[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 423 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 423

  Recognizing the 5th anniversary of the signing of the International 
   Religious Freedom Act of 1998 and urging a renewed commitment to 
   eliminating violations of the internationally recognized right to 
      freedom of religion and protecting fundamental human rights.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 29, 2003

    Mr. Wolf (for himself, Mr. DeLay, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, Mr. 
 Rohrabacher, Mr. Lantos, Mr. Green of Wisconsin, Mr. Pitts, Mr. Kirk, 
Mr. Franks of Arizona, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, Mr. Bartlett of Maryland, Mr. 
 Towns, Mr. Bell, Mr. Doolittle, Mr. Ramstad, Mr. Foley, Mr. Aderholt, 
 Mr. Baker, Mr. Kennedy of Rhode Island, Mr. Jones of North Carolina, 
   Mr. Terry, Mr. McGovern, and Mr. DeMint) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International 
  Relations, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and 
 Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Recognizing the 5th anniversary of the signing of the International 
   Religious Freedom Act of 1998 and urging a renewed commitment to 
   eliminating violations of the internationally recognized right to 
      freedom of religion and protecting fundamental human rights.

Whereas the people of the United States enjoy and respect the freedom of 
        religion and believe that the fundamental rights of all individuals 
        shall be recognized;
Whereas fundamental human rights, including the right to freedom of thought, 
        conscience, and religion, are protected in numerous international 
        agreements and declarations;
Whereas religious freedom is an absolute human right and all people are entitled 
        to do with their own souls as they choose;
Whereas the right to freedom of religion is expressed in the Declaration on the 
        Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on 
        Religion or Belief, adopted and proclaimed by the United Nations General 
        Assembly Resolution 36/55 of November 22, 1981; the Helsinki Accords; 
        the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, done at New 
        York on December 16, 1966, and entered into force March 23, 1976; the 
        United Nations Charter; and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 
        adopted and proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 
        217(A)(III) of December 10, 1984;
Whereas the freedom for all individuals to adopt, believe, worship, observe, 
        teach, and practice a religion individually or collectively has been 
        explicitly articulated in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of 
        Human Rights and Article 18(1) of the International Covenant on Civil 
        and Political Rights;
Whereas religious persecution is not confined to a country, a region, or a 
        regime; but whereas all governments should provide and protect religious 
        liberty;
Whereas nearly half of the people in the world are continually denied or 
        restricted in the right to believe or practice their faith;
Whereas religious persecution often includes confinement, separation, 
        humiliation, rape, enslavement, forced conversion, imprisonment, 
        torture, and death;
Whereas October 27, 2003, marks the 5th anniversary of the signing of the 
        International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6401 et seq.), 
        creating the Office of International Religious Freedom in the Department 
        of State and the United States Commission on International Religious 
        Freedom and resulting in a greater awareness of religious persecution 
        both in the United States and abroad; and
Whereas the United States recognizes the need for additional domestic and 
        international attention and action to promote religious liberty: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the 5th anniversary of the signing of the 
        International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6401 et 
        seq.); and
            (2) urges a renewed commitment to eliminating violations of 
        the internationally recognized right to freedom of religion and 
        protecting fundamental human rights.
                                 <all>