[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 139 (Thursday, October 14, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2106]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    THE GOVERNMENT OF SUDAN'S ANNOUNCED INTENTION TO CONFISCATE THE 
             PROPERTY OF THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF KHARTOUM

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                           HON. TONY P. HALL

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 14, 1999

  Mr. HALL of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, religious freedom and the lives of 
many faithful Christians are in grave danger in Sudan. The latest 
threat arise from the Sudanese government's planned seizure on October 
16 of the headquarters of the Episcopal Church in Omdurman, part of 
greater Khartoum. These buildings, home to the Episcopal Church of 
Sudan since 1925, are occupied by clergy and lay people who will not 
leave until the matter is resolved. Christians in Sudan and their 
friends elsewhere have been called to several days of fasting and 
prayer, beginning October 15.
  These buildings are being seized on a pretext, just as the 
government, which also refuses to grant permission to build any new 
churches in Khartoum, has illegally seized many other pieces of church 
property. Local Christians had taken to the streets to protest the 
planned seizure last month, and the government announced that it would 
give title to the property to the church. The government has since 
reversed itself and announced plans to go forward with the seizure. I 
fear the seizure will trigger violence or bloodshed. Unarmed clergy and 
lay persons holding vigil within the compound could be in harm's way.
  The action by the government in Khartoum makes a mockery of its 
claims to respect religious freedom and human rights, and demonstrates, 
yet again, its intentions to continue to persecute Christians and 
Muslims who do not agree with the regime's particular brand of Islam.
  The United States government has been active in opposing this kind of 
human rights abuse in Sudan, and I ask our State Department to continue 
to shine a spotlight on this kind of human rights violation. In 
addition, I call upon our allies and friends in the world community to 
intervene with the government of Sudan to stop these human rights 
abuses.
  In particular, I challenge the governments of Canada and France, 
whose companies are helping to develop Sudan's oil reserves, to speak 
up boldly in defense of religious freedom and against these unjustified 
actions by the government of Sudan. Concrete actions by these 
governments to denounce these human rights violations may make the 
difference between freedom and oppression for these people, and 
possibly between life and death. The United States and the entire 
international community must not stand by in the face of persecution.

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