Religious persecution is one of the most common of human rights violations. In ancient Rome, Christians were thrown to the lions; during the Inquisition, Jews and Muslims faced forced conversions, expulsion, torture, and executions. While the perpetrators and methods might have changed, religious persecution remains a serious problem throughout the world. According to the U.S. State Department’s Annual Report on International Religious Freedom, three of the worst modern-
day offenders are China, Sudan, and Saudi Arabia.

The Chinese government recognizes five religions: Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism, and Protestantism. However, adherents of those faiths are not guaranteed complete freedom of worship. According to Nina Shea, a human-rights lawyer and director for the Center for Religious Freedom at Freedom House, “All religious believers must worship within churches sanctioned and controlled by the government. Christians, Tibetan Buddhists, and Muslims...