[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 415 Introduced in House (IH)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 415

 Condemning the repression of the Iranian Baha'i community and calling 
                for the emancipation of Iranian Baha'is.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 24, 2006

     Mr. Kirk (for himself and Mr. Lantos) submitted the following 
     concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                        International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Condemning the repression of the Iranian Baha'i community and calling 
                for the emancipation of Iranian Baha'is.

Whereas in 1982, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, and 2000, Congress, by 
        concurrent resolution, declared that it deplores the religious 
        persecution by the Government of Iran of the Baha'i community and holds 
        the Government of Iran responsible for upholding the rights of all 
        Iranian nationals, including members of the Baha'i Faith;
Whereas on March 20, 2006, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of 
        Religion or Belief, Ms. Asma Jahangir, revealed the existence of a 
        confidential letter dated October 29, 2005, from the Chairman of the 
        Command Headquarters of Iran's Armed Forces to the Ministry of 
        Information, the Revolutionary Guard, and the Police Force, stating that 
        the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, had instructed the Command 
        Headquarters to identify members of the Baha'i Faith in Iran and monitor 
        their activities;
Whereas the United Nations Special Rapporteur expressed ``grave concern and 
        apprehension'' about the implications of this letter for the safety of 
        the Baha'i community;
Whereas in 2005 the Iranian Government initiated a new wave of assaults, homes 
        raids, harassment, and detentions against Baha'is, and in December 2005, 
        Mr. Zabihullah Mahrami died after 10 years of imprisonment on charges of 
        apostasy due to his membership in the Baha'i Faith; and
Whereas beginning in October 2005, an anti-Baha'i campaign has been conducted in 
        the state-sponsored Kayhan newspaper and in broadcast media: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),  
That Congress--
            (1) condemns the Government of Iran for the October 29, 
        2005 letter, calls on the Government of Iran to immediately 
        cease such activities and all activities aimed at the 
        repression of the Iranian Baha'i community, and continues to 
        hold the Government of Iran responsible for upholding all the 
        rights of its nationals, including members of the Baha'i 
        community; and
            (2) requests the President to--
                    (A) call for the Government of Iran to emancipate 
                the Baha'i community by granting those rights 
                guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 
                and other international covenants on human rights;
                    (B) emphasize that the United States regards the 
                human rights practices of the Government of Iran, 
                including its treatment of the Baha'i community and 
                other religious minorities, as a significant factor in 
                the foreign policy of the United States Government 
                regarding Iran; and
                    (C) initiate an active and consistent dialogue with 
                other governments and the European Union in order to 
                persuade the Government of Iran to rectify its human 
                rights practices.
                                 <all>