[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 114 (Wednesday, July 27, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H5595-H5600]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 ESTABLISHING SPECIAL ENVOY FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN THE NEAR EAST AND 
                           SOUTH CENTRAL ASIA

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 440) to provide for the establishment of the 
Special Envoy to Promote Religious Freedom of Religious Minorities in 
the Near East and South Central Asia, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 440

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) Seven Baha'i leaders in Iran have been wrongfully 
     imprisoned since 2008.
       (2) In May 2010, suspected terrorists attacked two mosques 
     in Pakistan belonging to the Ahmaddiya minority Muslim sect, 
     killing at least 80 people. Ahmadis consider themselves 
     Muslim, but Pakistani law does not recognize them as such.
       (3) Said Musa, an Afghan Christian convert, was arrested in 
     May 2010 on charges of apostasy, a crime which can carry the 
     death sentence, and was released in February 2011 only after 
     sustained international pressure.
       (4) On October 31, 2010, gunmen laid siege on Our Lady of 
     Salvation Church in Baghdad, Iraq killing at least 52 police 
     and worshipers, including two priests, making it the worst 
     massacre of Iraqi Christians since 2003.
       (5) Iraq's ancient and once vibrant Christian population 
     that numbered an estimated 1,500,000 out of a total 
     population in Iraq of 30,000,000 in 2003 has been reduced by 
     at least one half, due in significant part to Christians 
     fleeing the violence.
       (6) In November 2010, a Pakistani court sentenced Aasia 
     Bibi, a Christian mother of five, to death under the 
     country's blashphemy law for insulting the Prophet Muhammad.
       (7) On New Year's Eve 2010, 23 people were killed when a 
     suicide bomber attacked a Coptic Christian church in 
     Alexandria, Egypt.
       (8) On March 2, 2011, Pakistani Federal Minorities Minister 
     Shahbaz Bhatti, the only Christian member of the Cabinet, who 
     was outspoken in his opposition to Pakistan's blasphemy laws 
     was assassinated by extremists.
       (9) The Department of State's 2010 International Religious 
     Freedom Report stated that many religious minority groups in 
     Uzbekistan ``faced heavy fines and/or short jail terms for 
     violations of restrictive religion laws''.
       (10) The Special Envoy for Anti-Semitism, Hannah Rosenthal, 
     has noted that Holocaust glorification ``is especially 
     virulent in the Middle East media''.
       (11) A number of countries in the Middle East have recently 
     undergone popular revolutions which in some countries have 
     left security vacuums making religious minorities especially 
     vulnerable to violent attacks, such as--
       (A) in March 2011, the Shahedin Church in Helwan province, 
     Egypt, was torched, leading to protests which spurred 
     sectarian clashes in the streets of Cairo;
       (B) on March 20, 2011, a group of Salafists in Upper Egypt 
     cut off a Christian man's ear and burned his home and car; 
     and
       (C) news reports from April 2011 indicate that Salafi 
     organizations in Egypt have been implicated in the 
     destruction of Sufi shrines across the country fueling 
     violent conflict.
       (12) Many of these ancient faith communities are being 
     forced to flee the lands which they have inhabited for 
     centuries.
       (13) The United States Commission on International 
     Religious Freedom has recommended that Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, 
     Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan be designated by 
     the Department of State as Countries of Particular Concern in 
     accordance with the International Religious Freedom Act of 
     1998.
       (14) The situation on the ground in the region continues to 
     develop rapidly and the United States Government needs an 
     individual who can respond in kind and focus on the critical 
     situation of religious minorities in these countries.

     SEC. 2. SPECIAL ENVOY TO PROMOTE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM OF 
                   RELIGIOUS MINORITIES IN THE NEAR EAST AND SOUTH 
                   CENTRAL ASIA.

       (a) Appointment.--The President shall appoint a Special 
     Envoy to Promote Religious Freedom of Religious Minorities in 
     the Near East and South Central Asia (in this Act referred to 
     as the ``Special Envoy'') within the Department of State.
       (b) Qualifications.--The Special Envoy should be a person 
     of recognized distinction in the field of human rights and 
     religious freedom and with expertise in the Near East and 
     South Central Asia regions. The Special Envoy shall have the 
     rank of ambassador and shall hold the office at the pleasure 
     of the President.
       (c) Prohibition.--The person appointed as Special Envoy may 
     not hold any other position of Federal employment for the 
     period of time during which the person holds the position of 
     Special Envoy.

     SEC. 3. DUTIES.

       (a) In General.--The Special Envoy shall carry out the 
     following duties:
       (1) Promote the right of religious freedom of religious 
     minorities in the countries of the Near East and the 
     countries of South Central Asia, denounce the violation of 
     such right, and recommend appropriate responses by the United 
     States Government when such right is violated.
       (2) Monitor and combat acts of religious intolerance and 
     incitement targeted against religious minorities in the 
     countries of the Near East and the countries of South Central 
     Asia.
       (3) Work to ensure that the unique needs of religious 
     minority communities in the countries of the Near East and 
     the countries of South Central Asia are addressed, including 
     the economic and security needs of such communities to the 
     extent that such needs are directly tied to religious-based 
     discrimination and persecution.
       (4) Work with foreign governments of the countries of the 
     Near East and the countries of South Central Asia to address 
     laws that are inherently discriminatory toward religious 
     minority communities in such countries.
       (5) Coordinate and assist in the preparation of that 
     portion of the report required by sections 116(d) and 502B(b) 
     of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151n(d) and 
     2304(b)) relating to the nature and extent of religious 
     freedom of religious minorities in the countries of the Near 
     East and the countries of South Central Asia.
       (6) Coordinate and assist in the preparation of that 
     portion of the report required by section 102(b) of the 
     International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 
     6412(b)) relating to the nature and extent of religious 
     freedom of religious minorities in the countries of the Near 
     East and the countries of South Central Asia.
       (b) Coordination.--In carrying out the duties under 
     subsection (a), the Special Envoy shall, to the maximum 
     extent practicable, coordinate with the Bureau of Population, 
     Refugees and Migration of the Department of State, the 
     Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, the 
     United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, 
     and other relevant Federal agencies and officials.

     SEC. 4. DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATION.

       Subject to the direction of the President and the Secretary 
     of State, the Special Envoy is authorized to represent the 
     United States in matters and cases relevant to religious 
     freedom in the countries of the Near East and the countries 
     of South Central Asia in--
       (1) contacts with foreign governments, intergovernmental 
     organizations, and specialized agencies of the United 
     Nations, the

[[Page H5596]]

     Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe, and other 
     international organizations of which the United States is a 
     member; and
       (2) multilateral conferences and meetings relevant to 
     religious freedom in the countries of the Near East and the 
     countries of South Central Asia.

     SEC. 5. PRIORITY COUNTRIES AND CONSULTATION.

       (a) Priority Countries.--In carrying out this Act, the 
     Special Envoy shall give priority to programs, projects, and 
     activities for Egypt, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
       (b) Consultation.--The Special Envoy shall consult with 
     domestic and international nongovernmental organizations and 
     multilateral organizations and institutions, as the Special 
     Envoy considers appropriate to fulfill the purposes of this 
     Act.

     SEC. 6. FUNDING.

       (a) In General.--Of the amounts made available for 
     ``Diplomatic and Consular Programs'' for fiscal years 2011 
     through 2015, $1,000,000 is authorized to be appropriated for 
     each such fiscal year for the hiring of staff, for the 
     conduct of investigations, and for necessary travel to carry 
     out the provisions of this Act.
       (b) Funding Offset.--To offset the costs to be incurred by 
     the Department of State for the hiring of staff, for the 
     conduct of investigations, and for necessary travel to carry 
     out the provisions of this Act for fiscal years 2011 through 
     2015, the Secretary of State shall eliminate such positions 
     within the Department of State, unless otherwise authorized 
     or required by law, as the Secretary determines to be 
     necessary to fully offset such costs.
       (c) Limitation.--No additional funds are authorized to be 
     appropriated for ``Diplomatic and Consular Programs'' to 
     carry out this Act.

     SEC. 7. SUNSET.

       This Act shall cease to be effective beginning on October 
     1, 2015.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Berman) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  I rise to urge my colleagues to support H.R. 440, a bill to establish 
a Special Envoy to Promote Religious Freedom of Religious Minorities in 
the Near East and South Central Asia.
  The bill is authored by my very good friend and colleague, 
Congressman Frank Wolf, who was also the author of the International 
Religious Freedom Act of 1988 and other religious freedom legislation. 
He has taken the lead in Congress time and time again to advance the 
cause of those who are persecuted because of their faith. I wish to 
thank him for his years of service on this issue--his legislation and 
his tireless advocacy on behalf of religious freedom.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill establishes the special envoy position for 
religious minorities in 31 Middle Eastern and South Central Asian 
countries, almost all of which have had bad or very bad records of 
persecuting or disadvantaging religious minorities. The special envoy 
will represent the United States in contacts with foreign governments, 
intergovernmental organizations, U.N. agencies, the Organization for 
Security and Cooperation in Europe, and in contacts with international 
organizations and multilateral conferences. He or she will also meet 
with victims and try to take their story to offending governments to 
try to end the abuse.
  We know from experience, Mr. Speaker, that special envoys, including 
and especially for Sudan and Northern Ireland, have achieved 
unparalleled successes over the years in mitigating explosive 
situations and literally saving lives all while pursuing positive and 
durable solutions to what appear to be intractable and unresolvable 
problems.
  But not all special envoys have been equally effective. Almost 
everything depends on whom the President appoints to the position. So I 
would appeal to the President: When this bill becomes law, appoint 
someone with the passion, energy, and experience to get this job done 
and to stand up as never before for these persecuted minorities.
  Mr. Speaker, many of my colleagues will speak about different 
religious minorities in the Middle East, but I am particularly 
concerned about the Coptic minority in Egypt. They have been called the 
bellwether of the rights for religious minorities in the Middle East. 
As the largest and one of the oldest minorities, they are suffering, 
and their escalating agony portends suffering throughout the region.
  And make no mistake, they are suffering. On Friday of last week, I 
chaired a hearing specifically to hear of the needs and experiences of 
the Copts during this time during transition. What I heard and what my 
colleagues heard on the Helsinki Commission worried us deeply. Coptic 
women and girls, some as young as 14, are being systematically lured 
from their families or kidnapped off the street corners and forced to 
change their religion and forced to marry outside of their community. 
These young girls frequently suffer physical and psychological abuse, 
including rape, beatings, forced isolation, and lack of personal 
freedom both before and after their so-called ``marriage/conversion.'' 
The drugging of victims appears to be commonplace.
  One story that emerged at the hearing detailed the situation of a 
married woman who was forced to leave her Coptic community and marry a 
Muslim. Her family was present at the official inquiry--which are no 
longer conducted, I might point out--and said that she showed signs of 
being drugged. She was out of it. Over and over she repeated, ``I had 
to do it for the children. I had to do it for the children.''
  Dr. Michele Clark, an internationally recognized anti-trafficking 
expert--she was one of those who led the Protection Project at Johns 
Hopkins and was director of the OSCE trafficking efforts for years--she 
authored a report called ``The Disappearance, Forced Conversions, and 
Forced Marriages of Coptic Christian Women in Egypt.'' She testified 
that this happens to thousands of Coptic women and girls each and every 
year. She said this on Friday. Others also concurred in that analysis.
  Dr. Clark further testified that the mounting evidence shows that the 
term ``alleged''--which has been used in the U.S. State Department 
Reports on Human Rights Practices, as well as in the TIP report--needs 
to be replaced. It's no longer even close to being accurate. It's not 
an allegation; it's a fact that she herself, as a human rights 
investigator, has helped to establish by doing extensive investigation 
and inquiries on the ground in Egypt.
  She pointed out that the criminality of alleged forced marriages and 
conversions is generally dismissed by authorities here and everywhere 
else, especially in Egypt. The coverup must end. Young women are 
presumed to be willing participants, they are not. The abduction and 
the disappearance of Coptic women and girls follow, as she puts it, 
consistent patterns and constitutes human trafficking--modern day 
slavery.
  Dr. Clark testified that men and women and peers are used to build 
trust and dispel resistance in young women targeted for conversion in 
marriage. Most cases documented in the report begin with a trusting 
relationship that ultimately leads to the disappearance or abduction, 
marriage to a Muslim man, and conversion to Islam. These supposed new 
friends exploit the vulnerability and naivete of a young Coptic woman.
  Once trust has been established, girls are lured to an isolated 
place, drugged and kidnapped. Often they are raped. Following the rape, 
the Coptic women experience shame and fear of how their families will 
respond. They become more willing to stay with the Muslim friends. They 
feel that they have been so abused. And then they often marry their 
rapist because they feel they have nowhere else to go. This outrageous 
abuse must be exposed and stopped--and these young women rescued.

                              {time}  1240

  Let me just point out to my colleagues, what is going on in Egypt and 
the abuses being experienced by Christians and people of the Baha'i 
faith in Iran and elsewhere, we need to do much more than we have done 
to combat this, to speak out, to do effective chronicling, but also, 
once you get the information, to ensure that it is actionable and that 
you take it to those governments. Sadly, we have not done that. A 
special envoy would be uniquely equipped and empowered to take the 
cause of the beleaguered, suffering religious minorities in the Middle 
East and to fight, and to fight every day of the week for those people.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill, and I 
yield

[[Page H5597]]

myself as much time as I may consume.
  This bipartisan legislation creates a special envoy to promote 
religious freedom of religious minorities in the Near East and South 
Central Asia. Housed at the State Department, the special envoy would 
be responsible for monitoring and combating acts of religious 
intolerance, engaging with foreign governments to address laws that 
discriminate against religious minorities, and working to ensure that 
the unique needs of religious minority communities are being addressed.
  This bill is important because religious minority communities all 
around the world, but particularly in the Near East and South Central 
Asia, are facing increased attacks and increased persecution. For 
example, Iraq used to have a significant number of religious 
minorities, including Christians, Yazidis, Sabean Mandaeans, Baha'is, 
Shabaks, Kaka'is, and a small number of Jews. These groups have been 
subject to escalating violence, persecution, and discrimination for 
their religious beliefs, and today they comprise only about 3 percent 
of Iraq's population. By some estimates, half of Iraq's Christian 
population has fled since 2003.
  In November of 2010, a Pakistani court sentenced Aasia Bibi, a 
Christian and mother of five, to death under the country's blasphemy 
law. And what was her offense? In June 2009, she was asked to get water 
for herself and a group of women working in the fields with her. The 
other laborers objected to a non-Muslim touching the water bowl and an 
argument ensued. That group of women later falsely accused Aasia of 
speaking ill of the prophet Mohammed in order to settle a personal 
score against her. Aasia remains in prison awaiting review of her death 
sentence.
  When Punjab's Governor Salman Taseer had the courage to demand that 
Aasia be pardoned, one of his own bodyguards killed him. Two months 
later, when Pakistan's Minister for Minorities, Shahbaz Bhatti, 
condemned the blasphemy law, militants executed him in broad daylight.
  In Egypt, as the gentleman from New Jersey has stated, 23 men, women, 
and children were killed in a bombing at an Alexandria church in Egypt 
on New Year's Eve. Just last May, extremists attacked Christians at St. 
Mina Church in Cairo, leaving 12 dead and hundreds wounded.
  I wish these were isolated cases, but I could provide countless other 
examples, from Afghanistan, to India, to Saudi Arabia. We're fortunate 
to live in a country that was founded by religious refugees on 
principles of tolerance, but it is important that we do everything we 
can to ensure that religious minorities elsewhere in the world enjoy 
the freedoms and protections they deserve, the freedoms and protections 
enjoyed by all Americans. Appointing this special envoy will be an 
important step in that direction, and I urge my colleagues to support 
this bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the distinguished chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce-
Justice-Science for the Appropriations Committee, the author of H.R. 
440, the gentleman from Virginia, Frank Wolf.
  (Mr. WOLF asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, before I begin, I want to thank Chairman Ros-
Lehtinen for her support, Mr. Berman for his support, and Mr. Smith for 
his help. I also want to thank some key staff members whose hard work 
and efforts on the bill have not gone unnoticed: Elyse Anderson, 
Kalinda Stephenson, Yleem Poblete, Steve Stombres, and also Kyle Nevins 
with the majority leader's office. They have been very, very helpful, 
and I am grateful for their help.
  This past January, in the wake of increasing violence, targeted 
attacks, and heightened discrimination against Christians and other 
religious minorities in Iraq and Egypt, and persistent concerns in 
Afghanistan and Pakistan, among other nations, I introduced bipartisan 
legislation, H.R. 440, which would require the administration to 
appoint a special envoy to advocate for religious minorities in the 
Middle East and South Central Asia in order to make this issue a 
foreign policy priority.
  Since introduction, this legislation has garnered widespread 
bipartisan support with nearly 80 cosponsors. I want to thank Anna 
Eshoo, the lead Democrat in the House, for her work on this. Also, 
companion legislation has been introduced now by Senators Roy Blunt and 
Carl Levin. The legislation has also been championed by a host of 
faith-based organizations and diaspora communities, who recognize the 
importance of ensuring that the vulnerable communities have an advocate 
within the U.S. Government and around the world.
  Shortly before introducing this legislation, I chaired a hearing at 
the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission on the recent spate of attacks 
and the ongoing persecution of Christians in Iraq and Egypt. Commission 
members heard testimony about the increasing sectarian tensions in the 
two countries and the need for greater U.S. attention to the plight of 
religious minorities. The hearing was held prior to recent events in 
the Middle East which have, in some cases, created a political vacuum 
that have left religious minorities particularly vulnerable. I heard 
this fear expressed time and again during a recent trip to Egypt.
  Religious minorities throughout the region, including those who are 
Jewish, Ahmadis, Baha'is, are under increasing pressure. In fact, many 
of these ancient faith communities have been forced to flee the lands 
that they have inhabited for centuries.
  Consider some of the following:
  Last October, at least 70 people were killed during a siege on Our 
Lady of Salvation Church in Baghdad, making it the worst massacre of 
Iraqi Christians since 2003.
  Iraq's once vibrant Christian community population has been reduced 
by at least half since 2003. This would be tragic under any 
circumstances, but it is especially so given the rich ancestral 
heritage of this indigenous community.
  Apart from Israel, the lands and peoples of modern-day Iraq are 
mentioned with greater frequency in the Bible than any other country. 
Abraham, Jonah, Nineveh, Esther, and Daniel all hail from Iraq. The 
Christians of Iraq today still speak Aramaic, the language that Jesus 
spoke.
  In Afghanistan and Pakistan, countries where the United States has 
invested its treasure and the lives of countless brave American 
soldiers, persecution of Christians runs rampant.
  On November 7 last year, a Pakistani court sentenced Aasia Bibi, a 
Christian mother of five, to death for the crime of blasphemy. Only 
after intervention by the international community was her execution 
delayed. Her fate still remains, at this moment, unclear.
  Pakistan's blasphemy laws are often used to victimize both religious 
minorities and Muslims. Earlier this year, Punjab's influential 
Governor, Salman Taseer, was shot and killed by his own bodyguard, who 
reportedly told police that he, quote, killed Mr. Taseer because of the 
Governor's opposition to Pakistan's blasphemy law.
  In April, Pakistan's Federal Minister for Minority Affairs, Shahbaz 
Bhatti, a heroic man of faith whose courageous and outspoken leadership 
against his nation's draconian blasphemy law made him a prime target of 
extremist Islamist elements in his country, was assassinated. Bhatti 
was the only Christian member of the Pakistani Cabinet.

                              {time}  1250

  In an interview with The Washington Post's Fred Hiatt, Shahbaz Bhatti 
``urged Americans not to forsake or forget'' Pakistan's suffering 
religious minority community.
  Members of the Jewish faith continue to experience discrimination and 
persecution throughout the region. The Special Envoy for Anti-Semitism, 
Hannah Rosenthal, has noted that Holocaust glorification ``is 
especially virulent in the Middle East media.''
  If the international community fails to speak out, the prospects for 
religious pluralism and tolerance in the region are bleak. I urge my 
colleagues' support for this bill, and again thank the leadership on 
both sides for making this legislation a priority. I am hopeful that 
this bill will overwhelmingly pass the House and send a clear and 
unequivocal message to both the persecutors and the persecuted that the 
United States of America stands with those whose most basic freedom--
the right to

[[Page H5598]]

worship according to the dictates of conscience--is under assault.
  Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 3 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Eshoo), who brought this bill to my 
attention and has worked with the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf) to 
put it together and bring it to this point. She is deeply committed on 
this issue and a very great Member of Congress.
  Ms. ESHOO. I thank Mr. Berman, our distinguished ranking member of 
the Foreign Affairs Committee, for not only yielding me this time but 
for his conscience, because that indeed is what this is about, and his 
unflagging leadership on so many issues. Your endorsement and strong 
support of this bill I think bolsters it enormously, and says to the 
entire House that a person that is steeped in the background of the 
issues of the entire world is for this.
  I want to pay tribute to Mr. Wolf for his incredible advocacy on this 
issue relative to religious minorities for so long. It is an honor to 
have worked with you to bring this to a realization of not only 
legislation but to bring it to the floor. I salute you. You are a 
gentleman; and you, too, are a man of great conscience.
  Mr. Speaker, I think today we are here on something that really 
distinguishes the United States of America. From the founding of our 
Nation, religious freedom has been a pillar of our democracy, and it 
remains one of the most critical exports of our great Nation. I think 
having said that really establishes the foundation of why we are here 
in strong support of H.R. 440. This bill, as my colleagues have said, 
will create a special envoy to promote religious freedom of religious 
minorities in the Near East and South Asia. The legislation responds to 
the very urgent needs of Christians and other religious minorities who 
are under siege. When I say that, I underscore it. They are under siege 
in the Middle East. Again, I commend everyone, especially Mr. Wolf, who 
has been part of this effort. And as a cochair of the Religious 
Minorities Caucus and all of the members of it, I thank them as well.
  In January of this year, Representative Wolf chaired a hearing to 
review the violence and the hardships faced by Middle Eastern religious 
minorities. I was privileged to testify that day about the plight of 
many people, but most especially the Assyrians. I am of both Assyrian 
and Armenian descent, and the language Mr. Wolf spoke of, Aramaic, I 
speak fluently and understand very well. It is the language, as he 
said, that Jesus spoke. These are the world's oldest Christians, and 
they are quickly disappearing from Iraq. During this hearing, we also 
learned of Egypt's Coptic Christian population and the renewed threats 
they face and unacceptable violence in that uncertain political 
situation.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Mr. BERMAN. I yield the gentlelady 2 additional minutes.
  Ms. ESHOO. At the conclusion of the hearing, we agreed to press 
forward with this legislation to create a special envoy at the State 
Department, someone at the ambassador level to elevate this issue for 
the attention it deserves. We need a high-level official dedicated to 
religious freedom in the region, committed to addressing the concerns 
of the minority communities.
  I am very, very pleased that this legislation has attracted very 
solid bipartisan support. We have 78 cosponsors, an even split between 
Republicans and Democrats, all calling for the State Department to 
elevate religious freedom in the Middle East as a diplomatic priority. 
There is a history for this. Senator John Danforth served our Nation as 
special envoy to Sudan, and Senator George Mitchell as special envoy to 
Northern Ireland, so there is precedent for this.
  I want to speak of a meeting I had in my office last week. Three 
Dominican nuns, sisters who traveled from Iraq, and they once again 
relayed their story of what is happening to them. They have been 
dispersed across Iraq. They teach everyone regardless of their 
background, Muslims, Christians, no matter what the background is. And 
in their hospitals, they care for whomever is sick and wounded. And yet 
their convents have been burned, the statute of the Blessed Mother's 
hands chopped off and placed at their door. So these threats are very 
real. They are very real. That is just one example of it.
  So this history of violence must and should be dealt with. As I said, 
our great Nation, our great Nation treasures its religious freedoms, 
and it is part of the core of our democracy. So that's why I urge all 
of my colleagues to join us, not just me but all of us, in supporting 
this important legislation. The message that will go forward from this 
Chamber, with all of the other issues that are swirling around us, is 
that we stand with great dignity for one of the great principles of our 
great Nation.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky), who both here and abroad 
fights against persecution and discrimination against religious 
minorities.
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. I thank the gentleman for yielding to me.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 440, a bill to provide for the 
establishment of a special envoy to promote religious freedom of 
religious minorities in the Near East and South Central Asia. I want to 
thank my colleagues, Congressman Frank Wolf and Congresswoman Eshoo, 
for introducing this legislation and for their tireless leadership on 
this critical issue.
  Ethno-religious minorities continue to face a crisis in Iraq, where 
attacks and violence against Christians continue. My district is home 
to a large and vibrant Assyrian population, and they regularly share 
with me the devastating stories of their friends and family members 
still living in Iraq who are facing threats because of their faith. In 
November 2010, over 1,500 protesters demonstrated in Chicago, sending a 
powerful message about the need to protect Iraqi minorities.
  By creating a special envoy specifically focused on the rights of 
religious minorities in the region, this legislation is an important 
step toward ending the cycle of violence.
  To date, the U.S. Government and the international community 
unfortunately have failed to provide security for Iraqi ethno-religious 
minorities. Iraqi Christians continue to fear for their physical 
safety, as well as for the survival of their communities and culture. 
Of a population that numbered 1.4 million people before the American-
led invasion, there are now less than 500,000 Iraqi Christians in the 
country.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 440 is a critical step toward addressing the threat 
against Iraqi ethno-religious minorities. I urge my colleagues to join 
me in supporting this bill.

                              {time}  1300

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the 
distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Dold).
  Mr. DOLD. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Since 1947, 49 million Hindus in Bangladesh have gone missing, 
according to Professor Sachi Dastidar. A recent Hindu American 
Foundation report concluded that the ``Hindus of Bangladesh continue to 
be victims of daily acts of murder, rape, kidnapping, temple 
destruction, and physical intimidation.''
  Dr. Richard Benkin, an authority on human rights abuses in 
Bangladesh, has described to me on several occasions the atrocities and 
human rights abuses suffered by Bangladeshi Hindus that he personally 
has verified. Other groups, like the Christian Assyrians in Iraq's 
Nineveh province, the suffering of the Baha'i prisoners in Iran, and 
millions of others who seek to practice their religion in peace, look 
to the United States as a beacon of hope. I believe this bill helps us 
answer that important call. H.R. 440 will create a powerful diplomatic 
tool for the promotion of religious freedom and human rights in the 
volatile regions of the Near East and South Central Asia.
  I thank the gentleman for his bill, and I urge support for this 
meaningful legislation.
  Mr. BERMAN. I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Peters).
  Mr. PETERS. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased today to rise in support of H.R. 
440, a bill to establish a special envoy to promote religious freedom 
of religious minorities in the Near East and

[[Page H5599]]

South Central Asia. As a cosponsor of this bipartisan legislation and 
as a member of the Religious Minorities of the Middle East Caucus, I 
strongly support its passage.
  While many parts of the Near East and Southeast Asia are 
predominantly Muslim, historically these areas have been home to a 
diverse group of ethnic and religious minorities. Whether it is 
Chaldeans, Syriacs, and Assyrians in Iraq, Baha'i in Iran, Copts in 
Egypt, or the Hindus in Pakistan, religious minorities have for 
centuries lived and worshipped alongside their Muslim countrymen and 
women.
  Unfortunately, instability in the Middle East has had a 
disproportionately negative impact on religious minorities. The most 
striking example of this has been in Iraq, where more than half of the 
Iraqi Christian population has been forced to flee the country since 
the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Those who have stayed have been 
specifically targeted in gruesome and random acts of violence, such as 
murder, rape, and abduction.
  This includes religious and community leaders like Archbishop Rahho, 
who was kidnapped and murdered. Religious minorities have also suffered 
attacks in their places of worship, such as the October 2010 massacre 
at Our Lady of Salvation Church in Baghdad, in which 58 worshipers were 
killed by militants and extremists.
  While the end of the Mubarak regime in Egypt has brought about the 
promise for democratic reform, it has also given rise to instability 
and acts of violence against religious minorities. Coptic Christians 
have lived peacefully in this part of the world for centuries. Sadly, 
in recent months, Coptic churches and protesters have also been 
targeted for violence.
  Freedom of religion is something we take for granted here in the 
United States. Our citizens are free to worship however they please, 
without fear that they will be targeted for violence because of their 
religious beliefs. I'm honored to represent Michigan's Ninth 
Congressional District, which is home to an amazingly diverse 
population. We have Jewish synagogues, Islamic mosques, Hindu temples, 
and Christian churches of almost every kind imaginable. This diversity 
is a source of strength in our community, and something my constituents 
are very proud of. Many of my constituents have relatives in Near East 
or South Central Asia and they wish that they, too, had the same 
freedom to worship that so many of us take for granted. They are 
desperate to see the United States take more leadership in promoting 
religious tolerance overseas.
  That is why the legislation we're debating today is so important. It 
creates a permanent special envoy that will work on behalf of the 
President and the Secretary of State to advance the cause of religious 
minorities abroad. This individual will be able to ensure that the 
United States is fully engaged to fight to protect religious minorities 
in other countries and to help hold our own government accountable when 
that should be done.
  I would like to thank Representative Wolf, who is not only the author 
of this legislation but also the cochair of the Religious Minorities of 
the Middle East, a tireless champion on behalf of vulnerable 
populations. I would also like to thank my friend, Representative 
Eshoo, who is also a cochair of the caucus and a true champion for 
religious minorities in the Middle East.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation so that the United 
States will be vigilant in promoting religious tolerance and freedom 
around the world.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I simply ask the House to pass what is I think an important bill 
because we only have to read what is going on recently to understand 
this is a rapidly increasing and severe problem that affects those 
countries deeply in terms of the conflict's intentions. I think much 
good can come from having someone focused on these issues in that 
region.
  I urge an ``aye'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts).
  Mr. PITTS. I rise to urge this Chamber to support H.R. 440, a bill 
that requires the President to appoint a special envoy at the State 
Department to advocate for religious minorities in the Near East and 
South Central Asia. I commend the gentleman for his leadership on this 
matter.
  I have personally met with oppressed people from all over the globe, 
but predominantly ones from the Near East and South Asia. The region 
has long been a hot-bed of religious discrimination, and little has 
been done by our government to aid these innocent practitioners of 
faith. Revolutions striving for democracy and greater expression in the 
region have been matched by a wake of religious intolerance and 
extremism. As we cherish our right to the free expression of religion 
here at home, our State Department needs to reflect our dedication to 
protecting this right in our diplomatic engagements abroad.
  Religious minorities in Egypt, Iraq, Iran, and countless other 
countries are left without an advocate in the political process of 
their respective governments. H.R. 440 would provide an envoy that can 
advocate for these religious minorities and focus solely on their 
plight while being able to avoid bureaucratic red tape. As basic human 
rights are increasingly under assault in this region, our government 
needs to rapidly respond to the new challenges rapidly emerging. It is 
in our strategic interest to pass this legislation. I ask the Members 
to join me in supporting it.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on H.R. 440.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Zoe Lofgren).
  Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  This is a bipartisan bill, which I support. I would just note--and I 
know the gentleman's long history with mine of advocating for human 
rights and religious freedom in Vietnam. I hope that we can follow up 
this great effort with a similar effort really specifically oriented 
toward the religious oppression that's going on in Vietnam against the 
Buddhists, against the Cao Dai, against the Catholics and many others. 
I commend the gentleman for this bill. I just wanted to raise that 
issue in the hopes that it can be addressed at a later date.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the issue of religious freedom for minorities in the 
Middle East and South Central Asia must be of the highest priority. For 
far too long, religious minorities and the persecution and 
marginalization they endure has been overlooked, even trivialized. 
Their rights and even their very lives must now be assiduously 
protected in this time of political upheaval, especially in the Middle 
East.
  Mr. Wolf had the foresight to draft this bill before the so-called 
Arab Spring. It was needed in January. It's even more needed now, 
especially in light of the spate of church bombings and escalated 
persecution against believers, especially with kidnappings of thousands 
each and every year of Coptic Christian teenage girls, who are then 
forced to convert to Islam and forced to ``marry'' a Muslim man.

                              {time}  1310

  Make no mistake, Mr. Speaker. The Middle East is at a critical 
juncture. We are witnessing the systematic extinction of centuries-old 
religious communities. South and Central Asia are also systematically 
failing their religious minorities.
  The late Shahbaz Bhatti, Federal Minister for Minorities in Pakistan, 
gave his life to fight the injustices and atrocities suffered by the 
religious minorities in Pakistan. The Government of Pakistan has since 
abolished the Ministry for Minorities, perhaps under the false 
impression that it does not matter in relations with the United States.
  A Special Envoy for religious minorities sends the right message at 
the right time, and empowers a diplomat with access to the President 
and to, hopefully, all the leaders throughout

[[Page H5600]]

the region and to all those who are disenfranchised. The rights of 
religious minorities matter, and we will not look askance during this 
perilous time.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise as a cosponsor of H.R. 440, a 
bill to establish a Special Envoy to promote religious freedom for 
minorities in the Near East and South Central Asia, because no one 
should be made to feel that the practice of their religion is a crime 
or a source of shame.
  Around the world, people are persecuted in the name of one religion 
against another. Such persecution not only violates their inalienable 
right to worship as they choose; it also creates instability in many 
places around the world. Many conflicts are rooted in sectarian 
differences and rivalries. To the extent the United States can promote 
religious tolerance, we advance the cause of human rights, justice and 
peace around the globe.
  This bill creates a special envoy in order to monitor and combat acts 
of religious intolerance and incitement targeted against religious 
minorities and to work with foreign governments to address laws that 
are inherently discriminatory toward religious minority communities.
  As we speak, there are minorities all over the world who live in fear 
for their lives merely because they practice a different religion than 
those around them. I encourage my colleagues to join me in support of 
H.R. 440.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 440, 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. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  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.

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