[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 55 (Wednesday, May 6, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4442-S4443]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 94--SUPPORTING RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE TOWARD
MUSLIMS
Mr. ABRAHAM (for himself and Mr. Lieberman) submitted the following
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the
Judiciary:
S. Con. Res. 94
Whereas the American Muslim community, comprised of
approximately 5,000,000 people, is a vital part of our
Nation, with more than 1,500 mosques, Islamic schools, and
Islamic centers in neighborhoods across the United States;
Whereas Islam is one of the great Abrahamic faiths, whose
significant contributions throughout history have advanced
the fields of math, science, medicine, law, philosophy, art,
and literature;
Whereas the United States is a secular nation, with an
unprecedented commitment to religious tolerance and
pluralism, where the rights, liberties, and freedoms
guaranteed by the Constitution are guaranteed to all citizens
regardless of religious affiliation;
Whereas Muslims have been subjected, simply because of
their faith, to acts of discrimination and harassment that
all too often have led to hate-inspired violence, as was the
case during the rush to judgment in the aftermath of the
tragic Oklahoma City bombing;
Whereas discrimination against Muslims intimidates American
Muslims and may prevent Muslims from freely expressing their
opinions and exercising their religious beliefs as guaranteed
by the first amendment to the Constitution;
Whereas American Muslims have regrettably been portrayed in
a negative light in some discussions of policy issues such as
issues relating to religious persecution abroad or fighting
terrorism in the United States;
Whereas stereotypes and anti-Muslim rhetoric have also
contributed to a backlash
[[Page S4443]]
against Muslims in some neighborhoods across the United
States; and
Whereas all persons in the United States who espouse and
adhere to the values of the founders of our Nation should
help in the fight against bias, bigotry, and intolerance in
all their forms and from all their sources: Now, therefore,
be it
Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives
concurring), That--
(1) Congress condemns anti-Muslim intolerance and
discrimination as wholly inconsistent with the American
values of religious tolerance and pluralism;
(2) while Congress respects and upholds the right of
individuals to free speech, Congress acknowledges that
individuals and organizations that foster such intolerance
create an atmosphere of hatred and fear that divides the
Nation;
(3) Congress resolves to uphold a level of political
discourse that does not involve making a scapegoat of an
entire religion or drawing political conclusions on the basis
of religious doctrine; and
(4) Congress recognizes the contributions of American
Muslims, who are followers of one of the three major
monotheistic religions of the world and one of the fastest
growing faiths in the United States.
Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce S. Con. Res.
94, which encourages religious tolerance toward Muslims in America. I
am proud to join my colleague, Senator Joe Lieberman, in co-sponsoring
this legislation. S. Con Res. 94 calls upon Congress to lead the effort
in condemning anti-Muslim intolerance and discrimination.
Many may ask why a resolution such as this needs to be introduced in
Congress. The answer is, unfortunately, that some Muslims in America
have been subjected to discrimination and harassment based simply upon
their religious beliefs. This, Mr. President, is inimical to the
protections of our Constitution, and to our long-held, fundamental
beliefs concerning religious tolerance and pluralism.
It is important to note that Islam is one of the three great
monotheistic religions based upon the teachings of Abraham. The
American Muslim community, numbering close to 5 million, is a vibrant
part of our nation. The many mosques, Islamic schools and centers
across America serve to remind us all that Islam has contributed to
advancements in the fields of mathematics, science, medicine, law,
philosophy, art and literature. Furthermore, many Americans of the
Muslim faith are leaders in their communities, and successes in their
professions.
It is my sincere hope that our colleagues will join us in taking a
stand against anti-Muslim intolerance and discrimination by co-
sponsoring this legislation.
I yield the floor.
Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, I am proud to join Senator Abraham in
submitting this resolution recognizing the need--indeed the
obligation--for our nation to show greater tolerance towards Americans
of Muslim faith. Tolerance for people of all faiths was among the
founding principles of our nation. Since the early 17th Century, when
the Puritans fled to America seeking the religious freedom that was
denied them in England, our nation has cherished religious pluralism
and ingrained in its people the value of allowing every person to
worship according to the dictates of his or her own conscience. When
the Framers drafted the Constitution, they saw this principle as so
important, so sacrosanct, that they enshrined religious freedom not
once, but twice, in the Bill of Rights' very first Amendment. Perhaps
because of this constitutional mandate, or perhaps because of the
resulting tolerance the First Amendment has engendered in our society,
our nation has in the more than 200 years since it began become a haven
for those seeking both refuge from religious persecution and a society
accepting and nurturing of a pluralism in religious beliefs.
Indeed, like millions of their coreligionists, my own grandparents
came to the United States from Central and Eastern Europe early this
century, in part to escape the discrimination they suffered on account
of their Jewish faith and heritage. They and those of us who descended
from them ultimately found an acceptance in this country that is
virtually unparalleled in history. As a result of this country's
continued willingness to welcome people of different faiths like my
grandparents, both we and American society have been enriched.
Unfortunately, the traditional American values of religious tolerance
and acceptance thus far too often have been denied to a more recent
group of arrivals and their descendants. Despite the tremendous
contributions Muslim Americans are making to American society, and
despite the fact that Islam shares a common origin--and common values--
with America's two other predominant monotheistic religions, Americans
of Islamic faith have been subjected to harassment and discrimination
solely on account of their religion and heritage. This must end. It is
time for us to reaffirm our commitment to religious pluralism and
tolerance. It is time for us to loudly proclaim that a diversity of
religious beliefs and traditions enriches rather than diminishes our
society because religion--including Islam--is a great source of values
and good deeds in our democracy. It is time for us to extend to our
Muslim citizens in practice the promise of our nation's ideals:
tolerance of and gratitude for their religious beliefs. I hope the
resolution we are submitting today puts us one step closer to achieving
that ideal.
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