[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 290 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 290

            Calling for the global repeal of blasphemy laws.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 2, 2015

  Mr. Pitts (for himself and Ms. Jackson Lee) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
            Calling for the global repeal of blasphemy laws.

Whereas Article 18 of the International Declaration of Human Rights affirms that 
        everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion;
Whereas this right includes freedom to change one's religion or belief and 
        freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or 
        private, to manifest one's religion or belief in teaching, practice, 
        worship, and observance;
Whereas many countries have blasphemy laws that punish expression deemed 
        blasphemous (contemptuous of God or sacred things), defamatory of 
        religion, or insulting to religion or religious symbols, figures, or 
        feelings, and such punishment can include fines, imprisonment, and even 
        death;
Whereas blasphemy laws are inconsistent with international human rights 
        standards, as they protect beliefs over individuals and often result in 
        violations of the freedoms of religion and expression which are 
        protected under international instruments, including Articles 18 and 19 
        of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR);
Whereas the United Nations Human Rights Committee stated in General Comment 34 
        that ``[p]rohibitions of displays of lack of respect for a religion or 
        other belief system, including blasphemy laws, are incompatible with the 
        [ICCPR].'';
Whereas an international group of experts convened by the Office of the United 
        Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights recommended in the 2012 Rabat 
        Plan of Action that ``[s]tates that have blasphemy laws should repeal 
        the[m] as such laws have a stifling impact on the enjoyment of freedom 
        of religion or belief and healthy dialogue and debate about religion.'';
Whereas blasphemy laws also are inconsistent with consensus United Nations 
        resolutions adopted since 2011 that recognize that religious 
        intolerance, discrimination, and violence are best fought through 
        positive measures, such as education, outreach, and counter-speech, and 
        that criminalization is appropriate only for incitement to imminent 
        violence;
Whereas the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) 
        has found that blasphemy charges often are based on false accusations 
        and used for political purposes, and exacerbate religious intolerance, 
        discrimination, and violence;
Whereas the Pew Research Center has found that 44 countries had blasphemy laws 
        as of 2012;
Whereas these laws were present in 14 Middle East and North African countries, 
        11 countries in the Americas, 9 Asia-Pacific countries, 7 European 
        countries, and 3 Sub-Saharan African countries;
Whereas the Pew Research Center also found in 2011 that countries with laws 
        against blasphemy, apostasy, or defamation of religion were more likely 
        to have high government restrictions on religion or social hostilities 
        based on religion than countries that do not have such laws;
Whereas Saudi Arabia has used criminal charges of blasphemy to suppress 
        discussion and debate and silence dissidents, and publicly flogged Raif 
        Badawi 50 times as part of a punishment for a blasphemy conviction;
Whereas Badawi was sentenced in May 2014 to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes, 
        and fined $1,000,000 SR ($266,000) for, among other charges, insulting 
        Islam and religious authorities;
Whereas USCIRF also reports that Egypt has seen a significant increase in the 
        use of blasphemy-type laws since the January 25, 2011, revolution, 
        including during and after the Morsi era;
Whereas in January 2015, Egyptian atheist student Karim Al-Banna was given a 3-
        year prison sentence for blasphemy because a court found some of his 
        Facebook posts to ``belittle the divine'';
Whereas in June 2014, Coptic Christian Kirollos Shawqi Atallah was sentenced to 
        6 years in prison for ``defaming Islam'' on a Facebook page;
Whereas USCIRF has found that in Pakistan and Egypt, the blasphemy laws have 
        been used more against Muslims, but disproportionately impact these 
        countries' small Christian minorities;
Whereas according to a Pew Center Report on Religion and Public Life, Pakistan 
        is one of a handful of countries that stand out as having the highest 
        levels of restrictions on religion when both government restrictions and 
        social hostilities are taken into account;
Whereas USCIRF has found that the most egregious example of the enforcement of 
        blasphemy laws and vigilante violence connected to blasphemy allegations 
        is Pakistan, where blasphemy charges are common and numerous individuals 
        are in prison, with a high percentage sentenced to death or life terms;
Whereas, as of February 2015, USCIRF is aware of 18 individuals on death row for 
        blasphemy in Pakistan, and 20 serving life sentences;
Whereas Aasia Bibi was sentenced to death for blasphemy in 2010, and the Lahore 
        High Court upheld the conviction in late 2014;
Whereas her case is on appeal to the Supreme Court;
Whereas blasphemy laws in Pakistan have fostered a climate of impunity, as those 
        who falsify evidence go unpunished and allegations can result in mob 
        attacks or assassinations, with little to no police response; and
Whereas in November 2014, Christians Sajjad Maseeh and his wife Shama Bibi were 
        beaten to death and thrown in a brick kiln after allegations of 
        blasphemy were made against them, and in May 2014 Muslim human rights 
        attorney Rashid Rehman was assassinated for defending someone accused of 
        blasphemy: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes that blasphemy laws inappropriately position 
        governments as arbiters of truth or religious rightness as they 
        empower officials to enforce particular religious views against 
        individuals, minorities;
            (2) calls on the President and the United States Department 
        of State to make the repeal of blasphemy laws a priority in its 
        bilateral relationships with all countries that have such laws 
        through direct interventions in capitals and in multilateral 
        fora;
            (3) encourages the President and the United States 
        Department of State to oppose any efforts at the United Nations 
        or other international or multilateral fora to create an 
        international anti-blasphemy norm, such as the 1999-2010 
        ``defamation of religions'' resolutions, or attempts to expand 
        the international norm on incitement to include blasphemy or 
        defamation of religions;
            (4) supports efforts at the United Nations to combat 
        intolerance, discrimination, or violence against persons based 
        on religion or belief without restricting expression, including 
        United Nations Human Rights Council Resolution 16/18 of 2011 
        and the Istanbul Process implementation meetings, consistent 
        with the first amendment of the United States Constitution;
            (5) reaffirms the decision to designate Saudi Arabia a 
        ``country of particular concern'' for, among other reasons, 
        continuing to detain and imprison people for blasphemy and for 
        imposing torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or 
        punishment, and limit the waiver on this designation to no more 
        than 180 days;
            (6) calls on the President and the Department of State to 
        designate Pakistan and Egypt each as a ``country of particular 
        concern'' under the International Religious Freedom Act for 
        perpetrating and tolerating particularly severe violations of 
        religious freedom, including abuses flowing from the 
        enforcement of its blasphemy law and from vigilante violence 
        around blasphemy allegations that takes place with impunity;
            (7) urges the Governments of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt 
        and the governments of other countries to amend or repeal their 
        blasphemy laws as they provide a pretext for impunity or 
        violence against religious minorities; and
            (8) urges those countries that have imprisoned people on 
        charges of blasphemy to release them unconditionally and, once 
        released, ensure their safety and that of their families.
                                 <all>