[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 75 (Wednesday, June 4, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H3434]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 FREEDOM FROM RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION ACT

  (Mr. WOLF asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to speak on behalf of millions of 
people of faith around the world who are living in fear of religious 
persecution. In order to draw attention to this modern day tragedy, a 
number of Members, the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Hall] and others, have 
introduced the Freedom From Religious Persecution Act, which has over 
40 cosponsors. I urge and beg my colleagues to cosponsor this bill and 
send a message around the world that America will not be silent on this 
issue.
  The bill addresses the great untold human rights story of decades, 
persecution of peoples of faith around the world, Christians, Buddhists 
, Muslims, the Bahai faith. Slavery thrives in Sudan and this Congress 
does not a darned thing about it.
  I hear Members talk about it, they give speeches about it, but, 
frankly, we do nothing about it. I urge my colleagues to do something 
about it. Cosponsor this bipartisan bill which has 40 cosponsors and 
let us pass it whereby we can help people of faith around the world.
  The bill does a number of things. It focuses on persecution; 
abduction, enslavement, imprisonment, killing, forced mass 
resettlement, rape, or torture. It establishes an office in the White 
House to monitor religious persecution and requires the director to 
report to Congress whether foreign governments actively participate or 
fail to take steps to curtail religious persecution. It shuts of aid 
and requires U.S. executive directors to vote against multilateral 
development bank loans to persecuting countries. And it improves 
refugee and asylum procedures to ensure those seeking refuge from 
persecution are not turned away from a country which has historically 
welcomed religious victims.
  The time has come for Congress to take a stand. Mr. Speaker, our bill 
would ensure that we take a new approach to this growing problem--an 
approach that says we will no longer be silent when regimes terrorize 
or allow terror against its religious believers. I urge my colleagues 
to cosponsor this bill.

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