The Sikh community in the United States was prominently featured at the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit, held from February 3 to 5 at the Hilton in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Surinder Singh Gill, Ambassador for Peace, and Ajaypal Singh from the Sikh Temple underscored the significance of religious rights while highlighting Sikhism’s role in promoting global peace and fostering interfaith cooperation.
Ensuring comprehensive media representation, Harjit Singh Hundal, CEO of Sabrang TV, provided coverage of the event, making sure the Sikh perspective was well documented.
The IRF Summit serves as an annual platform that unites more than 90 organizations from 30 different faith traditions to advocate for religious freedom across the globe. Over the past three years, this coalition has consistently worked to protect the right to religious belief and practice. However, despite the expansion of their movement, the world continues to witness rising incidents of religious persecution and increasing restrictions.
A major issue addressed at this year’s summit was the growing constraints imposed on Christian communities in Japan. American-Japanese representatives voiced serious apprehensions regarding religious freedom in the country, urging the global community to advocate for stronger safeguards. Speakers emphasized the necessity for all religious groups to exercise their faith freely, without fear of prejudice or repression.
The summit also focused on bolstering political and civil backing for religious freedom worldwide, encouraging both governments and communities to defend this fundamental right.
The event featured a lineup of distinguished speakers, including Jenkins, President of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF); Patricia Dual, a human rights attorney; former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich; Rev. Tomihiro Tanaka, President of the Family Federation for World Peace Japan; Dr. Marco Respinti, Director of Bitter Magazine; former U.S. Representative Dan Burton; Ambassador Sam Brownback; and Dr. Katrina Lantos.
As the summit drew to a close, participants collectively called for international unity in guaranteeing that all religious communities, including Christians, could practice their faith without obstruction. The event reinforced the shared responsibility of nations to uphold human rights and safeguard individuals’ ability to worship without fear.