[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 544 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 544

     Recognizing Islam as one of the great religions of the world.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            August 30, 2019

Mr. Green of Texas (for himself, Mr. Carson of Indiana, Ms. Tlaib, and 
Ms. Omar) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
     Recognizing Islam as one of the great religions of the world.

Whereas the word ``Islam'' means ``submission to the will of God'' and 
        ``peace'';
Whereas the primary scripture of Islam is the Quran;
Whereas Muslims consider the Quran in its original Arabic to be the book of 
        divine guidance;
Whereas, although its roots go back further, scholars typically date the 
        revelation of Islam to the seventh century;
Whereas Islam is the second largest religion in the world after Christianity;
Whereas Islam is the fastest growing religion of the world;
Whereas it is estimated that there are approximately 1,800,000,000 Muslims 
        worldwide;
Whereas Islam contains in itself the essential principles of all earlier 
        religions;
Whereas Islam is a strongly monotheistic religion with the worship of one God as 
        its central theme;
Whereas Islam is a complete system of strong moral convictions that promote 
        peace, equality, and social justice;
Whereas Islam encourages service to humanity;
Whereas Islam teaches abstaining from worldly desires in favor of spiritual 
        achievements;
Whereas Islam instills a genuine love of God;
Whereas the fundamental Muslim practices are known as the Five Pillars of Islam;
Whereas the five pillars are shahadah (declaration of faith), salat (daily 
        prayers), zakat (giving of alms), sawm (fasting in Ramadan), and Hajj 
        (pilgrimage to Mecca);
Whereas the five daily prayers remove any barriers between believers praying in 
        congregations and helps one refrain from committing sins;
Whereas the obligatory charity purifies a person from selfishness and encourages 
        empathy to the poor;
Whereas fasting in Ramadan promotes self-restraint and spiritual renewal for 
        Muslims worldwide;
Whereas the pilgrimage to Mecca serves as a unifying force in Islam by bringing 
        followers of diverse background together in religious celebration;
Whereas Muslims consider Islam to be a way of life; and
Whereas carrying out these obligations provides the framework of a Muslim's 
        life, and weaves their everyday activities and their beliefs into a 
        single cloth of religious devotion: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That in order to demonstrate solidarity with and support 
for members of the community of Islam in the United States and 
throughout the world, the House of Representatives recognizes the 
Islamic faith as one of the great religions of the world.
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