[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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