5 October 1997
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Editorial

U.S. religious, business interests collide in Russia

Freedom of religion and free trade are about to collide in Congress.

A House-senate conference committee is poised to cut off $200 million in foreign aid to Russia because of restrictions on the rights of Catholics and Protestants signed into law last month by President Boris Yeltsin.

Separately, legislation backed by House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., and the Christian Coalition threatens to bring economic sanctions against countries such as Russia, China and Saudi Arabia seen as persecuting Christians and other religious minorities.

"The persecution of Christians abroad is the great untold human rights story of the decade," said Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., chief architect of the sanctions bill.

The financial angle

Sponsors of these measures argue that they are not meant to interfere with trade. Their purpose is to deny U.S. aid dollars and loans to countries that persecute people of faith in acts ranging from curbs on property rights to murder.

"This isn't about trade. This is about taking tax dollars from the American people and giving them to a government that is denying religious liberties," said Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., sponsor of the aid cutoff provision.

There is no clear distinction, however, between trade, aid and sanctions. True, these bills have been altered so they would not block U.S. exports of anything but riot-suppression gear and other potential tools of persecution.

But they would deny government-sponsored export financing, whether through the Export-Import Bank or other multinational banks.

Much of the $200 million in foreign aid to Russia is specifically tailored to create the sort of business relationships that lead to increased trade between American firms and Russian ones.

USA Engage, a coalition of U.S. businesses active in trade, is trying to head off the imposition of sanctions against countries accused of violating the rights of religious minorities.

"It would be a tragedy if this legislation turned into a battle between the trade-related business community and the religious community," said Dan O'Flaherty of the National Foreign Trade Council.

"Nobody favors religious persecution," Mr. O'Flaherty said. "The question is, what's the most effective means and ways to change it? ... Tolerance won't be increased by coercive sanctions, but it can be by diplomatic persuasion."

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