Contact: Don Feder, 508-405-1337, don@worldcongress.org; The Howard Center for Family, Religion & Society, 815-964-5819, media@worldcongress.org

ROCKFORD, Ill., June 4, 2013 /Christian Newswire/ -- World Congress of Families Managing Director Larry Jacobs said he was "deeply troubled" by news that FBI agents (members of the Joint Domestic Terrorism Task Force) have asked to "question" Chris Slattery, head of Expectant Mother Care (EMC). The group, which now operates mostly in the New York-area, is preparing for a 10-state expansion.

The meeting, was re-scheduled after Slattery said he wanted his attorney (Jay Sekulow of American Center for Law and Justice) to be present.  Slattery disclosed that an agent had asked to meet with him monthly to develop a "mutually beneficial relationship."  The EMC head joked: "In other words, if I don't meet with them, it will not be beneficial to me."

Jacobs noted: "Some in the pro-life community believe this 'intelligence gathering' operation is intended to stigmatize pro-lifers and justify future actions to disrupt their peaceful, pro-life activities. This comes on the heels of revelations that the IRS deliberately targeted more than 300 conservative and Tea Party groups that promoted American ideals of family, faith, and freedom for all.  Before it would confer 501(c)3 status, the IRS asked the leaders of one pro-life group to sign a pledge that it would never picket a Planned Parenthood clinic."

Jacobs asked: "Who's next? Will the administration begin 'investigating' all non-profit groups that follow Judeo-Christian values or that are opposed to abortion and redefining marriage for other logical and scientific reasons?  Will they start questioning churches and synagogues about their outreach to help pregnant women and children in their communities?  This seems to be part of a far-reaching scheme to intimidate and harass proponents of the natural family and the sanctity of human life."

In the current IRS scandal, confidential donor information of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM, a World Congress of Families Partner) was leaked to proponents of so-called same-sex marriage. As long ago as 2009, the Department of Homeland Security issued a report naming pro-life groups as a potential source of domestic terrorism. When it was made public, DHS was so embarrassed by the report that it was eventually withdrawn.

Later, DHS and FBI agents attended a seminar on "pro-life terrorism" run by Planned Parenthood, the National Abortion Federation and the Feminist Majority Foundation.

Jacobs: "Anti-family forces often employ calumny, harassment and intimidation to silence their opponents.  It's tragic that this administration apparently has made the FBI -- usually a pillar of law enforcement -- part of this anti-speech conspiracy.  The situation bears close scrutiny."

World Congress of Families VII (May 15-18) was held last month in Sydney, Australia: www.worldcongress.com.au .  Chris Slattery, who heads EMC and Pro-Life Interns, and Brian Brown of the National Organization for Marriage are both WCF Partners and were speakers at World Congress of Families VII, May 15-18 in Sydney, Australia.  You can watch Chris, Brian, and all of the speakers from World Congress of Families Sydney online at: mediavisionz.com.au/wcf/2013/index.html.  Online access to all of the speeches, can be ordered from the video company (mediavisionz.com.au) for $99 by WCF delegates and members.

Next week, the World Congress of Families will hold a WCF Caribbean regional conference -- "Building A Culture of Life and A Civilization of Love" in Trinidad, June 14-15. Click here for more information on Building A Culture of Life and A Civilization of Love, June 14-15 in Trinidad (wcfcaribbean2013.org).

World Congress of Families VIII is scheduled for Moscow, the Kremlin, September 10-12, 2014.  In Russia, pro-life politicians and leaders passed a bill that bans abortion after 16 weeks and now requires Russian abortion clinics that advertise to warn women about the many health risks from abortion.  Russia has had one of the highest abortion rates in the world, with the average woman having 7 abortions during her lifetime.

Partners and pro-family groups in more than 80 countries work with the World Congress of Families in its vital work, defending the natural family and the sanctity of human life.  For more information on World Congress of Families, please visit www.worldcongress.org. To schedule an interview with Larry Jacobs, contact Don Feder at 508-405-1337.

The Howard Center for Family, Religion and Society (www.profam.org) is located in Rockford, Illinois and is an independent, non-profit research and education center that provides sound scholarship and effective strategies to affirm and defend the natural family, thus renewing a stable and free society.  The Howard Center is the publisher of the journal, "The Family In America" and is also the organizer of the World Congress of Families (WCF) project which is an international network of pro-family organizations, scholars, leaders and inter-faith people of goodwill from more than 80 countries that seek to restore the natural family as the fundamental social unit and the 'seedbed' of civil society (as found in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948).  The WCF was founded in 1997 by Dr. Allan Carlson, President of The Howard Center.  To date, there have been five World Congresses of Families -- Prague (1997), Geneva (1999), Mexico City (2004), Warsaw, Poland (2007) and Amsterdam, The Netherlands (2009).  World Congress of Families VI was held in Madrid, Spain in May 25-27, 2012.  World Congress of Families VII was held in Sydney, Australia, May 15-18, 2013, www.wcfsydney2013.org.au.  WCF VIII Moscow 2014 will be held September 10-12 in the Kremlin.  Go to www.worldcongress.ru for more information.