[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 140 Introduced in House (IH)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 140

  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives concerning the 
 continuous repression of freedoms within Iran and of individual human 
           rights abuses, particularly with regard to women.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 12, 2003

 Mr. Lantos (for himself, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, Mr. Ackerman, Mr. Cox, Mr. 
Burton of Indiana, and Ms. Loretta Sanchez of California) submitted the 
     following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                        International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives concerning the 
 continuous repression of freedoms within Iran and of individual human 
           rights abuses, particularly with regard to women.

Whereas the people of the United States respect the Iranian people and value the 
        contributions that Iran's culture has made to world civilization for 
        over 3 millennia;
Whereas the Iranian people aspire to democracy, civil, political, and religious 
        rights, and the rule of law, as evidenced by increasingly frequent 
        antigovernment and anti-Khatami demonstrations within Iran and by 
        statements of numerous Iranian expatriates and dissidents;
Whereas Iran is an ideological dictatorship presided over by an unelected 
        Supreme Leader with limitless veto power, an unelected Expediency 
        Council and Council of Guardians capable of eviscerating any reforms, 
        and a President elected only after the aforementioned disqualified 234 
        other candidates for being too liberal, reformist, or secular;
Whereas the Iranian government has been developing a uranium enrichment program 
        that by 2005 is expected to be capable of producing several nuclear 
        weapons each year, which would further threaten nations in the region 
        and around the world;
Whereas the United States recognizes the Iranian peoples' concerns that 
        President Muhammad Khatami's rhetoric has not been matched by his 
        actions;
Whereas President Khatami clearly lacks the ability and inclination to change 
        the behavior of the Islamic Republic of Iran either toward the vast 
        majority of Iranians who seek freedom or toward the international 
        community;
Whereas political repression, newspaper censorship, corruption, vigilante 
        intimidation, arbitrary imprisonment of students, and public executions 
        have increased since President Khatami's inauguration in 1997;
Whereas men and women are not equal under the laws of Iran and women are legally 
        deprived of their basic rights;
Whereas the Iranian Government shipped 50 tons of sophisticated weaponry to the 
        Palestinian Authority despite Chairman Arafat's cease-fire agreement, 
        consistently seeks to undermine the Middle East peace process, provides 
        safe-haven to al-Qa'ida and Taliban terrorists, allows transit of arms 
        for guerrillas seeking to undermine Turkey, an ally of the United 
        States, provides transit for terrorists seeking to destabilize the 
        United States-protected safe-haven in Iraq, and develops weapons of mass 
        destruction;
Whereas since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and despite 
        rhetorical protestations to the contrary, the Government of Iran has 
        actively and repeatedly sought to undermine the United States war on 
        terror;
Whereas there is a broad-based movement for change in Iran that represents all 
        sectors of Iranian society, including youth, women, student bodies, 
        military personnel, and even religious figures, that is prodemocratic, 
        believes in secular government, and is yearning to live in freedom;
Whereas following the tragedies of September 11, 2001, tens of thousands of 
        Iranians filled the streets spontaneously and in solidarity with the 
        United States and the victims of the terrorist attacks; and
Whereas the people of Iran deserve the support of the people of the United 
        States: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) legitimizing the regime in Iran stifles the growth of 
        the genuine democratic forces in Iran and does not serve the 
        national security interest of the United States;
            (2) positive gestures of the United States toward Iran 
        should be directed toward the people of Iran, and not political 
        figures whose survival depends upon preservation of the current 
        regime; and
            (3) it should be the policy of the United States to seek a 
        genuine democratic government in Iran that will restore freedom 
        to the Iranian people, abandon terrorism, and live in peace and 
        security with the international community.
                                 <all>