[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 31 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. CON. RES. 31

      Concerning the emancipation of the Iranian Baha'i community.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                June 17 (legislative day, June 15), 1993

   Mr. Dodd (for himself, Mr. Pell, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. McCain, Mrs. 
Kassebaum, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. D'Amato, Mr. Mathews, Mr. 
DeConcini, Mr. Dorgan, Mr. Sarbanes, Mr. Levin, Mr. Dole, Mr. Campbell, 
 Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Moynihan, Mr. Pressler, Mr. Inouye, Mr. Wofford, 
Mr. Craig, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Simon, Mr. Hatfield, Mr. Mitchell, Mr. Hatch, 
      Mr. Heflin, Mr. Graham, Mr. Robb, Mr. Glenn, Mr. Kerry, Mr. 
  Durenberger, Mr. Daschle, Mrs. Boxer, and Mr. Sasser) submitted the 
following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
      Concerning the emancipation of the Iranian Baha'i community.

Whereas in 1982, 1984, 1988, 1990, and 1992, the Congress, by concurrent 
        resolution, declared that it holds the Government of Iran responsible 
        for upholding the rights of all its nationals, including members of the 
        Baha'i Faith, Iran's largest religious minority;
Whereas in such resolutions and in numerous other appeals, the Congress 
        condemned the Government of Iran's religious persecution of the Baha'i 
        community, including the execution of more than 200 Baha'is, the 
        imprisonment of additional thousands, and other repressive and 
        discriminatory actions against Baha'is based solely upon their religious 
        beliefs;
Whereas in 1992, the Government of Iran summarily executed a leading member of 
        the Baha'i community, arrested and imprisoned several other Baha'is, 
        condemned two Baha'i prisoners to death on account of their religion, 
        and confiscated individual Baha'is' homes and personal properties in 
        several cities;
Whereas the Government of Iran continues to deny the Baha'i community the right 
        to organize, to elect its leaders, to hold community property for 
        worship or assembly, to operate religious schools and to conduct other 
        normal religious community activities; and
Whereas on February 22, 1993, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights 
        published a formerly confidential Iranian government document 
        constituting a blueprint for the destruction of the Baha'i community, 
        which document reveals that these repressive actions are the result of a 
        deliberate policy designed and approved by the highest officials of the 
        Government of Iran: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That the Congress--
            (1) continues to hold the Government of Iran responsible 
        for upholding the rights of all its nationals, including 
        members of the Baha'i community, in a manner consistent with 
        Iran's obligations under the Universal Declaration of Human 
        Rights and other international agreements guaranteeing the 
        civil and political rights of its citizens;
            (2) condemns the repressive anti-Baha'i policy adopted by 
        the Government of Iran, as set forth in a confidential official 
        document which explicitly states that Baha'is shall be denied 
        access to education and employment, and that the government's 
        policy is to deal with Baha'is ``in such a way that their 
        progress and development are blocked'';
            (3) expresses concern that individual Baha'is continue to 
        suffer from severely repressive and discriminatory government 
        actions, solely on account of their religion; and that the 
        Baha'i community continues to be denied legal recognition and 
        the basic rights to organize, elect its leaders, educate its 
        youth, and conduct the normal activities of a law-abiding 
        religious community;
            (4) urges the Government of Iran to extend to the Baha'i 
        community the rights guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of 
        Human Rights and the international covenants on human rights, 
        including the freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, and 
        equal protection of the law; and
            (5) calls upon the President to continue--
                    (A) to emphasize that the United States regards the 
                human rights practices of the Government of Iran, 
                particularly its treatment of the Baha'i community and 
                other religious minorities, as a significant factor in 
                the development of the United States Government's 
                relations with the Government of Iran;
                    (B) to urge the Government of Iran to emancipate 
                the Baha'i community by granting those rights 
                guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 
                and the international covenants on human rights; and
                    (C) to encourage other governments to continue to 
                appeal to the Government of Iran, and to cooperate with 
                other governments and international organizations, 
                including the United Nations and its agencies, in 
                efforts to protect the religious rights of the Baha'is 
                and other minorities through joint appeals to the 
                Government of Iran and through other appropriate 
                actions.
    Sec. 2. The Secretary of the Senate shall transmit a copy of this 
concurrent resolution to the President.

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