[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 69 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 69

Calling for the protection of religious minority rights and freedoms in 
                            the Arab world.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 7, 2013

 Mr. Inhofe submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                   the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Calling for the protection of religious minority rights and freedoms in 
                            the Arab world.

Whereas, on January 25, 2011, in Tahrir Square, Egyptian protestors found their 
        voice when they successfully ended the 30-plus year rule of President 
        Mubarak and began the work of creating a true democratic government, a 
        government that supports and protects inalienable rights and freedoms, 
        including the freedom of religion;
Whereas the fervor and spirit of these revolutions have taken wing in other Arab 
        nations such as Tunisia, Libya, and Syria;
Whereas, reminiscent of the 1968 ``Prague Spring'' in the former Czechoslovakia, 
        many have called this revolutionary period an ``Arab Spring'', where 
        ordinary citizens have taken to the streets demanding an end to 
        corruption, political cronyism, and government repression;
Whereas, in the midst of newly acquired freedoms, including those of speech, 
        press, and assembly, it is extremely important that religious minorities 
        in these countries be protected from violence and guaranteed the freedom 
        to practice their religion and to express religious thought;
Whereas Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognizes that 
        ``[e]veryone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and 
        religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, 
        and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or 
        private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, 
        worship, and observance'';
Whereas the freedom to worship by minority religious communities in Arab nations 
        has come under repeated and deadly attack in recent months;
Whereas, on November 1, 2010, the deadliest ever recorded attack on Iraqi 
        Christians occurred at the Sayidat al-Nejat Catholic Cathedral located 
        in central Baghdad, where militants stormed the church and detonated 2 
        suicide vests filled with ball bearings, killing 58 and wounding 78 
        parishioners;
Whereas, on January 1, 2011, a suicide bomber blew himself up in front of the 
        Saint George and Bishop Peter Church in Cairo, killing 21 Egyptian 
        Coptic Christians, a Christian minority group that accounts for 9 
        percent of Egypt's population of 80,000,000;
Whereas the freedom to proselytize by minority religious communities in Arab 
        nations has also come under repeated and deadly attack in recent months 
        through so-called blasphemy laws that are punishable by death;
Whereas, on January 4, 2011, Governor Salman Tasser, who courageously sought to 
        release Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman and mother of 5 who was sentenced 
        to death under Pakistan's blasphemy laws, was gunned down by his own 
        security guard because of his support for reforming the blasphemy laws;
Whereas, on March 2, 2011, Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan's only Christian cabinet 
        member and passionate supporter of interfaith tolerance and repeal of 
        Pakistan's blasphemy law, was assassinated by multiple gunmen, leaving 
        his body and vehicle riddled with 80 bullets and anti-Christian 
        pamphlets strewn over his body; and
Whereas, on February 21, 2013, Sherry Rehman, Pakistan's Ambassador to the 
        United States, and a vocal proponent of repealing Pakistan's blasphemy 
        law, was herself accused of blasphemy, and the Supreme Court of Pakistan 
        ordered police in the central Pakistani city of Multan to investigate: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) recognizes, in this spirit of Arab Spring revolution, 
        that religious minority freedoms and rights must be protected; 
        and
            (2) urges in the strongest terms that the United States 
        Government lead the international effort to repeal existing 
        blasphemy laws.
                                 <all>