[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 145 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 145


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 14, 2001

      Received and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
  Condemning the recent order by the Taliban regime of Afghanistan to 
   require Hindus in Afghanistan to wear symbols identifying them as 
                                 Hindu.

Whereas the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant 
        on Civil and Political Rights guarantee the freedom of religion;
Whereas on May 22, 2001, the Taliban regime of Afghanistan directed Hindus and 
        other non-Muslims to wear a yellow identity symbol and for Hindu women 
        to fully cover themselves in a veil;
Whereas this proposal is reminiscent of the yellow Star of David that Jews were 
        forced to wear in Nazi Germany and Nazi-occupied areas;
Whereas Department of State spokesperson Richard Boucher condemned the Taliban 
        action, stating that ``forcing social groups to wear distinctive 
        clothing or identifying marks stigmatizes and isolates those groups and 
        can never, never be justified'';
Whereas the Taliban regime recently offended the world by ordering the 
        destruction of all pre-Islamic statues in Afghanistan, among them a pair 
        of 1,600-year-old, 100-foot-tall statues of Buddha that were carved out 
        of a mountainside;
Whereas the reprehensible policies of the Taliban are exacerbating the suffering 
        of the people of Afghanistan who are already besieged by a devastating 
        drought and the continued fighting in the region; and
Whereas the American people feel a great deal of sympathy for the people of 
        Afghanistan and continue to provide humanitarian assistance to alleviate 
        the suffering of the Afghan people: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) strongly condemns the Taliban's use of Nazi tactics to 
        force Hindus in Afghanistan to wear symbols identifying them as 
        Hindu;
            (2) joins with people of all faiths around the world in 
        standing against the religious persecution by the Taliban 
        regime;
            (3) demands the Taliban regime immediately revoke its order 
        stigmatizing Hindus and other non-Muslims in Afghanistan and 
        conform its laws to all basic international civil and human 
        rights standards; and
            (4) calls on the Government of Pakistan to use its 
        influence with the Taliban regime to demand that the Taliban 
        revoke the reprehensible policy of forcing Afghan Hindus and 
        other non-Muslims to wear a yellow identity symbol.

            Passed the House of Representatives June 13, 2001.

            Attest:

                                                 JEFF TRANDAHL,

                                                                 Clerk.