We’ve talked about religious garb in the U.S. here and here. This morning, the New York Times reportedthat a government panel in France recommended limitations on wearing the Muslim veil in certain public places, but a total ban on the veil wasn’t suggested.

This story brings to the forefront an issue we’ve discussed: in the U.S., when matters of religious garb enter the public sphere there are questions that often arise. Should the government have any say in what people wear? What if a garment offends others? When is it legitimate to ask someone to remove a piece of religious garb? When taking a photo for a government ID? When someone works at a public school or government office? Never?

This is a complicated issue, but an important one that meets at the nexus of religious freedom and secularism. I f you were in charge, how would you handle this very delicate issue?

January 16th was Religious Freedom Day in the U.S. On that occasion, America.gov asked five experts: Is it possible to protect religious freedom without limiting free speech? Check out their responses and tell us what you think.

You can also read President Obama’s proclamation here.

As religious holidays are on the mind of many people this month, it’s important note that almost 70 percent of people in the world live in countries with high restrictions on religion according to Global Restrictions on Religion, a new study by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life.

Religious minorities are most directly affected by these restrictions which result from government actions, policies and laws and/or hostile acts by private individuals, organizations and social groups, says the report. Some restrictions on religion include:

• national or local governments limiting efforts by religious groups or individuals
to persuade others to join their faith;

• religious groups having to register with the government for various purposes;

• registration requirements resulting in major problems for, or outright
discrimination against, certain faiths.

The study lists the countries that have the highest and lowest restrictions on religion, but notes that it is not attempting to determine whether certain restrictions are justified or unjustified, rather it “seeks simply to measure the restrictions that exist in a quantifiable, transparent and reproducible way, based on reports from numerous governmental and nongovernmental organizations.”

Do you think it’s ever justified to restrict religion?

Read more about freedom of religion here and here.

These parents are an interfaith couple, and the family celebrates both Christian and Jewish holidays.

Check out these photo galleries highlighting the many religious and cultural celebrations in the U.S. each winter:

Winter Celebrations Mirror America’s Diversity

Hanukkah: A Celebration of Religious Freedom

Christmas Reflects America’s Diversity

Photographer Ashish T. from India posted this photo on our Flickr site. The caption: Muslims offering prayers on the occasion of Eid in Mumbai.

Send us photos that capture what Eid-ul-Adha means to you.

Friday marks the beginning of Eid ul-adha, a major Muslim holiday that marks the end the of the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, made by millions of Muslims from around the world each year.

“Michelle and I would like to send our best wishes to all those performing Hajj this year, and to Muslims in America and around the world who are celebrating Eid-ul-Adha,” President Obama said. “The rituals of Hajj and Eid-ul-Adha both serve as reminders of the shared Abrahamic roots of three of the world’s major religions.”

Read more of President Obama’s Statement on Hajj and Eid-ul-Adha and share your Eid photos at our America.gov Flikr site.

Arsalan Iftikhar weighs in on the Ft. Hood shootings with Murder has no religion. Daisy Khan writes about responses from the American-Muslim community. U.S. Army General Casey says diversity is a strength and must not become a casualty of the event. Michelle Brooks takes a look at President Obama’s comments.

During the release of the 2009 international religious freedom report Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that “an individual’s ability to practice his or her religion has no bearing on others’ freedom of speech.”

She was referring to anti-defamation policies supported by some at the United Nations which would suppress offensive speech about religion.

Citing the U.S. experience, Clinton said “the best antidote to intolerance is not the defamation of religion’s approach of banning and punishing offensive speech, but rather, a combination of robust legal protections against discrimination and hate crimes, proactive government outreach to minority religious groups, and the vigorous defense of both freedom of religion and expression.”

See Clinton’s full remarks here and more information on the report here at America.gov.

Check out Freedom of Faith for a look into how fundamental principles like religious freedom are best upheld in a nation where the population has multiplied by 100 since the principle of religious freedom was outlined in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

How does your country protect the right to freely practice religion?

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today will deliver remarks about the release of the State Department’s 2009 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom. The report documents, in 198 countries, abuses of religious freedom and progress toward what Clinton calls “the price of admission into the 21st century”: Learning to respect the faith of one’s neighbors.

Check back later for more details about what’s found in the 2009 report. You can see past reports here.