John Hanford
Encyclopedia
John Van Hanford III was United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom from 2002 to 2009. As ambassador, Hanford led the Office of International Religious Freedom at the United States Department of State
.
The Office of International Religious Freedom and position of Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom were created under the provisions of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998
. Hanford was the second ambassador. He was appointed to the post in May 2002 by President
George W. Bush
and served until 2009.
and is a nephew of Elizabeth Hanford Dole
.
He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
on a John Motley Morehead Scholarship and earned his Bachelor of Arts
in economics
. He graduated from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
with a Master of Divinity
.
before working for 14 years as a Congressional Fellow on the staff of Senator
Richard Lugar of Indiana
, a Republican
. Hanford was foreign affairs aide focusing on international religious freedom who worked to pass the International Religious Freedom Act.
President George W. Bush
announced that he intended to nominate Hanford as Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom on September 26, 2001. The nomination was sent to the Senate
on November 6, 2001, and Hanford was confirmed
on January 25, 2002.
Hanford served from May 2, 2002 to January 2, 2009. During Hanford's term, Uzbekistan
was designated a Country of Particular Concern
under the International Religious Freedom Act for "particularly severe violations of religious freedom." Hanford said that Uzbekistan had added "outrageous" amendments to the state law governing religion: Hanford said, "The most serious problem over the last few years in Uzbekistan has been the inappropriate arrest of some Muslim
s who are simply observant, maybe praying five times a day. Perhaps they have a beard, and just on the basis of these outward signs, they are suspected of having terrorist ties. And in some cases, these people have been horribly treated."
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
.
The Office of International Religious Freedom and position of Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom were created under the provisions of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998
International Religious Freedom Act of 1998
The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 was passed to promote religious freedom as a foreign policy of the United States, and to advocate on the behalf of the individuals viewed as persecuted in foreign countries on the account of religion...
. Hanford was the second ambassador. He was appointed to the post in May 2002 by President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and served until 2009.
Early life and education
Hanford is from Salisbury, North CarolinaSalisbury, North Carolina
Salisbury is a city in Rowan County in North Carolina, a state of the United States of America. The population was 33,663 in the 2010 Census . It is the county seat of Rowan County...
and is a nephew of Elizabeth Hanford Dole
Elizabeth Dole
Mary Elizabeth Alexander Hanford "Liddy" Dole is an American politician who served in both the Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush presidential administrations, as well as a United States Senator....
.
He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
on a John Motley Morehead Scholarship and earned his Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
. He graduated from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
Gordon–Conwell Theological Seminary is an evangelical theological seminary whose main campus is based in South Hamilton, Massachusetts, with three other campuses in Boston, Charlotte, North Carolina and Jacksonville. The current president of Gordon-Conwell is Dennis Hollinger...
with a Master of Divinity
Master of Divinity
In the academic study of theology, the Master of Divinity is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America...
.
Career
Hanford served in pastoral ministry on the staff of West Hopewell Presbyterian Church in Hopewell, VirginiaHopewell, Virginia
Hopewell is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 22,591 at the 2010 Census . It is in Tri-Cities area of the Richmond-Petersburg region and is a portion of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area...
before working for 14 years as a Congressional Fellow on the staff of Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Richard Lugar of Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. Hanford was foreign affairs aide focusing on international religious freedom who worked to pass the International Religious Freedom Act.
President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
announced that he intended to nominate Hanford as Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom on September 26, 2001. The nomination was sent to the Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
on November 6, 2001, and Hanford was confirmed
Advice and consent
Advice and consent is an English phrase frequently used in enacting formulae of bills and in other legal or constitutional contexts, describing a situation in which the executive branch of a government enacts something previously approved of by the legislative branch.-General:The expression is...
on January 25, 2002.
Hanford served from May 2, 2002 to January 2, 2009. During Hanford's term, Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
was designated a Country of Particular Concern
Country of Particular Concern
Country of Particular Concern is a designation by the United States Secretary of State of a nation guilty of particularly severe violations of religious freedom under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 and its amendment of 1999...
under the International Religious Freedom Act for "particularly severe violations of religious freedom." Hanford said that Uzbekistan had added "outrageous" amendments to the state law governing religion: Hanford said, "The most serious problem over the last few years in Uzbekistan has been the inappropriate arrest of some Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s who are simply observant, maybe praying five times a day. Perhaps they have a beard, and just on the basis of these outward signs, they are suspected of having terrorist ties. And in some cases, these people have been horribly treated."
External links
- Biography from the Department of State