The tragic case of Pakistani Christian Asia Bibi and many others in past years have illuminated the severe and unjust nature of blasphemy and apostasy laws.
Dozens of countries still enforce these laws—often through the death penalty—prohibiting one from converting to another religion or speaking or acting in any way that is deemed offensive to the god of their particular religion. This is even enforced, such as in Pakistan, against adherents of other faiths.
We are committed to working to repeal these laws and ensure that all peoples have the right to worship freely without fear of persecution or penalization.
This letter was sent to leadership of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Subcommittee on State, Foreign, Operations, and Related Programs on June 16, 2023.
