[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 171 (Monday, December 31, 2012)]
[House]
[Pages H7500-H7503]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1220
CONDEMNING IRAN FOR PERSECUTION OF BAHA'I MINORITY
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree
to the resolution (H. Res. 134) condemning the Government of Iran for
its state-sponsored persecution of its Baha'i minority and its
continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights, as
amended.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 134
Whereas, in 1982, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2000,
2006, 2008, and 2009, Congress declared that it deplored the
religious persecution by the Government of Iran of the Baha'i
community and would hold the Government of Iran responsible
for upholding the rights of all Iranian nationals, including
members of the Baha'i faith;
Whereas the Department of State 2011 International
Religious Freedom Report stated that the Government of Iran
``prohibits Baha'is from teaching and practicing their faith
and subjects them to many forms of discrimination that
followers of other religions do not face'' and that ``Baha'is
are barred from all leadership positions in the government
and military'';
Whereas the Department of State 2011 International
Religious Freedom Report stated, ``Baha'is are banned from
the social pension system. In addition, Baha'is are regularly
denied compensation for injury or criminal victimization and
the right to inherit property. Baha'i marriages and divorces
are not officially recognized, although the government allows
a civil attestation of marriage to serve as a marriage
certificate.'';
Whereas the Department of State July-December 2010
International Religious Freedom Report stated, ``Since the
1979 Islamic Revolution, the government has killed more than
200 Bahai's and regularly raids and confiscates their
property . . . Unknown assailants vandalized cemeteries and
holy places, and school authorities denigrated and abused
Baha'i students in primary and secondary schools in at least
10 cities.'';
Whereas the Department of State July-December 2010
International Religious Freedom Report stated, ``Public and
private universities continued to deny admittance to or expel
Baha'i students.'';
Whereas on September 15, 2011, the United Nations
Secretary-General issued a special report on human rights in
Iran (A/66/361), stating, ``Restrictions on the overall
enjoyment of human rights by unrecognized religious
minorities, particularly the Baha'i community, remain of
serious concern.'';
Whereas on September 23, 2011, the ``United Nations Special
Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic
Republic of Iran'', issued a report (A/66/374), noting that
``[a] number of individuals and organizations provided the
Special Rapporteur with first-hand testimonies, the
preponderance of which presents a pattern of systemic
violations of . . . fundamental human rights'' in Iran, and
expressed concern regarding reports of ``human and civil
rights violations'' against minority groups, including ``the
Bahai community, which, despite being the largest non-Muslim
religious minority, does not enjoy recognition as such by the
Government'' and whose members ``have historically suffered
multifaceted discrimination'';
Whereas on November 21, 2011, the Third Committee of the
United Nations General Assembly adopted a draft resolution
(A/C.3/66/L.56) noting ``[i]ncreased persecution and human
rights violations against unrecognized religious minorities,
particularly members of the Baha'i Faith, including
escalating attacks on Baha'is and their defenders, including
in State-sponsored media, a significant increase in the
number of Baha'is arrested and detained, including the
targeted attack on the Baha'i educational institution, the
reinstatement of twenty-year sentences against seven Baha'i
leaders following deeply flawed legal proceedings, and
renewed measures to deny Baha'is employment in the public and
private sectors.'';
Whereas on December 19, 2011, the United Nations General
Assembly adopted a resolution (A/RES/66/175) calling upon the
Government of Iran ``[t]o eliminate discrimination against,
and exclusion of . . . members of the Baha'i Faith, regarding
access to higher education, and to eliminate the
criminalization of efforts to provide higher education to
Baha'i youth denied access to Iranian universities'';
Whereas in March and May of 2008, intelligence officials of
the Government of Iran in Mashhad and Tehran arrested and
imprisoned Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani,
Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli,
Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm, the members of the
ad hoc leadership group for the Baha'i community in Iran;
[[Page H7501]]
Whereas, in August 2010, the Revolutionary Court in Tehran
sentenced the 7 Baha'i leaders to 20-year prison terms on
charges of spying for Israel, insulting religious sanctities,
and propaganda against the regime;
Whereas the lawyers for the 7 leaders were reportedly
provided extremely limited access to the prisoners and their
files;
Whereas these 7 Baha'i leaders were targeted solely on the
basis of their religion;
Whereas beginning on May 22, 2011, officials of the
Government of Iran in Tehran, Karaj, Isfahan, and Shiraz
raided the homes of individuals associated with the Baha'i
Institute for Higher Education, searching over 30 homes,
seizing educational materials, and arresting approximately 16
individuals;
Whereas, in October 2011, Mr. Vahid Mahmoudi, Mr. Mahmoud
Badavam, Ms. Noushin Khadem, Mr. Kamran Mortezaie, Mr. Farhad
Sedghi, Mr. Riaz Sobhani, and Mr. Ramin Zibaie were each
sentenced to 4 or 5-year prison terms for the crime of
``membership in the deviant Baha'i sect, with the goal of
taking action against the security of the country, in order
to further the aims of the deviant sect and those of
organizations outside the country,'' and, in January 2012,
Mr. Mahmoudi was released on probation;
Whereas ordinary Iranian citizens who belong to the Baha'i
Faith are disproportionately targeted, interrogated, and
detained under the pretext of national security;
Whereas the efforts of the Government of Iran to collect
information on individual Baha'is are reportedly ongoing as
evidenced by a letter, dated November 5, 2011 from the
Director of the Department of Education in the county of
Shahriar in the province of Tehran, instructing the directors
of schools in his jurisdiction to ``subtly and in a
confidential manner'' collect information on Baha'i students;
Whereas the Baha'i community continues to undergo intense
economic and social pressure, including an ongoing campaign
in the town of Semnan where the government reportedly has
harassed and detained Baha'is and closed 17 Baha'i owned
businesses in the last three years;
Whereas the Government of Iran is party to the
International Covenants on Human Rights; and
Whereas the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability,
and Divestment Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-195) urges the
President and the Secretary of State to impose sanctions on
``the officials of the Government of Iran and other
individuals who are responsible for continuing and severe
violations of human rights and religious freedom in Iran'':
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) condemns the Government of Iran for its state-sponsored
persecution of its Baha'i minority and its continued
violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights;
(2) calls on the Government of Iran to immediately release
the seven leaders, the six imprisoned educators, and all
other prisoners held solely on account of their religion;
(3) calls on the President and Secretary of State, in
cooperation with responsible nations, to immediately condemn
the Government of Iran's continued violation of human rights
and demand the immediate release of prisoners held solely on
account of their religion; and
(4) urges the President and Secretary of State to utilize
measures, such as those available under the Comprehensive
Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010
and Executive Order 13553, to sanction officials of the
Government of Iran and other individuals directly responsible
for egregious human rights violations in Iran, including
against the Baha'i community.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Florida.
General Leave
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks and insert extraneous material into the Record on this measure.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Resolution 134
introduced by my good friend and colleague from Illinois (Mr. Dold).
House Resolution 134 condemns the Iranian regime's persecution of
Iran's Baha'i minority. Baha'is are the largest non-Muslim minority in
Iran, numbering over 300,000 members in Iran alone. This resolution
marks the 12th congressional action urging the Iranian regime to end
its persecution of the Baha'i minority. And still, Baha'is do not have
the freedom to practice their religion. In fact, restrictions on
Baha'is extend far beyond their religious practices to further restrict
their civil rights and human rights. Many members of the Baha'i faith
living in Iran are even subject to harassment, to persecution by the
regime, and others with extensive reports of confiscation of property,
restrictions on travel, and raids on Baha'i homes and businesses. The
Iranian Government continues to arrest and detain Baha'is based on
their religious beliefs, with at least 60 cases logged last year alone.
The members of the national leadership of the Baha'i in Iran,
arrested in 2008 and unfairly tried with minimal access to their
defense attorneys, are now serving a 20-year sentence for crimes,
crimes including insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against
the regime. The government maintains possession of many Baha'i
properties that were seized following the 1979 revolution, including
holy places, cemeteries, and historical sites. Many of those properties
have now been destroyed.
Baha'is are barred from leadership positions in the government and
are only permitted to enroll in schools if they do not identify
themselves to be Baha'i and are required to identify as members of
another religion in order to register for their entrance examinations.
Many Baha'is are denied admission to the universities, and even those
who are admitted may face expulsion due to their faith.
The Baha'i Institute for Higher Education, established after Baha'is
were barred from attending other universities, was declared illegal
this year and six educators from that institute are currently
imprisoned in Iran.
These are just a fraction of the injustices that the Baha'is face at
the hands of the Iranian regime. The regime has sought to make life as
a Baha'i in Iran simply unlivable. They seek to take away aspects of
everyday life that you and I would consider fundamental, inalienable
rights.
This resolution draws attention to their plight and calls on the
Iranian regime to end its campaign of abuse against the Baha'is. It
condemns the Iranian regime for the persecution of the Baha'is and
calls on the regime to immediately release the Baha'is that it
wrongfully holds in captivity, including the seven Baha'i leaders and
the six Baha'i educators; and it calls for the President and the
Secretary to publicly express the same sentiments.
Finally, the resolution urges the President and the Secretary of
State to use measures already enacted into law under the Comprehensive
Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 to sanction
Iranian officials responsible for human rights violations against
Baha'is and others.
Mr. Speaker, I was a co-author of that legislation, and those
measures are not here for show. They are there to punish those
responsible for these egregious crimes and deter future human rights
violations. It is therefore time for the administration to walk the
walk and hold the Iranian regime officials--from the so-called
``supreme leader'' and Ahmadinejad on down--responsible for their
violations of the human rights of the Baha'is and other Iranians.
I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 134, as
amended; and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, before I get into the substance of the bill, I just want
to say a couple of things as we're ending the 112th Congress. In the
113th Congress, I'm about to take over as ranking member on the House
Foreign Affairs Committee. The man I'm replacing, who spoke before me,
the gentleman from California (Mr. Berman), I just want him to know,
which he already does, but I want to say it for the record how much
we're going to miss him and what a role model he really is for all of
us on the committee, first as chair and then as ranking member. There
isn't a person on either side of the aisle who doesn't respect him.
There isn't a person who doesn't understand how important he's been to
the Congress the many years he has served in Congress, and particularly
on the Foreign Affairs Committee. His shoes are going to be very hard
to fill. I'm going to try the best I can, but I want him to know, which
he already does, but I want to say it for the record that I'm going to
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miss him. I'm going to miss him as a friend, and I'm going to miss him
as a colleague; and I think the Congress as a whole will miss him
because he's one of the best, and I wish him only the very, very best
as he moves on to a future endeavor.
Let me also say the gentlewoman from Florida, the current chair of
the committee and former ranking member of the committee, she knows the
affection I have for her both personally as a friend but also as a
colleague, as chair of the committee for the past 2 years and as
ranking member for the previous 4. She and I have worked together not
only in these past 6 years but for all of the years we've been in
Congress, and I think we've been in Congress for almost the exact same
time. It's been a pleasure and an honor to work with her, and I
continue to look forward to collaborating with her on all these issues
of importance to us--we agree on many, many, many things--in the 113th
Congress. Madam Chair, I just want to tell you how much we appreciate
you on both sides of the aisle.
So let me talk about the bill. I think it's important. I agree with
everything the chairwoman said. While the international community is
rightfully concerned about Iran's ties to international terrorism and
its nuclear weapons program, we cannot forget those who struggle for
religious freedom and democracy in Iran.
The Baha'i community has long been the target of religious
persecution by the Iranian regime. Much of its informal leadership has
been arrested, and many members of the community executed. The Baha'i
are not permitted to practice their religion and culture. Their
marriages are not recognized. Their dead cannot be buried according to
Baha'i law, and their cemeteries are desecrated. In addition, the
Baha'i are denied government jobs and business licenses. They are not
permitted to enroll in public universities, and Baha'i schoolchildren
are frequently harassed by classmates, teachers, and administrators. No
human being deserves this type of treatment at the hands of their
government.
The social teachings of the Baha'i faith, such as the equality of
women and men and the principle of each individual's responsibility to
navigate the truth, are impossible for the theocratic leaders of Iran
to comprehend. But these are universal values--human values--and they
must be protected.
Mr. Speaker, the United States and the international community must
not ignore the systematic and violent attacks against the Iranian
Baha'i community, and Tehran must be held accountable. By passing this
resolution, we shine a light on the persecution of the Baha'i and
hopefully move us one step closer to the day that true freedom reaches
Iran.
I encourage all of my colleagues to support H. Res. 134, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from New York
for those kind words. Mr. Engel is a true mensch. That's a good thing.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman
from Illinois (Mr. Dold), a member of the Financial Services Committee,
the Tom Lantos Congressional Human Rights Committee, and the author of
this measure, whom we will miss greatly.
Mr. DOLD. Mr. Speaker, I certainly want to thank the chairwoman for
her leadership and for her friendship and her work on human rights
abuses. I certainly want to thank the ranking member and my friend from
New York as well.
Mr. Speaker, I've talked at length in this Chamber about the human
rights abuses taking place inside the country of Iran. In response to
this Iranian regime's oppressive rule, we have worked to promote
democracy and human rights through a variety of legislative tools, and
we have championed measures like the Lautenberg amendment to offer a
lifeline to those individuals who seek nothing more than the freedom
they cannot find in their home country.
{time} 1230
Today I'm proud to stand here with my colleagues and encourage others
to support House Resolution 134, officially condemning the Government
of Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of its Baha'i religious
minority and for the continued violation of human rights. It's time for
these continued violations of human rights to be fully exposed and to
receive increased international attention.
The Baha'i population is Iran's largest non-Muslim religious
minority. Over 300,000 Iranians consider themselves part of the Baha'i
faith, yet since the Islamic revolution of Iran of 1979, members of the
Baha'i faith in Iran have faced intense suppression solely because of
their religious beliefs. Baha'is are unrecognized under the Iranian
Constitution, and over 200 Baha'is have been killed in Iran since the
revolution.
Additionally, Baha'is are wrongfully imprisoned and discriminated
against throughout the country. Baha'is are barred from universities,
banned from government employment, and excluded from the social pension
system unless they deny their religious affiliation. Their marriages
are not recognized; their property is confiscated; their holy places
and cemeteries have been desecrated.
The situation has worsened considerably, Mr. Speaker, in the last
year as the number of Baha'is in prison has roughly doubled, and there
have been raids on the Baha'i Institution of Higher Education, an
alternative education system that the Baha'i community developed to
educate Baha'i youth who are excluded from the state's university
system.
House Resolution 134 condemns the state-sponsored persecution
performed by the Iranian Government and calls on it to release the
seven imprisoned Baha'i leaders, six imprisoned educators, and all
other prisoners held solely on account of their religious beliefs.
Additionally, the resolution calls on the President and the Secretary
of State to condemn the Iranian Government's continued violation of
human rights. Finally, the resolution urges the President and the
Secretary of State to utilize available measures to sanction officials
of the Government of Iran and other individuals directly responsible
for egregious human rights violations, including against the Baha'i
community.
Mr. Speaker, in recognition of the importance of this issue, this
resolution currently enjoys over 146 bipartisan cosponsors. On behalf
of all those who are concerned about human rights abuses, and on behalf
of the Baha'i community in the Tenth District of Illinois, which is
home to the Baha'i Temple of North America--the beautiful temple in
Wilmette is one of only seven, Mr. Speaker, throughout the world--I'd
like to encourage my colleagues, my friends to vote in support of H.
Res. 134's passage.
I thank you, and I thank, again, the chairwoman for her leadership.
Mr. ENGEL. I have no further speakers, so I yield back the balance of
my time.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I also have no further requests for
time. I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise as a cosponsor of H. Res 134, a
resolution condemning the Government of Iran for the state-sponsored
persecution of its Baha'i minority and to thank Representatives Dold,
Lipinski and Sherman for their collaboration on this important measure.
Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the Government of Iran has
continued to repress Baha'is and prevent them from participating in the
government and the military, from joining the social pension system or
attending public schools and universities unless they concealed their
faith.
This resolution calls on the President and Secretary of State, in
cooperation with the international community, to immediately condemn
the Government of Iran's violation of the human rights of the Baha'i
and urges the President and Secretary of State to utilize all available
measures, including sanctions on officials of the Government of Iran
and other individuals directly responsible for egregious human rights
violations against the Baha'i community and other minorities.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) that the House suspend the
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 134, 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. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a
quorum
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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, further
proceedings on this question will be postponed.
The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.
____________________