United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom
| Ambassador-at-Large of the United States for International Religious Freedom | |
|---|---|
|
Seal of the United States Department of State | |
|
Incumbent Vacant[1] | |
| Nominator | President of the United States |
| Inaugural holder | Robert A. Seiple |
| Formation | 1999 |
| Website | U.S. Office - IRF |
The United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom is the ambassador-at-large who heads the Office of International Religious Freedom in the U.S. Department of State.
The position was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. The first ambassador-at-large was Bob Seiple[2] who served from 1999 to 2001. He was succeeded by John Hanford[3] who served from May 2002 until January 2009. Suzan Johnson Cook served in the role from May 2011 to October 2013.[4] On July 28, 2014, President Barack Obama nominated Rabbi David Saperstein for the position. On December 15, 2014 the Senate confirmed him to the office, making him the first non-Christian to hold this post.[5][6][7]
On July 26, 2017, the White House announced the nomination of Sam Brownback, the incumbent Governor of Kansas.[8]
Ambassadors-at-Large
- Robert A. Seiple (1999–2001)
- John Hanford (2002–2009)
- Suzan Johnson Cook (2011–2013)
- David Saperstein (2014–2017)
- Sam Brownback (nominee)
References
- ↑ "Office of International Religious Freedom (Ambassador-at-Large): Vacant". Archived from the original on February 3, 2017.
- ↑ U.S. Department of State. "Biography Robert A Seiple." September 11, 2009. Archived July 12, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ U.S. Department of State. "Biography John V. Hanford III." September 11, 2009. Archived March 13, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "Religious liberty ambassador's resignation raises concerns". Archived from the original on April 2, 2014.
- ↑ Dias, Elizabeth. "Obama Nominates Rabbi to Religious Freedom Post" Archived January 17, 2015, at the Wayback Machine., Time, July 28, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
- ↑ Campbell, Kay. "Rabbi David Saperstein confirmed as U.S. Ambassador for Religious Freedom" Archived December 19, 2014, at the Wayback Machine., AL.com, December 17, 2014. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
- ↑ "US Senate approves rabbi as freedom of faith envoy" Archived April 3, 2015, at the Wayback Machine., The Times of Israel, December 15, 2014. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
- ↑ @AP (July 26, 2017). "BREAKING: White House: Trump to nominate Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback as ambassador at large for international religious freedom." (Tweet). Retrieved July 27, 2017 – via Twitter.
External links
- United States Office of International Religious Freedom
- Annual Report on International Religious Freedom 1999-Present
