US Ambassador Suzan Johnson Cook Resigned Her Position But Was It a Surprise?

The IRLA has enjoyed good relations with Ambassador Cook since her nomination as Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom. As her name was still under scrutiny, we invited her to our annual  Religious Liberty Dinner. It provided her the opportunity to speak to an audience of experts, religious leaders and diplomats about her vision for her future position. 

Ambassador Cook joined us again this year in April at the Embassy of Canada and met her colleague, Andrew Bennett, the first (and new) Ambassador for Religious Freedom for Canada. Her resignation just a few months after the dinner may seem shocking, but it was not a surprise to me.  The reason?  My impression, and it is only an impression, is that the position of US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom has lost its importance and influence.  I may be wrong, but this is the way it appears to many of us who have been working in this field since 1998 when Robert Seiple was nominated to be the first Ambassador. It is not a question of person - instead it has more to do with the support of the Administration. 

The nomination of Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook in 2010 took a long time and came after many other positions in the State Department were filled. This sent the message that religious freedom is no longer important for the new Administration. I asked the question during a meeting at the White House with the President's advisors. Their answer raised doubts as to whether they even supported religious freedom as a part of US foreign policy. 

I am not sure we can reproach Ambassador Cook for not having done enough (some have asked if she could have done more).  We should realize that, on many occasions, she had to follow the position of the US Government and adopt a low profile to avoid diplomatic problems. It is true that we could have expected from her a more aggressive condemnation of persecution of religious minorities in several countries. But the fact that it did not happen enough shows the limits of this governmental position in the battle for religious freedom. 

In spite of my remarks, I hope the position will not disappear or become just symbolic.  I travel around the world and the fact that a superpower like the United States has someone in every embassy investigating and writing a report on religious freedom is very helpful.  It would not be good for religious freedom if the position were to disappear. It would be a great disappointment for the millions of believers who are persecuted for their beliefs.

 -- Dr. John Graz, Secretary General, International Religious Liberty Association