[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 23, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H675-H679]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ON RELIGIOUS
MINORITIES IN IRAQ
Mr. McMAHON. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 944) expressing the sense of the House of
Representatives on religious minorities in Iraq, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
[[Page H676]]
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 944
Whereas threats against members of even the smallest
religious and ethnic minority communities in Iraq could
jeopardize the future of Iraq as a diverse, pluralistic, and
free society;
Whereas according to the Department of State's
International Religious Freedom Report, violent acts continue
to pose a significant threat to members of the country's
vulnerable non-Muslim religious minority communities,
including documented attacks against Chaldeans, Syriacs,
Assyrians, and other Christians, Sabean Mandeans, and
Yazidis, and ``very few of the perpetrators of violence
committed against Christians and other religious minorities
in the country have been punished'';
Whereas according to the United States Commission on
International Religious Freedom, there are grave threats to
religious freedom in Iraq, particularly for members of the
smallest, most vulnerable religious minority communities in
Iraq, including Chaldeans, Syriacs, Assyrians, and other
Christians, Sabean Mandeans, and Yazidis;
Whereas the February 2009 Country Report on Human Rights
Practices issued by the Department of State identifies on-
going ``misappropriation of official authority by sectarian,
criminal, and extremist groups'' as among the significant and
continuing human rights problems in Iraq;
Whereas in recent years, there have been alarming numbers
of religiously motivated killings, abductions, beatings,
rapes, threats, intimidation, forced conversions, marriages,
and displacement from homes and businesses, and attacks on
religious leaders, pilgrims, and holy sites, in Iraq, with
the smallest, non-Muslim religious minorities in Iraq having
been among the most vulnerable, although Iraqis from many
religious communities, Muslim and non-Muslim alike, have
suffered in this violence;
Whereas the Assyrian International News Agency reports that
59 churches were bombed in Iraq between June 2004 and July
2009;
Whereas persecution and violence in Iraq have extended to
church leaders as well, such as the March 2008 kidnap for
ransom and killing of 65-year-old Chaldean Catholic
Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho;
Whereas many members of non-Muslim religious minority
communities in Iraq reportedly do not receive adequate
official protection, and are legally, politically, and
economically marginalized;
Whereas control of several ethnically and religiously mixed
areas, including the Nineveh and Tamim (Kirkuk) governorates,
is disputed between the Kurdistan regional government and the
Government of Iraq, and Chaldeans, Syriacs, Assyrians, and
other Christians, Sabean Mandeans, Yazidis, and Muslim ethnic
minorities Shabak and Turkomans are caught in the middle of
this struggle for control and have been targeted for abuses
and discrimination as a result;
Whereas many members of vulnerable non-Muslim religious
minority communities in Iraq have fled to other areas in Iraq
or to other countries;
Whereas the flight of such refugees has substantially
diminished their numbers in Iraq;
Whereas approximately 1,400,000 Christians were estimated
to have lived in Iraq as of 2003, including Chaldean
Catholics, Assyrian Orthodox, Assyrian Church of the East,
Syriac Catholics, Syriac Orthodox, Armenians (Catholic and
Orthodox), Protestants, Evangelicals, and others;
Whereas it is widely reported that only 500,000 to 700,000
indigenous Christians remained in Iraq as of 2009;
Whereas since 2003, the Sabean Mandean community has found
itself targeted by both Sunni and Shia Islamic extremists,
and by criminal gangs who use religion to justify their
attacks;
Whereas the Sabean Mandean community in Iraq reports that
almost 90 percent of the members of that community either
fled Iraq or have been killed, leaving only about 3,500 to
5,000 Mandeans in Iraq as of 2009;
Whereas in August 2007 a series of bombings targeted the
Yazidi community of Iraq resulting in an estimated 200 deaths
and more than 200 injuries;
Whereas at least 20 people were killed and 30 wounded in a
double suicide bombing in August 2009 which targeted the
Yazidi minority in northern Iraq;
Whereas the Yazidi community in Iraq reportedly now numbers
about 500,000, a decrease from about 700,000 in 2005;
Whereas the Baha'i faith, estimated to have only 2,000
adherents in Iraq, remains prohibited in Iraq under a 1970
law;
Whereas the ancient and once-large Jewish community in Iraq
now numbers fewer than 10, and they essentially live in
hiding;
Whereas in 2008, the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) reported that approximately 221,000 Iraqis
returned to their areas of origin in Iraq, the vast majority
of whom settled into neighborhoods or governorates controlled
by members of their own religious community;
Whereas many of these returnees reported returning because
of difficult economic conditions in their countries of
asylum, principally Syria, Jordan, Egypt, and Lebanon; and
Whereas many members of vulnerable religious and ethnic
minority communities are not believed to be represented in
more than negligible numbers among these returnees: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of
Representatives that--
(1) the United States remains deeply concerned about the
plight of members of the vulnerable religious and ethnic
minority communities of Iraq;
(2) the Secretary of State should develop and report to
Congress on a comprehensive strategy to encourage the
protection of the rights of members of vulnerable religious
and ethnic minority communities in Iraq;
(3) the United States Government should urge the Government
of Iraq to enhance security at places of worship in Iraq,
particularly where members of vulnerable religious minority
communities are known to be at risk;
(4) the United States Government should continue to work
with the Government of Iraq to integrate religious and ethnic
minorities into the government in general, and the Iraqi
Security Forces, in particular, with the goal of ensuring
that members of such communities--
(A) suffer no discrimination in recruitment, employment, or
advancement in government positions, in general, and the
Iraqi police and security forces, in particular; and
(B) while employed in the Iraqi police and security forces,
be initially assigned, in reasonable numbers, to their
locations of origin, rather than being transferred to other
areas;
(5) the Government of Iraq should, with the assistance of
the United States Government--
(A) ensure that the upcoming national elections in Iraq are
safe, fair, and free of intimidation and violence so that all
Iraqis, including members of vulnerable religious and ethnic
minority communities, can participate in the elections; and
(B) permit and facilitate election monitoring by experts
from local and international nongovernmental organizations,
the international community, and the United Nations,
particularly in ethnic and religious minority areas;
(6) the United States Government should encourage the
Government of Iraq to work with members of vulnerable
religious and ethnic minority communities to develop and
implement tangible, effective measures to protect their
rights and measures to reverse the legal, political, and
economic marginalization of religious minorities in Iraq;
(7) in providing assistance to Iraq, the United States
Government should continue to take into account the needs of
vulnerable members of religious and ethnic minority
communities and expand upon efforts to work with local
organizations that serve those communities;
(8) the United States Government should continue to fund
capacity-building programs for the Iraqi Ministry of Human
Rights, the independent national Human Rights Commission, and
the newly-created independent minorities committee whose
membership is selected by members of vulnerable religious and
ethnic minority communities of Iraq;
(9) the United States Government should strongly encourage
the Government of Iraq to direct the Iraqi Ministry of Human
Rights to investigate and issue a public report on abuses
against and the marginalization of members of vulnerable
religious and ethnic minority communities in Iraq and make
recommendations to address such abuses; and
(10) the Government of Iraq should, with the assistance of
the United States Government and international organizations,
help ensure that displaced Iraqis considering return to Iraq
have the proper information needed to make informed decisions
regarding such return.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
York (Mr. McMahon) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.
General Leave
Mr. McMAHON. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to
include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. McMAHON. I rise in strong support of this resolution, and I yield
myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, H. Res. 944 expresses the sense of the House of
Representatives on the status of religious minorities in Iraq.
When the Iraq war began in 2003, little thought was given to the
impact on Iraq's religious minorities. Only 3 percent of the population
in Iraq is non-Muslim. These populations include Christians, Yazidis,
Sabian-Mandaeans, Baha'is, Shabaks, Kaka'is, and a very small number of
Jews.
Although the new Iraqi Constitution recognizes Islam as the official
religion of Iraq, it also states that no law may be enacted that
contradicts principles of democracy or the rights and basic
[[Page H677]]
freedoms stipulated in the constitution. The constitution also
guarantees freedom of thought, conscience, and religious belief and
practice for both Muslims and non-Muslims.
Although the Iraqi Government generally respects these rights,
ongoing violence restricts the free exercise of religion, and this
violence poses a significant threat to the country's vulnerable
religious minorities. These minorities continue to suffer at the hands
of terrorists, extremists, criminal gangs, and even at the hands of
unsavory elements within the Iraqi Government. Sectarian violence,
including attacks on religious leaders and religious places of worship,
continues to hamper their ability to practice religion freely.
Many experts consider the situation for Iraqi Christians as
especially dire. According to Chaldean Catholic Auxiliary Bishop
Andreos Abouna of Baghdad, the number of Christians in Iraq may have
been cut in half since 2003. As documented by the State Department,
Christians have been threatened with violence if they do not leave
their homes. They have been accosted on the streets and have even been
assassinated. Their churches have been bombed and destroyed.
Reports indicate that other religious minorities face similarly
treacherous situations. The Yazidis, who are considered heretical by
many Muslims because of their beliefs, have suffered under a tremendous
onslaught of violence. Another targeted group, the Sabian-Mandaeans,
numbered about 60,000 in 2003. Today, only about 5,000 Sabian-Mandaeans
remain in Iraq, meaning that more than 90 percent have left the country
or have been killed.
That is why we are considering House Resolution 944 today, and that
is why I am proud to say that I am an original cosponsor of that
resolution.
This resolution urges the Government of Iraq to enhance security in
places of worship in Iraq, particularly where religious minorities are
known to be at risk. The resolution calls for the urgent training of an
appropriate number of security forces to protect religious minorities.
It also urges the Iraqi Government to take affirmative measures to
reverse the legal, political and economic marginalization of religious
minorities in Iraq. In addition, it asks the United States to consider
implementing programs for religious minorities as part of its overall
economic assistance to Iraq.
{time} 1445
Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution
in an effort to make certain that all religions survive and have a
chance to prosper in the new Iraq.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I also rise in support of House Resolution 944, and I want to thank
the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Peters) and the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr. Wolf) for bringing this important human rights issue
before us today.
The protection of members of vulnerable religious and ethnic
minorities, including the smallest minority groups, is integral to the
future of Iraq as a free and stable country. Iraq is home to ancient
and diverse Catholic, Orthodox, and other Christian groups, including
Chaldean, Assyrian, Syriac, and Armenian Christians, among many others.
They have been targeted for kidnapping and murder by radical Islamic
extremists. Various credible sources estimate that more than half of
Iraq's Christians have already fled the country during the last several
years.
However, these dangers are certainly not confined to Christians. The
Baha'i faith remains prohibited in Iraq, and Iraq's ancient and once-
flourishing Jewish community has reportedly dwindled to fewer than a
dozen people.
All of us understand that Iraq's young democracy faces many
challenges, including its own threats from insurgents and other
extremists. But the marginalization, the displacement, the violence
that threatens Iraq's minority communities also endanger the vitality
and the inclusiveness of Iraqi society as a whole.
We must strive to ensure that the work that we and our allies do
helps to build Iraq's capacity and commitment to protect its minority
citizens, and we must encourage the Government of Iraq to ensure that
its forthcoming elections are an opportunity to reinforce the growth of
democracy and freedom in that country. Those elections should be safe,
should be fair, should be transparent so that all Iraqis, including
members of these vulnerable religious and ethnic minority communities,
can participate. And we must not let members of those minorities under
siege think that they are alone or that they are forgotten.
For these reasons, Madam Speaker, I am grateful for this resolution,
which deserves our unanimous support.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McMAHON. Madam Speaker, at this time I yield 3 minutes to the
prime sponsor of this resolution, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr.
Peters).
Mr. PETERS. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York for
yielding the time.
While the majority of Iraqis are Muslim, there are many communities
of religious and ethnic minorities whose history in Iraq goes back
thousands of years. This includes Chaldeans, Syriacs, Assyrians, and
other Christians, as well as Sabian Mandeans and Yazidis.
Since 2003, approximately 2\1/2\ million refugees and asylum seekers
have fled Iraq, and millions more have become displaced, forced to flee
their homes and neighborhoods because of sectarian violence. In fact,
there were approximately 1\1/2\ million Christians in Iraq in 2003, and
today there is less than half of that amount.
Many of these Iraqis would like nothing more than to return home.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, in
2008, approximately 221,000 Iraqis returned to their home village or
neighborhood in Iraq and the vast majority settled into areas where
members of their own religious community controlled the neighborhood or
local government.
Unfortunately, Iraqi religious minorities do not have militia or
tribal structures to defend themselves, and they do not receive
adequate protection from the police or security forces. Not only does
this make the possibility of return nearly impossible for Iraqi
religious minorities, it also leaves them particularly vulnerable to
violence.
Iraqi Christians and other religious minorities are often
specifically targeted in gruesome and random acts of violence such as
murder, rape, and abductions. This includes the Chaldean community, who
this week is mourning the kidnapping and murder of Archbishop Paulos
Faraj Rahho on February 29, 2008.
Archbishop Rahho spent almost his entire life living in Mosul and
serving its Christian communities which are among the oldest and
largest in Iraq. For years, the archbishop was threatened with violence
because he spoke out against discrimination against Christians by
Muslim extremists. Sadly, the archbishop was murdered because he
refused to lend the support of his church to terrorists in their fight
against U.S. forces in Iraq.
These stories continue to be tragically common, and more must be done
by the United States Government and by the Government of Iraq to
protect religious minorities.
This resolution calls upon the United States and the Iraqi Government
to protect religious minorities by encouraging free and fair elections,
training Iraqi security forces, and providing safe places to worship.
It also seeks an investigation into human rights violations and calls
for an end to the abuse of Iraqi religious minorities. Finally, the
resolution calls for the United States to work with the Iraqi
Government to ensure the physical and economic safety of those wishing
to return to Iraq.
I would like to thank my colleagues, Mr. Wolf and Ms. Eshoo, who, as
co-Chairs of the Religious Minorities in the Middle East Caucus, have
shown great leadership on this issue and for their support of this
resolution. I would also like to thank Chairman Berman and Ranking
Member Ros-Lehtinen for their support and for their staffs' work in
helping me bring this resolution forward today.
It is no longer possible to stand by and watch as millions of
religious minorities are subject to torture, abuse, and discrimination,
which is why I ask my colleagues to support this important resolution.
[[Page H678]]
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 4 minutes
to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf), the co-Chair of the Tom
Lantos Congressional Human Rights Commission and the coauthor of this
important measure.
(Mr. WOLF asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. WOLF. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding the time.
I want to support the comments that have been made by Members of both
sides and let Members think about it for a moment. With the exception
of Israel, the Bible, the Bible contains more references to the cities,
the regions, and the nations of ancient Iraq than any other country.
The patriarch Abraham came from the city of Ur. I actually visited the
site, when the war began, of the location of Abraham's house. Isaac's
bride, Rebekah, came from northwest Iraq. Jacob spent 20 years in Iraq,
and his sons, the 12 tribes of Israel, were born in northwest Iraq. A
remarkable spiritual revival as told in the Book of Jonah occurred in
Nineveh. The events of the Book of Esther took place in Iraq, as did
the account of Daniel in the lion's den.
So all of these religious things have taken place, and yet people
have almost forgotten about Iraq. And the previous speaker in his
comments has said the Christian community in these areas has been going
through tremendous pressure.
I have appreciated Ambassador Chris Hill's commitment to this issue.
In recent correspondence, he indicated that the security of the
Christian community remains one of his paramount concerns, especially
in light of attacks directed at Christian churches in Baghdad and Mosul
over the past 5 months.
But there needs to be leadership from the highest levels within the
State Department as well. We've long advocated both during the previous
administration and the current one that the U.S. needs to adopt a
comprehensive policy to address the unique situation of these
defenseless minorities. This resolution, and I thank both sides for
bringing it up, urges the Secretary of State to develop such a
strategy.
In closing, let me just say it is time for this administration to
start taking religious freedom seriously. The position of U.S.
Ambassador for International Religious Freedom has been vacant, has
been vacant for over a year. Did anyone hear? There is no ambassador
for religious freedom that has been appointed by this administration.
The position has been vacant, vacant for 1 year. Yet we see the
persecution of the Coptic Christians in Egypt, the Assyrian Christians
in Iraq, the Catholic Church in China, the Catholic Church in Vietnam,
on and on. So we want to see this administration have an ambassador who
can advocate, as the resolution calls for, to help Chris Hill and
helps others to speak out and advocate. But the very fact that there
has been no ambassador appointed for over 13 months kind of tells the
story. Personnel, personnel is policy, and if there's no personnel,
it's not a good policy.
Let me just end. I want to thank the gentlemen on both sides and the
gentlewoman for speaking. And I hope there's a rollcall vote on this. I
hope we have to vote up and down so we can send a message to the
Assyrian Christians and those who are going through tremendous
persecution wondering whether anybody in the West cares.
Mr. McMAHON. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and
I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I do have an additional speaker in
case the gentleman would like to reserve his time.
Mr. McMAHON. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to reclaim the
balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I now would like to yield 4 minutes
to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan), a member of the Natural
Resources, Oversight, and Transportation Committees, for his insight
and the insight of his constituent who's very concerned about religious
minorities in Iraq.
Mr. DUNCAN. I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for yielding me this
time.
I also want to thank all of the previous speakers: the gentleman from
Michigan, the original author of the resolution; the gentleman from New
York; and especially the gentleman from Virginia, Congressman Wolf, who
has been such a leader on these issues for many years now.
I rise in strong support of H. Res. 944, expressing the sense of the
House of Representatives on religious minorities in Iraq.
While this bill calls attention to various religious minorities in
Iraq that are victims of acts of violence and religious persecution,
one group that is extremely vulnerable, especially vulnerable, is the
Iraqi Christians. In the most recent series of attacks in Iraq's
northern city of Mosul, five Iraqi Christians were attacked and killed
just last week in various acts of violence. According to a February 17,
2010, article from Reuters, ``Bombings and shootings are recorded
almost daily in the violent northern city of Mosul, where the situation
has been described by one Christian priest as `miserable.' Iraqi
Christians are forced to hide in their homes in fear of being the next
victim of what is being called a `systematic campaign of violence
against minorities.' And Sunni Islamist insurgent groups have labeled
Christians and other Iraqi minorities as devil worshipers and
infidels.''
There is growing concern, Madam Speaker, of even more violence and
killings in the wake of the upcoming elections in March. These attacks
are being used as a means of intimidation to discourage Iraqi
Christians from voting in the upcoming elections. There have also been
threats of violence using military means to prevent the elections from
happening at all.
I first spoke out about the violence against Christians in Iraq that
last year when one of my constituents and a native of Iraq, Susan
Dakak, brought to my attention the escalation of violence against this
particular religious group. I also met recently, a few weeks ago, with
a member of the Iraqi Parliament, Yonadom Kanna, recently to discuss
the ongoing persecution of Iraqi Christians.
The horrendous human rights violations and acts against religious
minorities must end. The United States should do as much as possible to
help stop the discrimination against and persecution of the Christian
community in Iraq, and this resolution will be a meaningful step in
that direction.
I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of
H. Res. 944--``Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives on
religious minorities in Iraq.'' As a cosponsor of this resolution, I
join my colleagues in expressing my concern about the plight of
vulnerable religious and ethnic minorities of Iraq, and we are
particularly concerned for the Chaldeans, Syriacs, Assyrians, and other
Christians, Sabean Mandeans, Yazidis, Baha'is, Jews, and Muslim ethnic
minorities, the Shabak and Turkomen, and other religious and ethnic
minorities of Iraq.
Political and religious freedom in Iraq is a vital concern with
regards to the nation and region. When we envision the long-term peace
and security of Iraq, we envision a country with a strong, functioning
democracy that respects the rights of all citizens. That vision is not
a product of the imperialism of Western ideas; the tradition of
religious plurality has roots in the history and religious beliefs of
the Iraqi people. But, although Iraq has a strong history of
multiculturalism, it must not rest on this reputation. The rights of
minorities in Iraq are not fully protected, and the Iraqi government
can and must do more to protect the rights of its minorities.
The degree to which Iraq protects those rights is a reflection on our
country. Because of the United States' unfortunate detour from our
struggle against terrorism into Iraq, the actions of the new government
of Iraq directly reflect upon us. So far, I believe that the actions of
the government of Iraq with respect to political and religious freedoms
are problematic.
In no case is the Iraqi government's treatment of minorities more
troubling than their treatment of the residents of Camp Ashraf.
Although Camp Ashraf is halfway around the world, the conditions there
affect Americans, including in my own district and throughout the state
of Texas where some of my constituents have family members in Camp
Ashraf. For example, my constituent, Mitra Sohrabi, has a brother who
is currently detained in Camp Ashraf, and worries about his health on a
daily
[[Page H679]]
basis. I also know many people in Houston and throughout the state of
Texas who were affected directly by the July 2009 raid on Camp Ashraf.
Late last year, three months after U.S. forces turned over control of
Camp Ashraf, Iraqi Security Forces violated the human rights of the
People's Mujahideen of Iran (PMOI). Camp Ashraf detains over 3,400
exiled Iranian political dissidents, who are members of the PMOI,
including over 1,000 women. The PMOI opposes the current Iranian
regime, and for their political beliefs they have been exiled from Iran
and sequestered in Camp Ashraf. Several women detained at Camp Ashraf
have reported acts of intimidation and threats of physical and sexual
violence by members of the Iraqi security forces.
On July 28, 2009, Iraqi Security Forces conducted a raid on the
detainees at Camp Ashraf. The raid occurred fewer than three months
after the U.S. passed control of Camp Ashraf to the government of Iraq.
The raid began on Tuesday, July 28th when Iraqi armored vehicles began
attacks against the Iranian prisoners. The attacks continued for two
full days and resulted in the death of 11 exiles and the injury of over
400 more. As a result of the raid on Camp Ashraf, 36 men were arrested
under allegations of violent behavior. The 36 arrested Camp Ashraf
residents have since been freed, but the United States has a continuing
interest in ensuring that the events of July 28th never occur again.
Although most of the residents of Camp Ashraf were not religious
minorities, the Iraqi government's treatment of the camp's residents
sets a dangerous example. In recent years, there have been alarming
numbers of religiously motivated killings, abductions, beatings, rapes,
threats, intimidation, forced conversions, marriages, and displacement
from homes and businesses, and attacks on religious leaders, pilgrims,
and holy sites, in Iraq, with the smallest religious minorities in Iraq
having been among the most vulnerable, although Iraqis from many
religious communities, Muslim and non-Muslim alike, have suffered in
this violence. In summary, members of small religious minority
communities in Iraq do not have militia or tribal structures to defend
them, do not receive adequate official protection, and are legally,
politically, and economically marginalized.
This resolution will remind the Iraqi government that minorities of
any type--be it race, religion, political affiliation, or difference of
thought--are integral components of a robust civil society and a true
democracy. I have faith that Iraq can and will achieve such a
democracy, but we must remember that building democracy requires more
than a constitution--it requires a commitment to democratic principles.
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker. I rise tonight in support of H. Res.
44, a resolution expressing concern about the situation facing
religious minorities in Iraq. I'd like to thank my colleague,
Congressman Peters, for introducing this resolution, and for being a
persistent champion on this important issue.
I am proud to cosponsor this resolution, which encourages the United
States government, the Iraqi government, and the international
community to take positive steps to protect Iraqi religious minorities.
Nearly seven years after the U.S.-led invasion, Iraq faces one of the
largest displacement crises in the world. The country's religious
minorities face a particularly desperate situation. Iraqi ethno-
religious minorities, including Iraqi Jews as well as Assyrians,
Chaldeans, and Syriac Christians, continue to face targeted killings,
sexual assaults, abductions, and other forms of threats and violence.
They comprise a disproportionately large percentage of the over 4
million Iraqis who have been displaced by the ongoing violence and
instability.
Those who flee Iraq often encounter a life of crippling poverty. Many
have great difficulty finding work in their new countries and often
cannot support their families. They may bear physical and emotional
scars as a result of years of trauma, tragedy, and abuse. Those who
stay in Iraq, on the other hand, face a life of constant fear,
intimidation, and outright violence.
I have a longstanding concern for Iraq's ethno-religious minorities.
In particular, I have worked closely with Chicago's vibrant Assyrian
community on efforts to protect Iraqi religious minorities and provide
opportunities for refugees. In August of last year I wrote to Secretary
Clinton, urging her to develop a comprehensive plan for protecting
these groups. This critical issue is crying out for the attention it
deserves.
That's why this resolution is so important. The protection of ethno-
religious minorities must be a component of our overall strategy in
Iraq, and the United States government must do more in partnership with
the Iraqi government and the rest of the international community to
ensure that all Iraqis, regardless of religious affiliation, can live
free of fear and intimidation.
Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution
944. I commend Representative Peters for his valuable work with the
Caucus on Religious Minorities in the Middle East, which, together with
my colleague Representative Frank Wolf, I am proud to co-chair. The
second anniversary of the kidnapping and brutal murder of the Chaldean
Archbishop of Mosul is a fitting time to remember our responsibility to
these vulnerable groups both during and in the aftermath of the war.
As an Assyrian American, I am deeply disturbed by the ongoing
struggle Iraq's minorities face each day. There have been dozens of
church burnings, kidnappings, and random acts of violence against
Assyrians, Chaldeans, Syriacs, and numerous other minority groups and
this Resolution calls on the Iraqi government to take meaningful action
to address their plight.
Last year, we took an important step by appropriating $10 million to
assist Iraq's minorities in the Nineveh Plains region. I'm pleased that
today's Resolution calls on the Iraqi government to protect the people
in that area. Madam Speaker, for the sake of a free and pluralistic
Iraq, I urge a ``yes'' vote on today's Resolution.
{time} 1500
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. I have no further requests for time, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
Mr. McMAHON. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and
I yield back the remainder of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New York (Mr. McMahon) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 944, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. McMAHON. Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not
present.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.
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