How Promotion of Religious Freedom Can Help Prevent Extreme Violence

GWEN IFILL: In addition to last week's church bombing in Pakistan, Christians have also been targeted recently in Egypt and at last week's mall attack in Kenya. Is this merely a coincidence or is there a wider trend?

To explore that, I'm joined by U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Suzan Johnson Cook.

Welcome again, Ambassador.

SUZAN JOHNSON COOK, U.S. ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom: Thank you. So wonderful to be with you. Thank you.

GWEN IFILL: We saw what Fred wrote about or broadcast just now just about Pakistan. Is this something which is a worldwide problem?

SUZAN JOHNSON COOK: Well, it is a worldwide problem.

RELATED INFORMATION

Pakistani Christians Targeted by Violence, Blasphemy Law

As ambassador for international religious freedom, my portfolio is 199 countries of the world. And so we see it frequently. First, though, I want to send my condolences for those who were the victims of attack, those who lost loved ones. We certainly want to send our condolences and sympathy.

It is not just recent. It's been throughout the world and throughout history. And it opens up the whole conversation of religious freedom. We have it in our Constitution that we have the right to believe what and when we want to believe, how we want to express that, but in many parts of the world, that is not true.

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How Promotion of Religious Freedom Can Help Prevent Extreme Violence