31st Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum – Religious Freedom

Hon. Sam Brownback argued that religious freedom should be treated as a core national security priority, not merely a secondary human rights issue. Drawing on lessons from the Cold War, he referenced leaders such as Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II, emphasizing how moral clarity and truth contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union. He suggested that similar moral leadership is needed today against what he described as a modern “axis of evil,” particularly China and its Communist Party.

He asserted that authoritarian regimes fear religious freedom more than military power, because faith communities can organize independently of the state and undermine oppressive control. He highlighted persecution of Uyghur Muslims, Tibetan Buddhists, Falun Gong practitioners, and Christians in China, arguing that religious repression reveals systemic insecurity within such regimes.

He called on democratic governments to elevate religious freedom within their national security structures, appoint dedicated leadership, publicly expose persecution, support religious leaders diplomatically, and host international summits to build coordinated responses. By framing religious liberty as both a moral and strategic tool, Brownback maintained that supporting faith communities globally can weaken authoritarian systems and strengthen democratic values.