At the age of 13, Irene Weiss, along with hundreds of thousands of other Jews, was removed by the Nazis from her native Hungary to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. Although Weiss’s persecution took place more than half a century ago, religious persecution remains a fact of life for millions around the world.
“We need to have a government that stands up for freedom of religion for all people,” Weiss said.
This is the first in a series of stories from survivors of religious persecution in recognition of International Religious Freedom Day on October 27.
Religious freedom is a policy priority for the United States, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at the State Department’s July ministerial on religious freedom, because it “is a God-given universal right bestowed on all of mankind.”
