[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 840 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 840

  Condemning continuing violations of religious freedom in the Middle 
                     East, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 15, 2009

Mr. Burton of Indiana (for himself, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, and Mr. Franks of 
Arizona) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Condemning continuing violations of religious freedom in the Middle 
                     East, and for other purposes.

Whereas for thousands of years, a broad and diverse array of religious 
        communities have resided in the Middle East, including numerous 
        denominations of Christians, Muslims, Jews, and others;
Whereas the increasing activity, both political and violent, of Islamist 
        extremists throughout the region have caused the displacement within or 
        emigration from the Middle East of many indigenous Christians, Jews, and 
        others;
Whereas government-controlled media in Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and 
        other countries, as well as in the Palestinian Authority and the Hamas-
        controlled Gaza Strip, continue to publish and broadcast anti-Semitic 
        and anti-Israel materials that demonize and stereotype Jews;
Whereas the Government of Iran continues to persecute many Iranian religious 
        communities;
Whereas the Government of Iran does not recognize any non-Muslim religious 
        minority communities other than Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians;
Whereas all non-Muslim religious minorities are prohibited from running for all 
        but 5 seats in the national legislature, from serving in the security 
        services and the judiciary, and from working as public school 
        principals;
Whereas Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has reportedly called for a crackdown 
        on Christianity in that country, and the Government of Iran continues to 
        close down churches and arrest converts to Christianity;
Whereas the Government of Iran has taken and continues to take special measures 
        to harass and discriminate against Baha'is, including seizing their 
        communal property, arresting and imprisoning them on account of their 
        faith, banning them from practicing or teaching their religion, 
        prohibiting their official assembly, closing their communal 
        institutions, effectively precluding them from enrollment in state-run 
        universities, excluding them from the social pension system, refusing 
        them legal compensation for injuries, denying them the right to inherit 
        property, and frequently charging them with espionage for Israel;
Whereas anti-Israel demonstrations in Iran increasingly include the denunciation 
        of Jews and Iranian synagogues and continue to be assaulted;
Whereas Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has repeatedly and virulently 
        denounced the Jewish State of Israel, has openly denied the Holocaust;
Whereas apostasy and conversion from Islam are punishable by death in Iran;
Whereas the 2008 Department of State Country Report on International Religious 
        Freedom on Iran stated that ``During the reporting period, respect for 
        religious freedom in the country continued to deteriorate . . . 
        government rhetoric and actions created a threatening atmosphere for 
        nearly all non-Shi'a religious groups, most notably for Baha'is, as well 
        as Sufi Muslims, evangelical Christians, and members of the Jewish 
        community . . . reports of Government imprisonment, harassment, 
        intimidation, and discrimination based on religious beliefs continued 
        during the reporting period . . . Baha'i religious groups reported 
        arbitrary arrests, expulsions from universities, and confiscation of 
        property.'';
Whereas in February 2008 a revision to the Syrian Penal Code was drafted for 
        approval by the legislature whereby apostasy, specifically conversion 
        from Islam, would be punishable by death under the revised Penal Code;
Whereas the Government of Syria reportedly continues to bar Syrian Jews from 
        working in the armed forces or civil service, gives extra scrutiny to 
        applications by Jews for government documents, and lists religion on the 
        identity cards and passports of Jews, and Jews alone;
Whereas in July 2006, the Syrian Deputy Minister of Religious Endowment declared 
        on state television that Jews are cursed and called them ``the 
        descendants of apes and pigs'';
Whereas the 2008 Department of State Country Report on International Religious 
        Freedom on Syria stated that: ``The Government continued to outlaw the 
        Jehovah's Witnesses . . . in addition, the Government continued to 
        monitor the activities of all groups, including religious groups, and 
        discouraged proselytizing, which it deemed a threat to relations among 
        religious groups.'';
Whereas the Government of Saudi Arabia does not recognize or protect freedom of 
        religion under the law;
Whereas the Government of Saudi Arabia continues to engage in political, 
        economic, religious, legal, and social discrimination against those who 
        do not adhere to the state-backed Wahhabi interpretation of Islam;
Whereas there are numerous reports of harassment, violence, and murder by the 
        Saudi mutawwai'in (state religious police);
Whereas textbooks in Saudi state-sponsored schools reportedly continue to 
        include statements of hate and contempt for Christians, Jews, Shiite 
        Muslims, Isma`ilis, and others;
Whereas in Saudi Arabia, foreign workers and their family members have 
        reportedly been exploited, discriminated against, arrested, or deported 
        on account of their religious beliefs;
Whereas, according to the United States Department of State, customs officials 
        in Saudi Arabia ``confiscated or censored materials considered 
        offensive, including Christian Bibles and religious videotapes'';
Whereas the Government of Saudi Arabia reportedly continues to refuse to finance 
        the construction or maintenance of Shiite mosques, deny approval for the 
        construction or registration of Shiite community centers, and prohibit 
        the import or sale of Shiite religious paraphernalia;
Whereas the 2008 Department of State Country Report on International Religious 
        Freedom on Saudi Arabia stated that: ``The public practice of non-Muslim 
        religions is prohibited, and mutawwa'in (religious police) continued to 
        conduct raids of private non-Muslim religious gatherings . . . although 
        the Government also confirmed its policy to protect the right to possess 
        and use personal religious materials, it did not provide for this right 
        in law, and the mutawwa'in sometimes confiscated the personal religious 
        material of non-Muslims.'';
Whereas since the radical Islamist group Hamas violently seized power in the 
        Gaza Strip in June of 2007, harassment of and violence against 
        Christians has increased;
Whereas Christian-owned stores in Gaza, such as the Bible Society bookstore, 
        have been targets of firebombs and gunfire;
Whereas Palestinian Authority officials have in the past failed to effectively 
        combat harassment of and violence against Christian residents of 
        Bethlehem;
Whereas the Government of Egypt continues to refuse to recognize conversions by 
        Egyptian Muslims to Christianity;
Whereas the 2008 Department of State Country Report on International Religious 
        Freedom on Egypt stated that: ``The Constitution provides for freedom of 
        belief and the practice of religious rites, although the Government 
        places restrictions on these rights in practice.'';
Whereas Islamic extremists in Iraq have bombed dozens churches in the past 4 
        years and demanded Christians either convert or pay thousands of dollars 
        in ransom, and have kidnapped or killed a number of Christian clergy;
Whereas many of Iraq's Christian population has been forced to flee their homes 
        under threats from Islamic extremists;
Whereas Sabean-Mandaeans reported that Islamic extremists threatened, kidnapped, 
        and killed members of their religion for refusing to convert to Islam;
Whereas the 2008 Department of State Country Report on International Religious 
        Freedom on Iraq stated that: ``While the Government generally endorsed 
        freedom of thought, conscience, and religious belief and practice for 
        Muslims and non-Muslims alike, violence conducted by terrorists, 
        extremists, and criminal gangs restricted the free exercise of religion 
        and posed a significant threat to the country's vulnerable religious 
        minorities throughout the reporting period . . . radical Islamic 
        elements from outside the Government exerted tremendous pressure on 
        individuals and groups to conform to extremist interpretations of 
        Islamic precepts . . . sectarian violence, including attacks on clergy 
        and religious places of worship, hampered the ability to practice 
        religion freely . . . as the Government began to exhibit the will and 
        capacity to challenge its militant opponents, the violence began to 
        abate and the Government became increasingly successful in restoring 
        security, in a generally nonsectarian manner, throughout the country.''; 
        and
Whereas in addition to the many reports of violations of religious freedom in 
        the Middle East, many other incidents are never reported due to fear of 
        further persecution: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) condemns violations of religious freedom in the Middle 
        East; and
            (2) calls on the President to--
                    (A) direct the Secretary of State, as well as the 
                United States representative at all applicable 
                international institutions, to urge that violations of 
                religious freedom in the Middle East be considered and 
                addressed in all appropriate international fora;
                    (B) consider the status of religious freedom in 
                each country in the Middle East when assessing and 
                developing relations with governments in the region; 
                and
                    (C) further incorporate religious freedom into 
                bilateral and multilateral strategic dialogues; and
                    (D) denounce, strongly and repeatedly, demonizing 
                of and incitement against Jews, Christians, Muslims, 
                Baha'is, and other religious communities in media and 
                educational textbooks controlled or sponsored by Middle 
                Eastern governments.
                                 <all>