[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 66 (Wednesday, May 24, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E947]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               INTRODUCTION OF IRANIAN BAHA'I RESOLUTION

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                         HON. MARK STEVEN KIRK

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 24, 2006

  Mr. KIRK. Mr. Speaker, today, I am introducing a resolution with 
Congressman Tom Lantos (D-CA) condemning the repression of the Iranian 
Baha'i community. This concurrent resolution exposes the Iranian 
Government's persecution of the Baha'is and calls on Iran to ensure 
that all of its religious minorities, including the Baha'is, are 
treated in accordance with the basic human rights to which each person 
is entitled.
  The North American Baha'i Temple is in my district, and the 
persecution against the Baha'is in Iran has been a longstanding concern 
of mine. This concurrent resolution brings he House of Representatives' 
attention to the latest action of the Iranian Government against the 
350,000-member Baha'i community of Iran.
  On March 20, 2006, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom 
of Religion or Belief revealed the existence of a confidential letter 
by the Chairman of the Command Headquarters of Iran's Armed Services to 
Iran's intelligence services, military and police forces. In this 
letter, the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, instructed the Command 
Headquarters to identify all Iranian Baha'is and collect any and all 
information about their activities.
  The Anti-Defamation League recently compared the secret letter to 
``the steps taken against Jews in Europe'' in the 1930s.
  This directive is unacceptable. Yet the secret order did not occur in 
isolation. Over the past 18 months, Iranian security forces have been 
imprisoning Baha'is without charges and Baha'i youth in Iran have been 
denied access to universities. I understand that since October 2005, 
there has been a campaign of vilification against Baha'is in Kayhan, 
the government-sponsored press.
  The Concurrent Resolution I introduce today calls on the Government 
of Iran to cease its practice of monitoring the Baha'is, to allow them 
to practice their religion and to emancipate fully their religious 
community. I want to thank my good friend Congressman Tom Lantos for 
being the lead co-sponsor of this legislation. I look forward to 
working with him and my other colleagues on this important human rights 
initiative.

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