Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivers remarks at President Donald Trump’s event on religious freedom, at the United Nations, in New York City.
Transcript
[Announcer] Ladies and gentleman, please welcome the President of the United States Donald J. Trump and the Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres, accompanied by Vice President of the United States Mike Pence, United States Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft, and United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. (crowd clapping)
Good morning, everyone. Across the splendid array of countries and cultures represented here, we come together this morning united by our belief that flourishing societies are sustained by religious freedom. Sadly, this understanding is not universal. Today all over the world people of faith face a rising tide of persecution. In just the past years we have witness horrific acts of violence committed against worshipers in mosque, churches, and synagogues. We have watched the arbitrary detention and the mistreatment of religious minorities in countries around the globe, and we have felt the chill of a world that seems increasingly disinterested in defending the rights of all people to exercise of sincerely held religious beliefs. As leaders, a time such as this calls us to demonstrate our commitment to religious liberty, not only in word but also in deed, which is why I am so extraordinary pleased and honored that we are joined here today by President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. Under the leader– (crowd clapping) Under the leadership of these men, the United States had not only spoken of renewed commitment to religious liberty, it has demonstrated one. Just two months ago, President Trump hosted victims of religious persecution at a historic event at the White House. His Administration has vigorously defended religious liberty and the freedom of conscience in the United States. And under his guidance the State Department has become a watchful defender of religious liberty, especially through the 2019 Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, the largest freedom event of its kind in the world. We anticipate a fruitful discussion today on how we can expand religious liberty, guarantee the sanctity of houses of worship and combat religious persecution around the world. And I am so delighted that you joined us for this timely event. It is really hard for me to think of a better person to introduce to a gathering of the freedom of religion in the world. He knows what religion is, what support it can give to the individual, and to whole societies. He’s a unpretentious man who not only believes in the power of religion, he lives his religion with respect and even piety. He respects the faith of others. He is that great exemplar, a hardworking family man, born in Indiana, proud of his state, prouder of his country, and a first class demonstration of President’s Trump’s wisdom in selecting those who serve him closest. It is my pleasure to introduce you to the Vice President, my friend Mike Pence. (crowd clapping)
Mr. President, Secretary-General Guterres, Ambassador Craft, Secretary Pompeo, members of the Cabinet, distinguished members of Congress, world leaders, and most especially to the courageous men and women who join us here today, who have suffered persecution and violence for simply living out your faith, whether that be Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and Islam. It is my great honor to be here today with the President of the United States to reaffirm America’s commitment to what the people of our nation have always believed, that every person is endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights. That Americans have always believed our first freedom is the freedom of religion. Today, President Donald Trump becomes the first American president to convene a meeting here at the United Nations on religious freedom and it is my great honor to introduce him. (crowd clapping) There’s no better time for a meeting like this on the world’s stage. As we gather here at the United Nations more than 80% of the world population live in nations where religious freedom is threatened or banned. The regime in Iran brutally persecutes Christians, Sunnis, Bahai, and Jews. In Iraq, Iran backed militias terrorize Christians and Yazidis, who were nearly wiped out by ISIS recent campaign of genocide. The Communist party in China has arrested Christian pastors, banned the sale of bibles, demolished churches, and imprisoned more than a million Uyghurs in the Muslim population. In our hemisphere the regime of Daniel Ortega is virtually waging war on the Catholic Church in Nicaragua. And in Venezuela the dictator Nicolas Maduro uses anti hate laws to prosecute clergy even as his media cronies spread anti-Semitism by trivializing the Holocaust. Communities of faith across the wider world have also faced unspeakable acts of violence in places of worship, shocking the conscience of the world. In October, 11 Jews were murdered in the Tree of Life synagogue massacre in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In March a gunman killed 51 Muslims at prayer in two mosques in Christchurch New Zealand. And just a month later suicide bombers murdered more than 300 Christians during Easter services at three Christian churches in Sri Lanka. These attacks strike at the heart of everything free peoples hold sacred. And the threats of religious freedom and the attacks on people of faith underscore why President Trump has taken such decisive action since the very first days of our Administration to build and promote our nation’s proud tradition of advancing religious freedom and that continues today. At the president’s direction, the United States created the Genocide Recovery and Persecution Response program and we’ve provided more than $370 million to aid ethnic, minorities, and faith communities persecuted by ISIS in Iraq and throughout the region. Earlier this year at the president’s direction the secretary of state held the second annual ministerial to advance religious freedom, inviting more than thousand civil society and religious leaders and 100 different nations to the largest event of its kind in the world. And last year at the inaugural ministerial at the president’s direction we established the International Religious Freedom Fund, which already has received nearly five million dollars in pledges and given over 435 Rapid Response Grants to those persecuted for their deeply held beliefs. And to date this effort has helps some 2,000 victims of religious persecution around the world. As the president often says, “America is a nation of faith and we will always stand for the freedom of religion of every person of every race and every creed to live, to work, to worship according to the dictates of their conscience.” And today giving evidence of his passion for religious liberty, the president will announce additional steps that the United States will take to protect religious liberty and defend people of faith around the world. This is a very special day. And I always say it is a high honor to introduce this president but to be here at this historic gathering with leaders around the world standing for our first freedom of religious liberty is among the greatest honors I’ve ever had. And so let me say, it is my high honor and distinct privilege to introduce to you a tireless champion of the freedom of religion and people of every faith in America and around the world, the 45th president of the United States of America, President Donald Trump. (crowd clapping)
[Female Announcer] (speaking in foreign language)
An honor it is, it’s long overdue and I was shocked when I was given that statistic that I would be the first. That’s very sad in many ways. And it’s great to be with you. I wanna thank Vice President Pence for the outstanding job he’s doing. He’s been a fantastic and valuable representative of our country. Likewise Secretary Mike Pompeo. Ambassador Kelly Craft, Secretary Ross, Secretary Mnuchin, Ambassador Sam Brownback, all for joining us today and we have other representatives of our Cabinet and the Administration in the room. We’ve done a lot, the Johnson Amendment doesn’t get spoken about enough but I’m very proud to say that we’ve obliterated the Johnson Amendment within our country. So that now, we can listen to the people that we want to listen to, religious leaders without recrimination against them. It was a very important thing and I said that at the beginning and I say it now, it’s something I’m very proud of. We’re also grateful that UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres could be here along with so many of his friends and my friends, world leaders, I’ve gotten to know a lot of ’em and I would imagine you know all of them. I would imagine. If you don’t you’re not doing your job. (laughter) And also I wanna thank my daughter Ivanka for being here. She works so hard on all of the things that are very important to the people in this room. So thank you, Ivanka for being here. (crowd clapping) The United States is founded on the principal that our rights do not come from government, they come from God. This immortal truth is proclaimed in our Declaration of Independence and enshrined in the First Amendment to our Constitution’s Bill of Rights. Our founders understood that no right is more fundamental to a peaceful, prosperous, and virtuous society than the right to follow one’s religious convictions. Regrettably, the religious freedom enjoyed by American citizens is rare in the world. Approximately 80% of the world’s population live in countries where religious liberty is threatened, restricted, or even banned. And when I heard that number, I said, “Please go back and check it because it can’t possibly be correct.” And sadly it was, 80%. As we speak Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, Yazidis, and many other people of faith are being jailed, sanctioned, tortured, and even murdered, often at the hands of their own government simply for expressing their deeply held religious beliefs. So hard to believe. Today with one clear voice the United States of America calls upon the nations of the world to end religious persecution. (crowd clapping) To stop the crimes against people of faith, release prisoners of conscience, repeal laws restricting freedom of religion and belief, protect the vulnerable, the defenseless, and the oppressed. America stands with believers in every country who ask only for the freedom to live according to the faith that is within their own hearts. As president protecting religious freedom is one of highest priorities and always has been. Last year our Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hosted the first ever ministerial to advance international religious freedom. In this years ministerial Secretary Pompeo announced plans to create the International Religious Freedom Alliance, an alliance of like minded nations devoted to confronting religious persecution all around the world. I’ve appointed a special envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism. We’re standing up for almost 250 million Christians around the world who are persecuted for their faith. It is estimated that 11 Christians are killed every day for the following. I mean just think of this, 11 Christians a day for following the teaching of Christ. Who would even think that’s possible in this day and age? Who would think it’s possible? With us today is Pastor Andrew Brunson, who was imprisoned in Turkey for a long period of time. Last year my Administration was thrilled to bring him back home after a very short and respectful negotiation with a very strong man and a man who’s become a friend of mine fortunately, President Erdogan of Turkey. I called the president I said, “He’s an innocent man.” They’ve been trying to get Andrew out for a long time, previous Administration. I don’t think they tried too hard unfortunately. But I wanna thank President Erdogan and I wanna thank you Pastor for being here with us today. Where’s Andrew? Is he around some place? Thank you, Andrew. (crowd clapping) We did a good job with that negotiation Andrew, you got back. Wasn’t easy, wasn’t pretty but you got back. And we’re proud of you. You have a great family. And the love when Andrew came back, the love from so many people it was. Actually I hadn’t seen anything quite like it. So congratulations and I understand you’re doing fantastic work with your family. Thank you very much. Thank you, Andrew. (crowd clapping) And I also wanna thank Franklin Graham because he’s been so instrumental in everything we’re doing. He’s done such an incredible job in so many different ways, including floods, and hurricanes. And every time I go I see Franklin there, he’s always there before me. I don’t know how he gets there before me. I’m gonna beat him one day but he’s always at these places of really disaster areas. He’s right there with an incredible large staff of volunteers that are just amazing. Thank you very much. And CeCe, thank you very much. (crowd clapping) Thank you both very much. And Paula White thank you very much. In July I met with survivors of religious persecution at the White House and we’re honored that many of them could be here today as well. Some of these individuals suffered as a result of state-sponsored persecution, others at the hands of terrorist and criminals. No matter the case America will always be a voice for victims of religious persecution everywhere, no matter where you go, you have a place in the United States of America. Could I ask those folks to stand up, please? Please, stand up. (crowd clapping) Thank you. Thank you very much. In recent times the world has also witnessed devastating acts of violence in sacred places of worship. In 2016 an 85 year old Catholic priest was viscously killed while celebrating Mass in Normandy France. In the past year the United States endured horrifying anti-Semitic attacks against Jewish Americans at synagogues in Pennsylvania and California. In March, Muslims praying with their families were sadistically murdered in New Zealand. On Easter Sunday this year terrorist bombed Christian churches in Sri Lanka killing hundreds of faithful worshipers. Who would believe this is even possible? These evil attacks are a wound on all humanity. We most all work together to protect communities of every faith. We’re also urging every nation to increase the prosecution and punishment of crimes against religious communities. There can be no greater crime than that. This includes measures to prevent the intentionally destruction of religious sites and relics. Today, the Trump Administration will dedicate an additionally $25 million to protect religious freedom and religious sites and relics. We’re also pleased to be joined today by many of the partners from the business community as we announce a very critical initiative, the United States is forming a coalition of US businesses for the protection of religious freedom. This is the first time this has been done. This initiative will encourage the private sector to protect people of all faiths in the workplace. And the private sector has brilliant leadership. That’s why some of the people in this room, among the most successful men and women on earth. They know how things get done, and they know how to take care of things, and they’re with us now for the first time to this extent, first time ever, and we’re really honored to have you in the room. Great business leaders, great people of strength. To often people in positions of power preach diversity while silencing, shunning, or censoring the faithful. True tolerance means respecting the right of all people to express their deeply held religious beliefs. Before I conclude, I wanna once again thank all of the survivors in the room for their courage and resilience. You’re an inspiration to the world. You remind us that no force on earth is stronger than the faith of religious believers. The United States of America will forever remain at your side and the side of all of those who seek religious freedom. Today, I ask all nations to join us in this urgent moral duty. We ask the governments of the world to honor the eternal right of every person to follow their conscience, live by their faith, and give glory to God. The United States has a vital role in this critical mission. Secretary-General Guterres will now share a few words on the UN’s efforts to promote religious liberty for all and he has been a champion of exactly what we’re in this room for. So I wanna thank everybody for being here. God bless you. God bless the faithful. And God bless America. Thank you very much. Thank you. (crowd clapping) Thank you. Thank you very much.
Mr. President, welcome to the United Nations. It’s wonderful to see you back with us. And I also welcome the distinguished members of your Administration. Excellencies, dear friends, I want to begin by saluting you Mr. President for putting the focus on religious freedom. A pressing global issue and one that is also very close to my heart. In 2001 under my initiative as Prime Minster of Portugal my country enshrined religious freedom into the nation’s law, with the objective at the time, to equalize the benefits that the Catholic Church traditionally had in Portugal and to extend them to all religions in the country. And the measure declared that no one can be privileged or persecuted on account of their religion. And that the state shall not discriminate against any religious community in relation to others. Looking around the world we tragically know that this is not a reality for millions of people. It is totally unacceptable in the 21st century for people to face discrimination and intimidation for their beliefs. And the persecution of religious minorities is utterly intolerable. The full scope of their human rights is guaranteed and states have an obligation to implement policies that ensure their identities are respected and that they feel fully part of the society as a whole. Early this year, His Holiness Pope Francis along with Grand Iman of Al-Azhar, His Eminence Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, signed a moving testament for mutual respect. It’s stated that diversity of religions is willed by the Creator and I quote, “This divine wisdom is the source from which the right of freedom of belief and the freedom to be different derive.” It breaks my heart to see increasing number of individuals publicly humiliated, harassed, and attacked simply because of their religion or beliefs. Jews have been murdered in synagogues, their gravestones defaces with swastikas. Muslims gunned down in mosques, their religious sites vandalized. Christians killed at prayer, their churches torched. And in many hotspots around the world entire communities have been targeted because of their faiths, including in places where those communities have exist for centuries, if not millennia. We must do all we can to avoid religious cleansing of societies. I will always remember when I was secretary, High Commissioner for Refugees, and in a discussion about the Chaldean and the Syrian communities of Iraq, Christian communities of Iraq and my good friend Barham Saleh is there and there was of course an enormous concern with those communities and I remember once a friend of mine saying, “Well, you need to resettle all of them to the Western world.” And I said, “Of course, for people in need of protection resettlement is the measure but I cannot accept that these communities have been there for millennia disappear from their region.” And I told my friends look when in my country in Portugal, we were still worshiping trees and rivers. In Iraq and in the Middle East in general there were Christian communities discussing theology and discussing whether the Holy Ghost was coming from the Father or from the father of the son. And so it is clear that these communities like the Yazidis, like many others in this region as every where in the world are a deeply rooted part of the society. And it is essential to preserve religious diversity in all parts of the world. We most reject those who falsely and maliciously invoke religion to build misconceptions, to fuel division, to spread fear and hatred, and we most be vigilant about attempts to instrumentalize religion and identity to restrict to full enjoyment of rights by others and to perpetrate or justify in inequalities. There is richness and strength in diversity, it’s never a threat. Profiting from that diversity requires a strong investment in social cohesion policies. And we have much wisdom to guide us on our way. All major religions espouse mutual respect and peaceful coexistence in a spirit of shared humanity. And our shared foundational text, Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms everyone’s right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. Simply put the best way to promote international religious freedom is by uniting our voices for good, countering message of hate with messages of peace, embracing diversity, and protecting human rights every where. Mr. President, excellencies, dear friends, the United Nations is stepping up action through two initiatives that I’ve launched in recent weeks. First through a strategy on hate speech to coordinate efforts across the UN system addressing the root causes and making our response more effective against hate speech. Second, an action plan for the UN to be fully engaged in effort to support, to safeguard religious sites and ensure the safety of houses of worship. Holy sites should be places of worship not places of war. Taken together these efforts seek to address some of the most pressing challenges facing our world today. We have a collective responsibility to stamp out anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim hatred, the persecution of Christians and other religion groups, and all forms of racism, xenophobia, discrimination, and the incitement of violence. Hatred is a threat to everyone and so this most be a job for everyone. Mr. President, thank you again for your initiative and leadership, and for your invitation. And I also want to thank your understanding during this hetic period. I would like to be able to stay for the whole meeting but it was for me an enormous pleasure to be here with you today and to join my voice to all those that want to make sure that religious freedom prevails in our world everywhere.
[President Trump] Thank you very much. (crowd clapping)
Thank you. Thank you, Secretary Guterres. We will in a moment have the chance to hear from three who have struggled and struggle on behalf of the cause of religious freedom. But if we would pause for just one moment as the president and Secretary Guterres depart. Thank you, sir.
Thank you. (crowd clapping)
Thank you Mr. President. Thank you all. I want to thank the many world leaders who are here today. Thank you Vice President Pence for your work on this issue. I especially want to thank President Trump for being a champion of people of faith all around the world. The Bible says that, “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things.” And that’s what we are all doing here today. As you’ve heard religious freedom is under threat all around the world and I now want to invite three individuals to tell us about their struggles on behalf of this first freedom, this important and unalienable right. And so I first wanna call on Dabrina Tamraz, whose father was imprisoned in Iran for his faith. Dabrina, thank you.
Thank you Secretary Pompeo. I would also like to thank Mr. President for organizing this important event and allowing me the opportunity to share my story. My name is Dabrina Bet Tamraz, I’m an Assyrian from Iran. My family has been a target of continuous harassment by the Iranian authorities for as long as I can remember. Today my close relatives and friends are unjustly imprisoned are awaiting trials. On 26th of December 2014, security officers raided my family’s home during a Christmas celebration arresting all attendees. The authorities separated men from women conducting strip searches, seizing all the Bibles, and confiscating all personal items, such as cellphones, laptops, identification documents. My father was imprisoned immediately. They shaved his head to humiliate him, treated him like a terrorist, a criminal. He was kept in solitary confinement for 65 days and was charged with conducting evangelism and illegal house church activities. Among all the false charges that amounted to acting against national security. Today my father Pastor Victor Bet Tamraz is appealing a 10-year prison sentence. Following his arrest my brother Ramiel and four other Christians were arrested at a picnic in Tehran. Today he is appealing four months in prison. Finally, in 2017 my mother Shamiram Isavi was arrested and interrogated by the intelligence and national security officers for hours. She was forced to provide information about our church and was sentenced to five years in prison. When I was in Iran, I endured similar experiences. I was detained and held in men’s detention center without the presence of any female officers. I was forced to provide names of our church leaders and information of their activities. I managed to escape but I can’t forget those I left behind, my family and the innocent people serving harsh sentences for the peaceful practice of their faith. Since 2018 more than 200 Christians have been arrested and our serving harsh sentences. They are either now in prison serving lengthy prison sentences or awaiting trials. Christians in Iran are no politicians or activists of some sorts including my family. They’re simply believers attending prayer and worship gathering. In addition to Christians other faiths including Baha’is, Sunni Muslims, and Sufis, also face discrimination and severe restriction to the freedom of religion. I implore international community gathered here to hold Iran accountable for its mistreatment of religious freedom and prioritize religious freedom as foundational human right for all. Every person has a right to live out their faith in safety, peace, and dignity. Thank you. Thank you, Secretary. (crowd clapping)
[Secretary Pompeo] Dabrina, thank you. Thank you for that powerful story. And now will hear from Rabbi Faiz Algardaid who fled Yemen because of persecution.
Hi, good afternoon everyone. Please accept my sincere thanks for giving me this important opportunity to share my story. If we stay silent our struggles will be lost. My name is Faiz Algardi a Yemeni Jewish rabbi, teacher and a human rights activist. In Yemen I held rabbinical and government positions, and served as the director of education and chief leader of Yemeni Jewry for more than 10 years. Yemeni Jewish culture and history while once flourishing is facing extinction. Jewish synagogues, houses, and cemeteries have been destroyed and remains taken away. Jewish art, architecture, and (mumbles) have been stripe of their Jewish heritage. Torah scrolls and the first handwritten books were stolen and sold around the world. My community also faced severe restrictions, false suspicions, and extreme insecurity. Although the Yemeni officials tried to help us, however we were blamed for social and economic ills. The Jewish community in Yemen has been systematically driven out by repressive policies and persecutions. The rise of Houthi rebels also forced most of the Jewish community into exile and involuntary immigration. In 2007, I was forced to flee Yemen because I advocated against discrimination, abuses, and kidnapping of my village’s community. In In one province, Jews were given three choices, convert to Islam, leave Yemen, or face genocide. I was one of those who decided to leave. My wife, four children, and I left Yemen in 2007. In 2009 we were granted an immigration status to live here in United States, and for this we are eternally grateful. Today it is my honor to speak to you as a proud citizen of the United States. For those who gathered here today, there are millions of people around the world in need of same help as my community. Please make the world safer for present and future generations to live and flourish. Together we can shine light in every corner of the world. We must work together to stop discrimination, to stop persecution, and to stop hatred. God Bless you. God Bless America. And he may bless all nation on earth with peace, health, liberty, and prosperity. Thank you. (crowd clapping)
Thank you, Rabbi. And finally, let’s hear from Jewher Ilham, whose father is serving a life sentence in China as a prisoner of conscience.
Thank you, Secretary Pompeo. My name is Jewher Ilham, and I am Uighur. I’m am grateful to the United States for the opportunity to speak for millions of Uighurs in western China who remain silenced. It has become a crime to be Uighur in China. My father, Ilham Tohti, is a well-known economist and scholar. He never advocated for separatism but is now serving life in prison because he chose to speak out about the right to believe what you chose to believe, the right to worship the way you want to worship, and the right to think what you want to think. The only thing he was guilty of was publicly calling for peaceful dialogue and reconciliation. The Chinese Government targets religion to ensure that people of faith do not answer to any greater power than the Communist Party. In China, authorities have defaced or demolished churches, temples, and mosques throughout the country. Crosses and minarets have been replaced with hammers and sickles. Spiritual mages have been removed in favor of photos of authoritarians. The Ten Commandments have been taken down to make room for government propaganda. Children are forbidden from attending religious services. We are witnessing the systematic eradication of ethnic and religious minority identities in China. Beijing believes Islam is a sickness to be treated with an iron fist. Uighurs are detained for praying to God, fasting during Ramadan, wearing a beard, or simply saying, “as-salamu alaykum.” Every day millions of Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in China are being abused, drugged, and indoctrinated in the government’s concentration camps. Outside of these camps, they’re monitored and tracked using high-tech surveillance. Chinese officials conduct intrusive home stays, looking for signs of religious practice. Beijing claims it is combating extremism. Praying to God is not extremism. Beijing claims it is training unskilled Uighurs to be productive workers. Medical doctors and university scholars, professors do not need vocational training. Beijing claims it is fighting separatism. Practicing religion and speaking native tongues is not separatism. Chinese authorities believe that religion and people of faith are a threat to peaceful societies. They couldn’t be further from the truth. Faith is an antidote to hatred, discrimination, and brutality, because faith breeds love, compassion, and tolerance. America has shown me the true meaning of the universal rights and value enshrined in the UN Charter. These rights are worth fighting for in China and everywhere else in the world. Thank you very much. Thank you. (crowd clapping)
Jewher, thank you. Thank you for telling us that powerful story and to the other survivors persecuted for their beliefs who are in the audience today, we want to recognize your incredible courage as well. As we close here today, I want to focus your attention on what President Trump mentioned earlier, the International Religious Freedom Alliance, the State Department announced in July it is the most ambitious human rights project launched in a generation. We aim to bring together like minded countries, faith leaders, civil society groups, and international organizations around the world to promote religious freedom in a more consistent, organized and powerful way. The foundation of the alliance is Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which which begins, “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.” So if you’re a country that takes human rights seriously understanding its many benefits for peace, security, and prosperity, please come join us. If you’re a country that stands for human dignity and for freedom of conscience, please come join us. And if you’re a leader simply moved by the stories you’ve heard from these brave survivors today, come join us. Turn your sympathy for them into freedom for others. Please reach out to our Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback. He’s ready to take your calls on all religious freedom issues. The United Nations is only as strong as as its sovereign members determine it will be. Our belief and our principles is only as strong as our confidence to express them. I ask, indeed I pray that you will help be a voice for the voiceless by joining the International Religious Freedom Alliance. May God bless the survivors who are here with us today, may God bless the United States of America, and may God bless the nations who have gathered with us here this morning. Thank you all. (crowd clapping)