[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 288 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 288

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives condemning bigotry 
  and religious intolerance, and recognizing that holy books of every 
          religion should be treated with dignity and respect.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 19, 2005

  Mr. Conyers (for himself, Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas, Ms. Eshoo, Mr. 
   Filner, Mr. Kucinich, Mr. Meehan, Mr. Pascrell, and Mr. Serrano) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                            on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives condemning bigotry 
  and religious intolerance, and recognizing that holy books of every 
          religion should be treated with dignity and respect.

Whereas believers of all religions, including the Abrahamic faiths of 
        Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, should be treated with respect and 
        dignity;
Whereas the word Islam comes from the Arabic root word meaning ``peace'' and 
        ``submission'';
Whereas there are an estimated 7,000,000 Muslims in America, from a wide variety 
        of ethnic backgrounds, forming an integral part of the social fabric of 
        America;
Whereas the Quran is the holy book for Muslims who recite passages from it in 
        prayer and learn valuable lessons about peace, humanity, and 
        spirituality;
Whereas it should never be official policy of the United States Government to 
        disparage the Quran, Islam, or any religion in any way, shape, or form;
Whereas mistreatment of prisoners and disrespect toward the holy book of any 
        religion is unacceptable and against civilized humanity; and
Whereas the infringement of an individual's right to freedom of religion 
        violates the Constitution and laws of the United States: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) condemns bigotry, acts of violence, and intolerance 
        against any religious group, including our friends, neighbors, 
        and citizens of the Islamic faith;
            (2) declares that the civil rights and civil liberties of 
        all individuals, including those of the Islamic faith, should 
        be protected;
            (3) recognizes that the Quran, the holy book of Islam, as 
        any other holy book of any religion, should be treated with 
        dignity and respect; and
            (4) calls upon local, State, and Federal authorities to 
        work to prevent bias-motivated crimes and acts against all 
        individuals, including those of the Islamic faith.
                                 <all>