[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 576 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 576

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 30, 2021

 Mr. Green of Texas (for himself, Mr. Carson, Ms. Omar, and Ms. Tlaib) 
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 this resolution may be cited as the ``Original 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 Holy Quran, which has over 6,000 
        verses, or 114 chapters;
Whereas Muslims consider the Holy Quran to be the book of divine guidance;
Whereas Muslims frame their way of life around the Hadith, a collection of 
        traditions and quotes of the Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him);
Whereas, although its roots go back further, the religion began to spread 
        rapidly in A.D. 622 when the Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him) 
        began his travels from Mecca to Medina, the first day of which began the 
        Islamic calendar;
Whereas Islam is the second largest and fastest growing religion of the world;
Whereas it is estimated that there are approximately 1,800,000,000 Muslims 
        worldwide;
Whereas Islam is a monotheistic religion, and Allah (meaning God in Arabic) is 
        the central deity;
Whereas Islam teaches Allah has 99 names, with each one having a different 
        meaning;
Whereas Islam is a complete system of strong moral convictions that promotes 
        peace, equality, and social justice;
Whereas the fundamental Muslim practices are known as the Five Pillars of Islam;
Whereas the five pillars are shahadah (declaration of faith), salat (prayer 5 
        times daily), zakat (give 2.5 percent of all earnings to charity), sawm 
        (fasting in the month of Ramadan), and Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi 
        Arabia);
Whereas the 5 daily prayers are designed to remove any barriers between 
        believers praying in congregations and helps one refrain from committing 
        sins;
Whereas the obligatory charity is designed to purify 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 about 2,500,000 pilgrims visit Mecca each year for the Hajj, but in 2021 
        due to COVID-19, only around 60,000 vaccinated Saudi Arabian residents 
        will be allowed over fears of the coronavirus;
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, 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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