(cleaswisdom.net)

On July 19, 2007, hundreds held a rally at the Capitol Hill calling for the end of the persecution of Falun Gong. The below are the excerpts of the speech given by by Joseph K. Grieboski, the founder and president of the Institute on Religion and Public Policy.

Mr. Grieboski said, "It is an embarrassment that we have to still be here, rallying for the cause of Falun Gong's freedom.

"It is an embarrassment that so many years later, we continue to fight for Falun Gong members' rights to believe and practice their faith without constant fear of discrimination, torture, persecution, and death at the hands of the tyrants in Beijing.

"It is an embarrassment that when Falun Gong members are being tortured, Christians detained, Buddhists infiltrated and Muslims targeted by Beijing, the world remains silent.

"It is an embarrassment that American businesses would rather kowtow to the oppressive desires of the Beijing government than stand up for principles of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, and freedom of the press.

"And ladies and gentlemen, the greatest embarrassment of all is that none of this has to be taking place!

"American political, academic, social, business and religious leaders must stand together to say no to China's despotic treatment of religious believers.

"We must have the political will as a people to say NO to repression, to say NO to persecution, to say NO to extra-judicial killings, to say NO to illegal detentions and torture committed against people of faith in China. "