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Nevertheless, the West is limited in what it can do to promote religious liberty. Obviously the issue should concern all people of good will. Another contributor in attendance, Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, noted that religion reflects the "deepest longing of the human soul." Protecting the right of people to worship God is a matter of freedom of conscience and, as such, is the cornerstone of a free society.

The point is not just to protect Christians or Jews. Bahais and others face virulent persecution in countries such as Iran. Moreover, noted Land, "the most victimized are Muslims who refuse to accept" extremist Islamic interpretations. Religious liberty is a "universal right to practice and change one's faith. It cannot be denied by countries that want to be part of the community of nations," he concluded.

Not all countries desire to be part of that community, however. What then? Iraq shows that war is no answer; it is the U.S. invasion that has inadvertently sparked the large-scale destruction of that nation's historic Christian community. Economic sanctions are another dubious tool, best limited to the most exceptional cases. The U.S. can prod, push, and embarrass, but diplomacy is likely to have only limited impact.

Which leaves non-governmental organizations. Religious, political, and human rights groups all can play a role. So can corporations and financial institutions. Ted Malloch, chairman of the Spiritual Enterprise Institute, also spoke at the Hudson event. He emphasized that "religious liberty begets economic liberty," so, he added, if "you want economic prosperity, you need to protect religious freedom." At the very least the international business community can tell countries that persecute that they will be viewed as undesirable investment destinations. It is imperative that religiously unfree nations pay a price for their actions.

People around the world will be best off when their countries are capitalistic and their governments are democratic. But the "first freedom" truly is religious liberty. Societies which are afraid to allow people to live out their faith to God are unlikely to trust people to otherwise control their lives. Ultimately, religious liberty begets political, economic, and civil liberty.

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Business, Religion, Islam, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, Africa, North Korea