[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 469 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 469

 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the recent 
  escalation within many participating states of the Organization for 
Security and Cooperation in Europe of anti-Semitic violence, as well as 
manifestations of xenophobia and discrimination directed against ethnic 
and religious minorities, is of grave concern and requires the highest 
                   attention of all OSCE governments.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 27, 2002

    Mr. Smith of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Wolf, Mr. 
Hastings of Florida, Mr. Pitts, Ms. Slaughter, and Mr. Wamp) submitted 
   the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                        International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the recent 
  escalation within many participating states of the Organization for 
Security and Cooperation in Europe of anti-Semitic violence, as well as 
manifestations of xenophobia and discrimination directed against ethnic 
and religious minorities, is of grave concern and requires the highest 
                   attention of all OSCE governments.

Whereas the participating states of the Organization for Security and 
        Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) unanimously agreed in the 1990 Copenhagen 
        Concluding Document to ``unequivocally condemn . . . totalitarianism, 
        racial and ethnic hatred, anti-Semitism, xenophobia and discrimination 
        against anyone as well as persecution on religious and ideological 
        grounds'';
Whereas the Copenhagen Concluding Document further committed states to take 
        effective measures to protect individuals from ``any acts that 
        constitute incitement to violence against persons or groups based on 
        national, racial, ethnic or religious discrimination, hostility or 
        hatred'', and highlighted anti-Semitism;
Whereas the 1999 OSCE Charter for European Security committed participating 
        states to ``counter such threats to security as violations of human 
        rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of thought, 
        conscience, religion or belief and manifestations of intolerance, 
        aggressive nationalism, racism, chauvinism, xenophobia and anti-
        Semitism'';
Whereas the OSCE participating states, at the 1999 Istanbul Summit, deplored 
        violence and other manifestations of racism and discrimination against 
        minorities, including the Roma and Sinti;
Whereas on March 27, 2000, the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe 
        convened the ``Consultation on Anti-Semitism in Europe Today'', where 
        participants adopted ``A Declaration of Concern and Intent'' and 
        undertook ``the Strasbourg Plan of Action'';
Whereas the escalation in Europe and Eurasia of acts of anti-Semitic violence, 
        as well as manifestations of xenophobia and discrimination against 
        ethnic, linguistic, racial and religious minorities, is of grave 
        concern;
Whereas the anti-Semitic violence precipitated throughout the OSCE participating 
        states includes physical assaults, with some instances involving weapons 
        or stones, firebombing of synagogues, including one that burned to the 
        ground, and desecration of Jewish cultural sites, such as cemeteries and 
        statues;
Whereas the scourge of anti-Semitism is not unique to any one country and 
        requires steadfast vigilance, as this escalation of violent anti-Semitic 
        acts against Jews and Jewish cultural sites, documented throughout the 
        OSCE participating states, can no longer be viewed as separate 
        occurrences;
Whereas vicious propaganda and violence in certain OSCE participating states 
        have reached alarming levels against both Jews and ``foreigners'', in 
        part due to the dangerous revitalization of political candidates 
        promoting aggressive nationalism and Neo-Nazi ``skin head'' activities;
Whereas some officials of the governments of OSCE participating states have 
        repeatedly dismissed the significance of the dramatic increase of 
        attacks on Jews and attributed them to ``hooliganism'' and to ``Muslim 
        immigrant'' youth expressing solidarity with Palestinians;
Whereas the legitimization by some governments voting in the United Nations 
        Commission on Human Rights of an armed struggle against Israeli 
        civilians has emboldened some individuals and organizations to lash out 
        against Jews and Jewish institutions;
Whereas hostility, frustration, and disaffection over violence in the Middle 
        East must never be permitted to justify personal attacks on Jews;
Whereas violence and other manifestations of xenophobia and discrimination can 
        never be justified by political issues or international developments;
Whereas Muslims in OSCE participating states have also been the target of 
        intolerance and xenophobia, and although governments have struggled to 
        integrate Muslim immigrants, they are often marginalized in society;
Whereas intolerance and xenophobia of immigrants have been propagated by 
        political parties espousing aggressive nationalism, which further 
        exacerbates hostility towards immigrants, creates a greater sense of 
        disenfranchisement from the country of resettlement, and manifests 
        itself in assaults on individuals;
Whereas the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities has found that 
        discrimination and exclusion are fundamental features of the Roma 
        experience;
Whereas Roma continue to be the victims of violent, and sometimes deadly, 
        racially motivated attacks, and are subjected to efforts to segregate 
        them in housing and education, including by enclosing them in walled 
        ghettos;
Whereas discriminatory acts or policies against minority religious communities, 
        exhibited in burdensome and restrictive government registration schemes 
        or in violence by nonstate actors, is particularly troubling;
Whereas the proliferation of oppressive registration requirements, which impair 
        the ability of minority religious communities to obtain legal 
        personality, and therefore the ability to rent facilities, open banking 
        accounts, and, in some cases, even exist, demonstrates an attitude of 
        intolerance by many governments of OSCE participating states; and
Whereas the unwillingness of governments to effectively protect minority 
        religious communities, knowingly permitting violence against these 
        groups, contributes to a climate of fear and violence in some OSCE 
        participating states: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) the governments of all participating states of the 
        Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) 
        should--
                    (A) unequivocally condemn racial and ethnic hatred, 
                anti-Semitism, xenophobia, and discrimination against 
                anyone, as well as persecution on religious and 
                ideological grounds whenever they occur, and when 
                appropriate, make public statements recognizing 
                violence against Jews and Jewish cultural sites as 
                anti-Semitic;
                    (B) decry the rationalizing of anti-Jewish 
                attitudes and even violent attacks against Jews as 
                merely a result of justified popular frustration with 
                the conflict in the Middle East;
                    (C) ensure effective law enforcement by local and 
                national authorities, including thorough investigation 
                and prosecution of criminal acts stemming from anti-
                Semitism, xenophobia, or discrimination, whether 
                directed at individuals, communities, or property;
                    (D) take effective measures to protect individuals 
                from acts of violence based on ethnic, linguistic, 
                racial, or religious reasons;
                    (E) ensure that laws and policies fully respect the 
                rights of Roma and, where necessary, to promote 
                antidiscrimination legislation to this effect;
                    (F) ensure that minority religious communities and 
                their adherents are able to realize all the rights and 
                benefits on the basis of full equality, regardless of 
                the number of members or the length of time in the 
                country in which they live; and
                    (G) make a concerted effort to cultivate an 
                atmosphere of cooperation and reconciliation among the 
                diverse parties affected by discrimination in Europe; 
                and
            (2) both executive branch officials and Members of Congress 
        should raise the matters set forth in paragraph (1) in their 
        bilateral contacts with countries that are participating states 
        of the OSCE and in appropriate multilateral fora, including the 
        Permanent Council of the OSCE and the July 2002 Eleventh Annual 
        Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.
                                 <all>