I am grateful to The Wall Street Journal for publishing my Letter to the Editor, in which I responded to a recent opinion piece that conflated religious coercion with individual freedom. Everyone has the right to peacefully hold any belief or non-belief, free from discrimination, violence, or coercion. I agree with the author that “people have a right to stay in their religion,” and I will defend their choice. However, urging that these individuals “not be bothered by those w

The vexing problem of forced marriages in Pakistan of Christian and Hindu girls often goes overlooked. Thanks to The World and Everything in It for highlighting the issue today. I spoke about the need for the Trump administration to redesignate Pakistan a "Country of Particular Concern," which could encourage needed reforms protecting religious minorities. Read the transcript here or listen here.

Today (Saturday) is the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby. For this celebratory occasion, I've penned my annual primer about the Derby. The race is considered the most exciting two minutes in all of sports, so I recommend you make time to watch. And I hope you’ll take a few additional minutes to read the rest of the newsletter. On the personal front, in April I was named the inaugural Executive Director of the Everett Center for Global Religious Freedom. In the context of

Saturday is the 152nd Kentucky Derby, the longest-running sporting event in the United States. For newcomers, here’s my annual Run for the Roses primer! Author photo August 2021 Since 1875, the first Saturday in May has been Derby Day. Growing up in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, I've watched the Derby all my life. It's the closest thing to a national holiday in Kentucky, with TV sets tuned to watch all 14 races at the historic Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville (pronounc

Very much enjoyed the panel discussion cosponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations and Georgetown University's Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs about "The Future of Strategic Religious Engagement in U.S. Foreign Policy." I spoke about how including international religious freedom promotion into an overall strategy of religious engagement can ensure U.S. foreign policy fully grasps the complexities and challenges across different societies.

Dallas Baptist University is announcing the expansion of the Everett Center for Global Religious Freedom with the appointment of the Center's first Executive Director, Knox Thames, and first Director of Research and Partnerships, Emily A. Cole. The mission of the Center is to inspire and equip students, churches, and policymakers to advance religious freedom globally for all. Thanks to major gifts, the Center will also open an office in Washington, DC, to strengthen engagemen

Appreciated joining "The World and Everything in It" to discuss religious freedom violations in Nigeria, Iran, and China, and why policymakers should care. Thanks to Lindsay Mast for the good conversation. My segment begins at the 16-minute mark. https://wng.org/podcasts/the-world-and-everything-in-it-march-12-2026-1773256791

Appreciated returning to The Bulletin podcast with Clarissa Moll and Mike Cosper . My 20-minute conversation with Clarissa covers the current Afghanistan–Pakistan conflict, the state of religious freedom in both countries, and the life of Pakistani advocate Shahbaz Bhatti as portrayed in our new graphic novel "Blood & Water." My segment begins at 17:20. https://www.christianitytoday.com/podcasts/the-bulletin/260-kristi-noem-fired-mullins-iran-supreme-leader-pakistan-tali

Since my last newsletter in December, the Trump administration has undertaken several momentous foreign policy decisions, such as the removal of Nicolás Maduro, the war in Iran, and the Christmas Day bombing of a terrorist camp in Nigeria. All of these have implications for religious freedom and religious minorities . How the United States chooses to engage moving forward will have lasting consequences for human rights, as well as yet-to-be-known reverberations in these regio

Matthew Peterson is Religion Unplugged’s podcast editor and audience development coordinator. He took part in this past summer’s European Journalism Institute held in Prague, an annual program co-sponsored by The Media Project . On Jan. 3, in the middle of the night, U.S. Special Forces broke into the home of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro and arrested him and his wife.U.S. military presence in Venezuela had been creeping up for months, with United States leaders focus

The death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, creates uncertainty for all Iranians, but especially for non-Muslim minorities. Iran’s theocratic regime has long repressed religious minorities, persecuting groups deemed blasphemous, unorthodox or who questioned their religious rule. The ongoing war, combined with the death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , creates a moment of great uncertainty for all Iranians, but especially for minorities, who a

Remarks at the Annual Interfaith Iftar Dinner Embassy of Bahrain - March 3, 2026 We are gathering during this time of prayer and reflection under circumstances we did not wish. Conflict in the Middle East is putting innocent lives in danger, threatening inter- and intra-faith relations across a region hosting a kaleidoscope of religions and sects. We should remember the innocent Iranians suffering under the repressive rule who strive for a peaceful future. We should remember

Shahbaz Bhatti died 15 years ago after a courageous—and lonely—battle. I once knew a man willing to sacrifice everything for religious freedom, a person who knowingly faced death to help others. How to best remember Shahbaz Bhatti, a modern-day martyr from Pakistan? In the early 2000s, Shahbaz Bhatti was known worldwide as a courageous Christian voice for religious minorities in Pakistan. Fearless in the face of death threats from extremists, he advocated for any Pakistani pe

United States diplomacy has often experienced a “God-gap” in understanding world events from the perspective of people of faith. It was not for nothing that Doug Johnston in 1994 entitled his book “Religion, The Missing Dimension of Statecraft.” While the God-gap has closed in recent years, it was not the result of any overarching strategy. Rather, global events spurred independent, uncoordinated efforts to promote religious freedom internationally and build capacity for stra

Very much enjoyed speaking at Gordon College about my book, "Ending Persecution." I’m pleased the book continues to resonate, and I'm happy to learn that Notre Dame Press will release a paperback version this fall. My first visit to Gordon's beautiful (and snowy) campus north of Boston, I appreciated the thoughtful student questions and great conversations with faculty.

How can democratic nations make a concrete commitment to promoting and protecting religious freedom globally? This was the question posed at the IRF Summit plenary session I moderated, focused on "Prioritizing International Religious Freedom Commitment of Global Democracies." Below are my opening remarks, along with the thoughtful discussion that followed. I celebrated how the IRF movement has grown into a multifaith effort, while expressing concern with how governments here

Nicki Minaj, the Pope, and Donald Trump. It sounds like the lead-in to a joke. But recently the rapper, the Pontiff, and the President addressed persecution in Nigeria. It's not surprising for the Pope to speak about religious persecution, as when he lamented the kidnapping of students in Nigeria and Cameroon. Nicki Minaj, on the other hand… Her commentary and resharing of President Trump's social media announcement naming Nigeria a "country of particular concern" for se

U.S. President Donald Trump’s Oct. 31 designation of Nigeria as a country of particular concern (CPC) for the reported killing of Christians made global headlines. Trump declared that the United States would stand with “our CHERISHED Christians” around the world, threatening to halt all aid to Nigeria and even claiming the U.S. might take unilateral military action to “wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities,” if the Nigerian government

Sacred Sites as Educational Tools to Foster Diverse, Interfaith Relationships Indonesia is a country of nations. The sprawling archipelago of some 14,000 islands stretches from Sumatra in Asia to New Guinea in Oceania. Hosting 280 million people speaking more than 700 languages, diversity is the one commonality across the many peoples who call themselves Indonesians. Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to visit Jakarta for the first time. What brought me to Indonesia wa

A recent United Nations  report  documented Russia’s targeting of civilian populations in Ukraine with drone attacks and concluded they constituted crimes against humanity. During this almost daily onslaught, religious places are also attacked. In recent days, Russian  airstrikes  killed innocent civilians and damaged a church in the Donetsk region. In stark contrast, the United States observed October 27 as “International Religious Freedom Day,” commemorating the day in 19