[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 78 (Thursday, June 2, 2011)]
[House]
[Page H3922]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE IN SYRIA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Minnesota (Mr. Ellison) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ELLISON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to stand shoulder to shoulder 
with the legitimate aims of Syrian people in their quest for freedom 
and democracy.
  Ever since the Syrian people rose up to demand their rights and 
dignity from the Assad regime, they have faced brutal repression. Their 
nonviolent protest movement has been met with repressive force, and 
this has been a disgrace on the world scene.
  The human rights abuses of the Assad regime are unthinkable, and they 
are historic and generational. It is torturing its own people at this 
time, including even children.
  I was shocked and outraged by the story of Hamza al-Khatib. He was a 
13-year-old boy who was killed and tortured and his body was returned 
to his family on May 25 with clear signs of torture and brutality. He 
had a broken hand; his genitals were cut off and severed. This young 
man, only 13 years old, will never see his family again because he has 
gone on.
  But what happened to him the Syrian people can't forget, and his 
example has inspired people to stand up for democracy. Over the past 3 
months, a familiar pattern has emerged. People organize public 
demonstrations to demand their God-given rights. Inevitably, the 
government forces overreact and kill peaceful protesters. Funerals for 
the deceased garner even larger demonstrations, which are then 
repressed ever more brutally by the government.
  The emergency situation in Syria today reached a new level when tanks 
rolled into Daraa. Since that time, hundreds of peaceful demonstrators 
have been killed. Just this morning, this very morning, Syrian forces 
killed 15 people when they shelled the town of Rastan. Fifty-eight 
people have been killed there in the past 3 days alone. Over a thousand 
have been killed since democracy protests began.
  Mr. Speaker, it's truly unfortunate that the Assad regime missed the 
historic opportunity that it had right before it to set a new pattern 
in the Arab Spring, a pattern that above all respects human rights. 
Instead, it chose to become an enemy of its own people.
  By murdering its own people and violating their fundamental right to 
security and liberty, the Assad regime has lost any and all legitimacy 
to govern. Legitimacy is gained through the consent of the governed, 
not brutal repressive crackdowns, jailings, and torturing.
  While we don't know yet how events will ultimately unfold in Syria, I 
want to commend the activism of Syrian Americans. Syrian Americans are 
doing everything they can to support their friends and their families. 
For example, just last week the Syrian American Council organized a day 
of action to support freedom and democracy in Syria. Some 400-plus 
Syrian Americans came all across the country to come to Washington, 
D.C., to lobby their Representatives in Congress, to demonstrate at the 
Syrian Embassy, and to organize committees to plan future initiatives.
  That's how democracy works, Mr. Speaker; people coming together with 
their common concerns to peaceably petition their government. That's 
what makes America great, and that's what sets us apart from places 
like Syria under the Assad regime. Syria could be a great bastion of 
liberty, but not with this illegitimate regime.
  I stand with the patriotic Americans in steadfast opposition to the 
grotesque human rights abuses of the Assad regime and once and for all 
call upon it to respect the rights, dignity, and democratic aspirations 
of its people. The world will not forget Hamza al-Khatib, Mr. Speaker. 
We won't forget the legitimate yearnings for liberty and justice from 
the people of Syria or anywhere in the world.

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