[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 542 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 542

  Condemning human rights violations and violations of international 
    religious freedom in India, including those targeting Muslims, 
 Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, Adivasis, and other religious and cultural 
                              minorities.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 22, 2023

  Ms. Omar (for herself, Mr. Trone, Ms. Pressley, Ms. Tlaib, and Ms. 
 Jacobs) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Condemning human rights violations and violations of international 
    religious freedom in India, including those targeting Muslims, 
 Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, Adivasis, and other religious and cultural 
                              minorities.

Whereas the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) 
        has called for designating India as a Country of Particular Concern for 
        4 consecutive years;
Whereas USCIRF's 2023 annual report states that in 2022, ``the Indian Government 
        at the national, State, and local levels promoted and enforced 
        religiously discriminatory policies, including laws targeting religious 
        conversion, interfaith relationships, the wearing of hijabs, and cow 
        slaughter, which negatively impact Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, 
        and Adivasis'';
Whereas the USCIRF report further states that, ``The national government also 
        continued to suppress critical voices--particularly religious minorities 
        and those advocating on their behalf--including through surveillance, 
        harassment, demolition of property, and detention'';
Whereas the USCIRF report describes the use of laws such as the Unlawful 
        Activities Prevention Act and the Sedition law ``to target freedom of 
        religion and expression, creating an increasing climate of intimidation 
        and fear'';
Whereas the USCIRF report enumerates increasing criminalization of religious 
        conversion, particularly targeting Christians and Muslims, including 
        bans on interfaith marriages;
Whereas, according to USCIRF, ``The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party committed to 
        enforcing harsher penalties for interfaith marriages in its 2022 
        election manifesto for Uttar Pradesh'';
Whereas the USCIRF report highlights the severe risks of the Citizenship 
        Amendment Act and National Registry of Citizens for Indian Muslims, 
        including the possibility of rendering hundreds of thousands stateless 
        or subject to indefinite detention;
Whereas the USCIRF report outlines a trend of attacks on religious minorities in 
        their homes and places of worship, including the physical destruction of 
        mosques and homes in Muslim neighborhoods, and mob violence against 
        Muslims and Christians;
Whereas the USCIRF describes rampant sexual violence and harassment against 
        women belonging to religious minority and Dalit communities;
Whereas, as of June 2023, the United States Commission on International 
        Religious Freedom lists 55 Indian nationals on its Freedom of Religion 
        or Belief Victims list, 53 of whom are listed as detained with one under 
        house arrest and one disappeared;
Whereas, as of June 2022, 41 of the 53 remain detained, with one, the Catholic 
        priest and human rights activist Father Stan Swamy, having died in 
        custody; and
Whereas, in February 2022, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention released 
        an opinion, declaring Swamy's detention arbitrary and his death 
        ``utterly preventable'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) condemns human rights violations and violations of 
        international religious freedom in India, including those 
        targeting Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, Adivasis, and 
        other religious and cultural minorities;
            (2) expresses grave concern about the worsening treatment 
        of religious minorities in India; and
            (3) calls on the Secretary of State to designate India as a 
        Country of Particular Concern in the next annual report 
        submitted pursuant to section 102 of the International 
        Religious Freedom Act of 1988 and section 302 the Frank R. Wolf 
        International Religious Freedom Act of 2016.
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