day. I call on all Americans to commemorate this day
with events and activities that teach us about this critical foundation
of our Nation's liberty, and show us how we can protect it for future
generations at home and around the world.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of
January, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
seventh.
BARACK OBAMA