[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 251 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 251

  Designating October 27, 2003, as ``International Religious Freedom 
                                 Day''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 23, 2003

 Mr. Brownback (for himself, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Dorgan, Mr. Bayh, Mrs. 
 Clinton, Mr. Coleman, Mr. Craig, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Daschle, Mr. Durbin, 
 Mr. Ensign, Mrs. Dole, Mr. Enzi, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Graham of South 
 Carolina, Mr. Hatch, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Lott, Mr. Kohl, 
 Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Nelson of Nebraska, Mr. Nickles, Mr. Santorum, Mr. 
  Schumer, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Shelby, Mr. Smith, Mr. Specter, and Mr. 
  Wyden) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and 
                               agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Designating October 27, 2003, as ``International Religious Freedom 
                                 Day''.

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 Senate--
            (1) designates October 27, 2003, as ``International 
        Religious Freedom Day''; and
            (2) requests that the President issue a proclamation--
                    (A) calling for a renewed commitment to eliminating 
                violations of the internationally recognized right to 
                freedom of religion and protecting fundamental human 
                rights; and
                    (B) calling upon the people of the United States 
                and interested groups and organizations to observe 
                International Religious Freedom Day with appropriate 
                ceremonies and activities.
                                 <all>