[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 44 (Wednesday, March 19, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E518-E519]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CONDEMNING THE PUNISHMENT OF EXECUTION BY STONING AS A GROSS VIOLATION 
                            OF HUMAN RIGHTS

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 18, 2003

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to voice my full support 
for H. Con. Res. 26--Condemning the Punishment of Execution by Stoning 
as a Gross Violation of Human Rights.
  Civilized countries and organizations the world over have universally 
condemned this form of punishment. The European Union, the Australian 
government, the president of Mexico, the Spanish parliament, and the 
New Zealand government, have all condemned stoning and asked for 
clemency for those persons sentenced to this cruel form of punishment. 
Amnesty International has reported that execution by stoning is 
designed to increase the victim's suffering.
  Mr. Speaker, as if all the above are not reason enough to support 
this measure, there is another aspect of this stoning as a form of 
punishment that makes it particularly troubling. Reports indicate that 
where this form of punishment is used, it is generally applied 
disproportionately to women, women who have been accused of adultery. 
These victims, these women, are guiltier of being women than guilty of 
having committed a crime. Mr. Speaker, some of these women are forced 
into prostitution, and others have even been raped.
  In other instances stoning has been used as a means of suppressing 
religious freedom and stifling political debate.
  In our own country, I am proud of the work that we have done to 
protect women against violence. The previous administration created the 
White House Office for Women Initiatives and Outreach to serve as a 
liaison between the White House and women's organizations, with a 
presidentially appointed director. This establishment of this office 
recognized the special needs to communicate better with women to 
address their issues. In 2000, the Violence Protection Act reauthorized 
programs designed to, among other purposes, stop sexual assault on 
campuses, offer transitional housing for victims of domestic abuse, and 
assist victims of violence.
  Mr. Speaker, I urged passage of this bill, as America must continue 
to serve as a beacon of hope in the world to those who seek freedom and 
to escape from political prosecution. This is a responsibility that we 
in this chamber must hold dear and must never forget or forsake.

[[Page E519]]



                          ____________________