[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 436 Introduced in Senate (IS)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 436

Urging the Federation Internationale de Football Association to prevent 
   persons or groups representing the Islamic Republic of Iran from 
              participating in sanctioned soccer matches.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 6, 2006

  Mr. McCain (for himself, Mr. Lugar, Ms. Collins, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. 
    Ensign, Mr. Menendez, and Mr. Martinez) submitted the following 
  resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Urging the Federation Internationale de Football Association to prevent 
   persons or groups representing the Islamic Republic of Iran from 
              participating in sanctioned soccer matches.

Whereas, since 1984, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been identified by the 
        Department of State as an active sponsor of terrorism;
Whereas an Iran capable of deploying nuclear weapons constitutes a threat to 
        international peace and security;
Whereas, in July 2003, the Iranian Ministry of Defense confirmed the results of 
        a successful test of an intermediate range ballistic missile that is 
        capable of striking Israel;
Whereas, since February 2003, Iran has--

    (1) consistently misled the United Nations, the International Atomic 
Energy Agency, the European Union, and the United States about the scope of 
its nuclear activities; and

    (2) taken steps to produce weapons-grade uranium;

Whereas top officials of Iran have repeatedly threatened the United States, 
        including--

    (1) Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who stated in June 2004 that ``[t]he world 
of Islam has been mobilized against America for the past 25 years. The 
peoples call, `death to America'. Who used to say death to America? Who, 
besides the Islamic Republic and the Iranian people, used to say this? 
Today, everyone says this.'';

    (2) members of the parliament of Iran who, on October 2004, shouted 
``Death to America'' as that body unanimously approved legislation 
requiring the Government to resume uranium enrichment; and

    (3) President Ahmadinejad, who stated on October 2005 that ``God 
willing, with the force of God behind it, we shall soon experience a world 
without the United States and Zionism'', and referred to a world without 
the United States as ``a possible goal and slogan'';

Whereas the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in an October 26, 2005, 
        address at the World Without Zionism conference in Tehran, declared 
        that--

    (1) Israel is ``a disgraceful blot [on] the face of the Islamic 
world'';

    (2) Israel ``must be wiped off the map''; and

    (3) ``anybody who recognizes Israel will burn in the fire of the 
Islamic nation's fury'';

Whereas President Ahmadinejad also stated on December 8, 2006, that ``If the 
        Europeans are honest they should give some of their provinces in Europe 
        . . . to the Zionists, and the Zionists can establish their state in 
        Europe'';
Whereas Iran supports and provides funds to terrorist groups that are determined 
        to destroy the State of Israel;
Whereas an estimated 6,000,000 Jews were killed in the Nazi Holocaust;
Whereas President Ahmadinejad has denied the existence of the Holocaust on 
        numerous occasions, including--

    (1) on December 8, 2005, when at an Islamic conference in Mecca, Saudi 
Arabia, he declared that ``Some European countries insist on saying that 
Hitler killed millions of innocent Jews in furnaces . . . although we don't 
accept this claim''; and

    (2) on December 14, 2005, when on Iranian television, he remarked that 
``They have invented a myth that Jews were massacred and place this above 
God, religions and the prophets'';

Whereas it is a crime in the Federal Republic of Germany to deny the existence 
        of the Holocaust;
Whereas on June 9, 2006, the Federation Internationale de Football Association 
        (referred to in this preamble as ``FIFA'') World Cup soccer tournament 
        is scheduled to begin in the Federal Republic of Germany;
Whereas the Islamic Republic of Iran is a member of FIFA, and the Iranian 
        national team is scheduled to play its opening match on June 11, 2006, 
        in Nuremberg, Germany, which was the site of war crimes tribunals that 
        tried Nazi leaders for atrocities and genocide against Jews during the 
        Holocaust;
Whereas the International Olympic Committee barred the Republic of South Africa 
        from the Olympics until 1992, when the country repealed all of its 
        apartheid laws during the previous year;
Whereas, in October 1964, FIFA suspended the national soccer team of South 
        Africa from international competition until the Government of South 
        Africa ended its policy of apartheid in 1991;
Whereas, on May 30, 1992, in a resolution imposing diplomatic and economic 
        sanctions on Yugoslavia, the United Nations Security Council called on 
        member states of the United Nations to ``take the necessary steps to 
        prevent the participation in sporting events on their territory of 
        persons or groups representing Yugoslavia.'';
Whereas, in 1992, the Union of European Football Associations banned Yugoslavia 
        from participating in the European soccer championships and prevented it 
        from participating in the 1994 World Cup qualifying matches; and
Whereas Article 3 of the ``Regulations Governing the Application of the FIFA 
        Statutes'' states that ``Discrimination of any kind against a country, 
        private person or groups of people on account of ethnic origin, gender, 
        language, religion, politics or any other reason is strictly prohibited 
        and punishable by suspension or expulsion.'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) condemns the terrible statements issued by the Iranian 
        president and demands that he repudiate them;
            (2) calls on the United Nations Security Council and all 
        countries to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons;
            (3) strongly urges the Federation Internationale de 
        Football Association (referred to in this resolution as 
        ``FIFA'') to ban persons or groups representing the Islamic 
        Republic of Iran from sanctioned international sporting 
        competition, including the 2006 FIFA World Cup, until such time 
        that Iran--
                    (A) rescinds its position disavowing the Holocaust;
                    (B) repudiates its calls for the eradication of the 
                State of Israel;
                    (C) ends its support for terrorism; and
                    (D) ceases its pursuit of nuclear weapons; and
            (4) calls on all FIFA members to support such actions 
        within the appropriate FIFA governing bodies.
                                 <all>