Three honored with First Freedom Awards

By: Katherine Calos | Richmond Times-Dispatch
Published: January 13, 2010

The first elected president of Indonesia, the head of a U.S. commission on international religious freedom and a divinity school professor will be honored tomorrow at the First Freedom Awards gala at the Richmond Marriott.

The First Freedom Center will present its international, national and Virginia awards in anticipation of National Religious Freedom Day on Saturday. The center's name refers to the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guaranteed freedom of religion.

The International First Freedom Award will be presented posthumously to President Abdurrahman Wahid, who died peacefully Dec. 30 at the age of 69.

Wahid was Indonesia's first democratically elected president and served from 1999 to 2001. He also led the Nahdlatul Ulama (Awakening of Religious Scholars), which the center describes as the world's largest Islamic organization, with 40 million members.

While president, Wahid encouraged religious freedom and equality. After his term, he continued to defend religious minorities, promote a secular legal and political system, and speak out against religious extremists. His Wahid Institute and LibForAll Foundation continue to promote his ideals.

The National First Freedom Award will go to Felice D. Gaer, director of the American Jewish Committee's Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights and chairwoman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.

She has led missions to Afghanistan, Egypt, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, Shanghai and Tibet on behalf of the commission. Working with the United Nations, she played a key role in assuring passage of the General Assembly's first-ever condemnation of anti-Semitism. She also has led initiatives linking women's rights to human rights.

The Virginia First Freedom Award goes to Melissa Rogers of Falls Church, director of the Wake Forest School of Divinity Center for Religion and Public Affairs. Previously, she was general counsel of the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs in Washington and the first executive director of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.

Contact Katherine Calos at (804) 649-6433 or kcalos@timesdispatch.com.