Ending Persecution: Charting the Path to Global Religious Freedom
Religious persecution continues to plague communities across the globe. Uyghur and Rohingya Muslims face genocide in China and Burma. Yezidis in Iraq have endured targeted attacks and displacement. In the Middle East, Christians face violence and systematic oppression. In South Asia, Hindus in Bangladesh, as well as Muslims and Christians in India, experience ongoing threats and discrimination. No faith community is immune—freedom of religion or belief is under siege in many parts of the world.
To better understand these challenges and explore effective responses, the Center for Community Engagement and Social Justice at Union Theological Seminary is hosting a critical discussion with Knox Thames, a former diplomat and a prominent leader on international religious freedom advocacy, will share key insights from his latest book, Ending Persecution: Charting the Path to Global Religious Freedom (Notre Dame Press, 2024). After his presentation, the event will feature a panel discussion with experts in the field, followed by an interactive audience conversation.
Panelists for this event include:
- Rachel Miner, Founder and CEO of Bellwether International
- Rose Ritcher, Co-Director of the Religion and Equality Project at the University of Essex School of Law Human Rights Centre
- Mark Fowler, CEO of the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding
Join us for this timely and urgent conversation on advancing religious freedom and protecting vulnerable communities worldwide.
This event is co-sponsored by Union Theological Seminary and the NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief.
DATE & TIME
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Stewart Room, Union Theological Seminary
3041 Broadway, New York, NY 10027
Our Speakers:
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.
Over his 20 years of service in the U.S. government, Knox held several key positions advocating for freedom of religion or belief, including at the State Department and two different U.S. government foreign policy commissions. Knox has deep experience regarding South/Central Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and U.S. foreign policy relating to human rights. Serving in the Bush, Obama, and Trump administrations, he has worked at the intersection of global affairs, religion, and human rights.
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 as a non-resident Senior Visiting Expert at the United States Institute of Peace. Both positions are possible thanks to the Templeton Religion Trust.
Knox has been a vocal advocate for human rights and the persecuted throughout his career. A recognized expert, Knox was a finalist to serve as the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief. He has spoken before the U.S. Congress, the United Nations, the European Parliament, the Organization of American States, the OSCE, the Atlantic Council, Wilton Park, the Foreign Service Institute, and U.S. military war colleges.
Knox has written widely, including for USA Today, the Washington Post, Foreign Policy, TIME, CNN, Newsweek, RealClearPolitics, the Times of London, the Harvard Human Rights Journal, the Yale Journal of International Affairs, the Small Wars Journal, and others. And he literally wrote the book on religious freedom advocacy, being the initiator and lead author of International Religious Freedom Advocacy: A Guide to Organizations, Law and NGOs, published by Baylor University Press. In addition, his new book, Ending Persecution: Charting the Path to Global Religious Freedom, was released in September by Notre Dame Press.
During his 20-year government career, Knox served at the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (the Helsinki Commission), the U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), AmeriCorps VISTA, and the U.S. Army War College as an Adjunct Research Professor. In addition, from 2004-2012, he was a State Department appointee to the OSCE Panel of Experts on Freedom of Religion or Belief. He is a current member of the U.S. Committee of the Blue Shield (USCBS), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preventing the destruction, damage and theft of cultural property during armed conflict and natural disasters.
Originally from Kentucky, he received a Bachelor of Arts from Georgetown College, a Juris Doctorate (cum laude) from American University’s Washington College of Law, and a Master’s in International Affairs from the School of International Service at American University. In addition, he studied at Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland.
Simran Jeet Singh, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Interreligious Histories at Union Theological Seminary and Senior Advisor for the Aspen Institute’s Religion & Society Program. He is the national bestselling author of The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform Your Life (Riverhead, Penguin Random House), and he hosts the new podcast, Wisdom & Practice, which is produced in partnership with PRX and The Aspen Institute.
Simran’s thought leadership on bias, empathy, wisdom, and justice extends across corporate, educational, and government settings. He has served as an Atlantic Fellow for Racial Equity with Columbia University and the Nelson Mandela Foundation, and a Soros Equality Fellow with the Open Society Foundations. In 2020, TIME Magazine recognized him as one of sixteen people fighting for a more equal America, and in 2022, Simran delivered the opening address at SXSW in Austin, Texas.
Simran earned graduate degrees from Harvard University and Columbia University, and he writes regularly for major outlets, including Harvard Business Review, TIME Magazine, and Religion News Service. Simran authored the award-winning children’s book Fauja Singh Keeps Going: The True Story of the Oldest Person to Ever Run a Marathon (Kokila, Penguin Random House), and Penguin will also publish his next children’s book this upcoming Spring. Simran is also finishing a few other books that are in contract with Riverhead and Oxford University Press.
To learn more about Simran and his work, visit simranjeetsingh.org.
