Thirty religious leaders have sent a letter to the Obama administration asking the president why he has not appointed an ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom after almost 15 months in office.

The letter, dated Match 30, requests that a person with advanced foreign-policy experience and expertise be named along with the announcement of a government strategy for promoting religious freedom, which is increasingly under attack around the world. It also asks that this official have expertise in religion.

"President Obama has said some fine words about religious freedom, but getting an ambassador in place is not a priority," said Thomas Farr, one of the signers and the former director of the State Department's Office of Religious Freedom as well as a senior fellow at the Berkley Center at Georgetown University....