A federal commission on international religious freedom is urging the Bush administration to "lay the groundwork now for a future Afghanistan that respects the rights of all persons, including the right to freedom of religion and belief, and strengthens the elements of religious tolerance

A federal commission on international religious freedom is urging the Bush administration to "lay the groundwork now for a future Afghanistan that respects the rights of all persons, including the right to freedom of religion and belief, and strengthens the elements of religious tolerance." Afghanistan's new political system "should be committed to ensuring that religious belief and practice are based on conscience and personal values, rather than imposed by coercion and violence," the U.S.

Commission on International Religious Freedom wrote in its letter to Secretary of State Colin Powell. "Without strong U.S. leadership to ensure the protection of religious freedom and tolerance, we fear that egregious persecution will soon again be the norm," the commission declared in its letter.

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