Religious freedom issues placed top of the agenda at a United States State Department meeting called to develop strategies for rebuilding civil society in Afghanistan. Jonathan Gallagher, United Nations liaison director for the Seventh-day Adventist Church, participated in the roundtable discussion, emphasizing that changes in societal attitudes were just as important as recognition of international agreements on religious liberty.

“Many countries around the world have wonderful constitutions that guarantee religious freedom and human rights, but are among the world’s worst persecutors,” he said. “What is just as important is to work with people on the ground to develop an appreciation for the fundamental concepts of religious freedom and tolerance. As a faith community dedicated to such values, the Adventist Church is committed to doing all it can to promote and develop freedom of conscience and religious toleration in every nation, including Afghanistan.”

The December 14 meeting brought together representatives of many religious groups and was addressed by spokespersons for the four major faiths of Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Judaism.

Concluding the meeting, Tom Farr, director of the U.S. State Department’s Office of International Religious Freedom, spoke of his hope for “prosperity, stability and peace in Afghanistan,” and called for “all religious traditions represented here to contribute to that hope.”