IRF 2024 #1: The Story So Far

Dr. James Tabor taught Christian origins and ancient Judaism at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte for 33 years until retiring in 2022, serving as department chair for a decade and holding a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago (1981). Tabor has published 9 academic books and over 50 articles combining his textual research with archaeology fieldwork in Israel and Jordan, including as co-director of the Mt. Zion excavation in Jerusalem since 2008. Tabor testified before Congress in the 1995 Waco Hearings, drawing on his expertise in ancient Biblical apocalyptic ideas to understand the 1993 tragedy. Over the past 30 years, Tabor has consulted extensively with media outlets like the New York Times and London Times while regularly writing posts for the Huffington Post and Biblical Archaeology Society. Tabor's work has been featured in dozens of TV documentaries on channels like PBS, the Discovery Channel, National Geographic, and the BBC. Tabor has just completed a new book on the historical Mary and is at work on another entitled "Jesus Betrayed: How Christianity Lost its Way" (2024). About Dr. James D. Tabor: https://jamestabor.com/about-dr-tabor/ Tabor Books: https://jamestabor.com/books Academic Blog: https://jamestabor.com Personal Blog: https://genesia.org Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/jamestaborvideos Dr. Tabor offers two on-line courses, students work at their own pace: "Jesus & Dead Sea Scrolls” https://jamestabor.com/JesusandDSS Creating Jesus: Gospel of Mark https://jamestabor.com/MarkCourse Special Guest: Dr. James Tabor.

Leray Heyne is the Founder and lead overseer of Windows of Heaven Jesus’ Storehouse and its three ministries: Jesus Christ’s CEOs, Jesus Christ’s CEOs Bible Institute, and Jesus Christ’s CEOs TV. (Source (https://jcceos.com/leray-heyne)) Website: https://jcceos.com/

The Rev. Dr. Andrew Bennett is the Director of Cardus Faith Communities at Cardus, Canada’s faith-based think-tank. He also serves as Senior Fellow at the Washington, DC-based Religious Freedom Institute. He is an ordained deacon in the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church in the Eparchy (Diocese) of Toronto and Eastern Canada. Fr. Deacon Andrew served as Canada’s first Ambassador for Religious Freedom and Head of the Office of Religious Freedom from 2013 to 2016 in the department of Global Affairs Canada. He is a leading commentator on religious freedom and conscience rights in Canada. He holds a Ph.D. in Politics from the University of Edinburgh in the U.K. as well as degrees in history from McGill and Dalhousie universities in Canada. Cardus Faith Communities: https://www.cardus.ca/research-library/faith-communities/ Special Guest: Andrew Bennet.

Knox Thames is an international human rights lawyer, advocate, and author who has dedicated his career to promoting human rights, defending religious minorities, and combatting persecution. Known for his nonpartisan approach to advocacy, both the Obama and Trump administrations appointed Knox as the Special Advisor for Religious Minorities in the Near East and South / Central Asia at the State Department. The first to serve in this special envoy role, he received a civil service appointment to lead State Department efforts to support religious minorities in these regions. In April 2023, Knox joined Pepperdine University as a Senior Fellow, directing the new Program on Global Faith and Inclusive Societies from the Washington DC campus. In addition, since 2020, he has worked with the United States Institute of Peace as a non-resident Senior Visiting Expert. Knox Thames website: https://www.knoxthames.com/ Christians Against All Persecution: https://www.caapnetwork.org/ Special Guest: Knox Thames.

An interview from the IRF Summit with Sam Nagasaka, Secretary General of the Public Relations Committee for the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. Sam shares his poignent personal story of the efforts his family in Japan made to deprogram him from association with the Unification Church and how this ultimately reinforced his connection to the organization. Afterward, John examines Sam's story through the lense of his experience with the highly traditional Shinto traditions of Japan. The FFWPU Website: https://familyfed.org/about-us Crossing Faiths #22 with Shino Yokotsuka: https://www.crossingfaiths.com/22

John Pinna interviews David Curry, head of Global Christian Relief and commissioner for the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, about the state of international religious freedom. Curry asserts that conditions for religious liberty globally have never been worse, with more authoritarian regimes restricting access to religious texts and practice. He discusses the failures of governments to properly address extremist violence against religious minorities and the need to focus on the right to freedom of belief as a core human right. Curry highlights emerging threats like increased surveillance and censorship facilitated by technology in countries like China that could enable mass persecution. He also touches on areas of concern like the Sahel region in Africa, India, and Nigeria where religious minorities face violence and displacement. Curry emphasizes the need for accurate data on violence targeting religious groups to drive policy and funding to address this worldwide crisis for freedom of belief. Learn more: https://globalchristianrelief.org/ Special Guest: David Curry.

Aysha discusses her journey leaving Islam and becoming an atheist. She introducts the Ex-Muslims of North America (EXMNA) organization, where she began as a volunteer and now serves as Director of Operations. Aysha explains the restrictions she faced as a Muslim woman growing up in a traditional Pakistani household, including limited rights in marriage, inheritance, testimony in court, and the sanctioning of husbands beating disobedient wives. She examines the contradictions between Islam and her rights as a US citizen. She highlights EXMNA's work normalizing dissent through campus tours and building community for ex-Muslims. Please visit exmuslims.org (https://exmuslims.org/) to learn more about Ex-Muslims of North America.

IRF Month begins with an interview with Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, President of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice. Afterward, John and Elliot discuss youth involvement in the IRF movement. Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett serves as President of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice, established in 2008 to continue the legacy of her father, the late Congressman Tom Lantos. Under her leadership, The Lantos Foundation has rapidly become a distinguished and respected voice on key human rights concerns. Dr. Lantos Swett is the former Chair and Vice-Chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and teaches Human Rights and American Foreign Policy at Tufts University. She currently serves as Co-Chair of the Board of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK) and the Budapest based Tom Lantos Institute. Dr. Lantos Swett also serves on the Advisory Board of UN Watch, the annual Anne Frank Award and Lecture, and The Warren B. Rudman Center for Justice, Leadership, and Public Policy. Lantos Swett earned a Political Science degree from Yale University at the age of 18, a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, and a PhD in History from The University of Southern Denmark. Special Guest: Katrina Lantos Swett.

John Pinna interviews Sayyid M.B. Kashmiri, who represents the Grand Ayatollah Sistani in America. They discuss Sayyid's family lineage tracing back to Prophet Muhammad; his experience migrating from Iraq to Iran, Lebanon, and finally the U.S.; and his role leading the Imam Mahdi Association, which serves as Sistani's representative entity in North America. Sayyid explains key aspects of Shi'a Islamic law and practice such as the concept of jurists who interpret religious rulings. He highlights projects the Association is currently implementing to meet the needs of Shi'a Muslim Americans across different domains. Sayyid also shares perspectives on the dignity and value of human life in Islam, grounded in Qur'anic principles about honoring the children of Adam and bearing the attributes of God through one's character and conduct in the world.

In this discussion, Pinna continues sharing his perspective on issues with the international religious freedom (IRF) movement. He argues that IRF advocacy has become an "industry" dominated by a small group of organizations and leaders who control narratives and funding. Pinna questions the impact of high-profile IRF events like the annual Ministerial and Summit, critiquing them as superficial with little measurable outcomes. He calls for greater accountability, prioritizing evidence-based persecution data over anecdotal stories, developing contextualized metrics, and directing more funding towards field operations. Pinna expresses concerns over IRF being co-opted for political agendas and domestic religious issues rather than its legally-intended focus on international issues. He emphasizes the need to strengthen government IRF institutions mandated by legislation versus relying on private groups and citizens. Overall, Pinna argues the IRF movement risks becoming an echo chamber disconnected from effectively addressing rising global religious persecution.