Reflecting On Religious Freedom This Independence Day | HuffPost – HuffPost

Just two days ago, Donald Trump vowed to defend and support religious freedom. As he spoke to a a group of Evangelical Christians during theCelebrate Freedom concert at the Kennedy Center, he said, We dont want to see God forced out of our public squareNo one is going to stop you from practicing your faith or saying whats in your heart.

However, on this Independence Day, numerous Americans cant help but wonder whether Trumps support of religious freedom extends to those who worship Islam. At the concert in Washington, Trump mentioned that radical Islamic terrorism is one of religious libertys largest threats.

Trump added, We love our families, we love our freedom and we love our God. Can wetruly say that Trumps America loves its Muslim families and offers them equal access to religious freedom?

You might be wondering, What is religious freedom, or freedom of belief, exactly?

ACLUelaborateson religious freedom, The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says that everyone in the United States has the right topractice his or her own religion, or no religion at all.

Our countrys founders who were of different religious backgrounds themselves knew the best way to protect religious liberty was tokeep the government out of religion. This fundamental freedom is a major reason why the U.S. has managed to avoid a lot of the religious conflicts that have torn so many other nations apart.

TheEstablishment Clauseof the First Amendment prohibits government from encouraging or promoting (establishing) religion in any way.

TheFree Exercise Clauseof the First Amendment gives you the right to worship or not as you choose. The government cant penalize you because of your religious beliefs.

Though Vice President Pence declared global religious freedom a priority,as well as a foreign policy priority of the Trump administration, are Muslims in America being dramatically violated because of their religious beliefsand practices?

I asked Americans in the U.S. and abroad, What does religious freedom mean to you on this Independence Day? You can find some of their responses below:

To me, religious freedom means not giving into fear and not passing fear down to your children. It means raising free thinkers who make their own choices about where, how, and whether or not to worship any god. Its being able to replace the word god in the first commandment with the word truth and everyone being okay with that. Meriwether F. in Kuwait City, Kuwait

Denise B. in Houston, Texas said,

It means being able to worship what and who I please, how I please, without having to worry about persecution of any sort. I dont believe that for only my religion, but I believe everyone should have the same right regardless of their beliefs. Kendra B. in Madisonville, Tennessee

Religious freedom does not exist for Muslims or minority religions in America. If it didexist, my extended family from Iran would be able to visit me. I would be able to pray under a tree, on a carpet, in the park without fear of someone throwing something at me or spitting on me. I only feel free, religiously, when I am speakingto Allah;maybe this lack of freedom has made my relationship with Allah stronger. Nima D. in Chicago, Illinois

Emily. R shared her thoughts from Berlin, Germany, Religious freedom means to me not merely passive tolerance, but cultivating understanding and respect for the various faiths present in our societies. She continued,

Nouran T. from Orlando, Florida said,Im not sure how well religious freedom and America go together these days. Since the elections, my best friends and I have felt scared when were not togetherwe are Muslim and we wear hijab. I was born and raised here, America is my home.Nouran added, I just want to be able to go out on the 4th of July to watch the fireworks, without worrying about what people might think because of my hijab. Maybe I should wear a scarfthats red, white, and blue?

Do you want to learn more about religious freedom? Take a look at these sources:

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Reflecting On Religious Freedom This Independence Day | HuffPost - HuffPost