[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 130, 114th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9389 of January 15, 2016

Religious Freedom Day, 2016

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Since our country's founding, religious freedom has been heralded as one
of our most cherished ideals. The right to practice religion freely has
brought immigrants from all over the world to our shores, often in the
face of great adversity, so they could live their lives in accordance
with the dictates of their consciences. Some of America's earliest
settlers, the Pilgrims, arrived at our shores in search of a more
tolerant society, free from religious persecution. Since that time,
people of many religious traditions have added their own threads to the
fabric of our Nation, helping advance a profound and continuous
vindication of the idea of America.
When the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom was adopted on January
16, 1786, it formed a blueprint for what would become the basis for the
protection of religious liberty enshrined in our Constitution. Drafted
by Thomas Jefferson, the statute proclaims that ``all men shall be free
to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of
religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge, or
affect their civil capacities.'' The First Amendment prohibits
Government from establishing religion, and it protects the free exercise
of every faith. Our Government does not sponsor a religion, nor does it
pressure anyone to practice a particular faith, or any faith at all. The
United States stands for the protection of equal rights for all people
to practice their faith freely, without fear or coercion, and as
Americans, we understand that when people of all religions are accepted
and are full and equal members of our society, we are all stronger and
freer.

Our commitment to religious freedom has fostered unprecedented religious
diversity and freedom of religious practice. But these ideals are not
self-executing. Rather, they require a sustained commitment by each
generation to uphold and preserve them. Here at home, my Administration
is working to preserve religious liberty and enforce civil rights laws
that protect religious freedom--including laws that protect employees
from religious discrimination and require reasonable accommodation of
religious practices on the job. We will keep upholding the right of
religious communities to establish places of worship and protecting the
religious rights of those so often forgotten by society, such as
incarcerated persons and individuals confined to institutions. We will
also continue to protect students from discrimination and harassment
that is based on their faith, and we will continue to enforce hate crime
laws, including those perpetrated based on a person's actual or
perceived religion. This work is crucial, particularly given the recent
spike in reports of threats and violence against houses of worship,
children, and adults simply because of their religious affiliation.
As we strive to uphold religious freedom at home, we recognize that this
basic element of human dignity does not stop at our shores, and we work
to promote religious freedom around the globe. We are working with a
broad coalition against those who have subjected religious minorities to
unspeakable violence and persecution, and we are mobilizing religious
and civic leaders to defend vulnerable religious com

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munities. In addition, we are calling for the elimination of improper
restrictions that suppress religious practice, coordinating with
governments around the world to promote religious freedom for citizens
of every faith, and expanding training for our diplomats on how to
monitor and advocate for this freedom. All people deserve the
fundamental dignity of practicing their faith free from fear,
intimidation, and violence.
On Religious Freedom Day, let us recommit ourselves to protecting
religious minorities here at home and around the world. May we remember
those who have been persecuted, tortured, or murdered for their faith
and reject any politics that targets people because of their religion,
including any suggestion that our laws, policies, or practices should
single out certain faiths for disfavored treatment. And as one Nation,
let us state clearly and without equivocation that an attack on any
faith is an attack on every faith and come together to promote religious
freedom for all.
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, 2016 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 that 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 fifteenth day of
January, in the year of our Lord two thousand sixteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
fortieth.
BARACK OBAMA