[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 172 (Thursday, December 5, 2013)]
[House]
[Pages H7561-H7562]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                    WHEN ALL OPPRESSION SHALL CEASE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2013, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf) is recognized 
for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, a profound 3-hour debate 
took place in the House of Commons on the persecution of Christians 
globally. Multiple British parliamentarians argued with great passion 
and persuasion that this is the human rights issue of our day and one 
which demands great attention on the part of the British Government, 
and the West more broadly.
  In some respect, it is a sad commentary that such a conversation was 
remarkable, and yet it was. When was the last time this body, this 
Congress, let alone this administration or the State Department, spent 
even a fraction of that time talking about the thousands of people of 
faith who daily face discrimination, persecution, violence, and even 
death simply because of their most deeply held beliefs?
  It is worth noting that several weeks earlier the House of Commons 
had a debate on the persecution of Christians, specifically in the 
Middle East. There was an overwhelming number of speakers, too many 
more than the allotted time. This week's debate starts to satisfy that 
interest.
  In comparison, we have before us relatively modest legislation that 
has languished in the Senate for two consecutive Congresses now which 
would create a special envoy within the U.S. Department of State 
charged with advocating for vulnerable religious minorities in the 
Middle East and east Central Asia. How do we explain the utter lack of 
urgency on the part of our own government to address an epic exodus, 
that of Christianity from its very birthplace?
  The House of Commons debate is timely, not simply because of the 
magnitude and pervasiveness of the problem, but also because millions 
of professing Christians around the world have just embarked on the 
Advent season in anticipation of celebrating the birth of Jesus, a 
birth marked by its humble beginnings in a small Middle Eastern town 
called Bethlehem.
  Yet, as British member of Parliament, Sir Tony Baldry, noted with a 
sad irony:

       There is now practically no country--from Morocco to 
     Pakistan--in which Christians can freely practice their 
     religion.

  He continued:

       There is a severe danger, as we start to celebrate the 
     feast of Christmas in this country, that all Christianity 
     will be almost completely erased from the traditional Middle 
     East Holy Land of the Bible. Joseph would not now be advised 
     to take Mary to Egypt to avoid the dangers of Herod, because 
     Jesus would just not be safe there today.

  To follow on Sir Baldry's line of thinking, the patriarch Abraham 
would also have a difficult time surviving in Iraq having come from Ur, 
which is now Nasiriyah. Jonah would be hard pressed to make it to 
Nineveh, and Paul could scarcely travel the road to Damascus in Syria.
  The debate in the House of Commons began with a staggering statistic, 
namely, that one Christian is killed every 11 minutes somewhere on 
Earth for their faith.
  While the focus of the House of Commons' debate was on persecuted 
Christians, several MPs noted that whether or not you are a person of 
faith, all should be concerned by this troubling trend. Ultimately, 
freedom of religion and belief is a bellwether for other cherished 
freedoms. Where this ``first freedom'' is compromised, the whole of 
human rights is under assault.

                              {time}  1400

  In country after country, freedom of religion is indeed compromised, 
and Christians, to borrow a phrase from history, are in the eye of the 
``gathering storm.''
  This is perhaps no more true than in the Middle East. Here we see 
governmental, societal, and communal violence and repression against 
religious communities which specifically targets religious minorities, 
including Christians.
  These realities have been exasperated by the so-called Arab Spring, a 
spring which has devolved into winter for many of the most vulnerable 
in these societies, foremost among them, ancient Christian communities.
  With the fall of Hosni Mubarak, Coptic Christians, numbering roughly 
8 to 10 million, are leaving in droves in the face of increased 
repression, persecution, and violence. They were increasingly 
marginalized with the ascendency of the Muslim Brotherhood.
  Of course, recent events in Egypt indicate a rejection, in part, of 
the Brotherhood's approach, but the situation is fluid, and news 
reports indicate that Islamists are taking advantage of the unrest to 
target Coptic Christians.
  Similarly, Iraq's Christian population has plummeted. Churches have 
now been targeted, believers kidnapped for ransom, and families 
threatened with violence if they stay.
  During the debate in the House of Commons, Canon Andrew White, 
famously dubbed the ``Vicar of Baghdad'' as he oversees the only 
Anglican Church in Iraq, was quoted as saying that Christians ``are 
frightened even to walk to church because they might come under attack. 
All the churches are targets.''
  He went on to say, ``We used to have 1.5 million Christians. Now we 
have probably only 200,000 left. There are more Iraqi Christians,'' he 
said, ``in Chicago than there are here.''
  That is amazing. And this body, this Congress, this administration, 
silent.
  The issues I have just outlined must be viewed not simply as today's 
news but, rather, through the lens of history. A phrase not often heard 
outside of the majority Muslim world is ``First the Saturday people, 
then the Sunday people.''
  The ``Saturday people'' are, of course, the Jewish people. Except for 
Israel, the once vibrant communities and countries throughout the 
region are now decimated. In 1948, the Jewish population of Iraq was 
roughly 150,000. Today, no more than four individuals remain. In Egypt, 
the Jewish population was once as many as 80,000. Now roughly 20 
remain. It appears a similar fate may await the ancient Christian 
community in these same lands.
  If the Middle East is effectively emptied of the Christian faith, 
this will have great geopolitical and, I would argue, spiritual 
implications. But rather than being met with urgency, vision, or 
creativity, our government's response has been anemic and, at times, 
outright baffling, especially to the communities most impacted by the 
changing Middle East landscape.
  Multiple other countries were mentioned during the House of Commons 
debate, including, but not limited to, China, Nigeria, Afghanistan, and 
Pakistan.
  And keep in mind, the Obama administration has not pushed Iran for 
the release of Pastor Saeed Abedini. He sits in prison, his life is 
endangered, and this administration is silent.
  It was rightly noted, with some degree of irony, that, despite the 
blood spilt in Afghanistan by British and American forces alike, not a 
single church--not a single church--remains in that nation.
  One member of Parliament, Rehman Chishti, focused on the nation of 
Pakistan, where he was born. He said:

       I come from a Muslim background. My father was an imam. 
     When I saw the topic was persecution of Christians in the 
     21st century, I knew that it was absolutely right and proper 
     to have a debate on that subject. It is important for the 
     world to realize that persecution goes on.

  He continued, and I quote:

       The Blasphemy law is at the root of much suffering and 
     persecution of Christians in Pakistan.

  And then he specifically mentioned the case of Asia Bibi, a Christian 
mother of six, who, for years, has languished in prison and faces the 
death penalty for her alleged crimes.
  Do you ever hear her name mentioned on the floor of the House? Do you 
ever hear her name mentioned at the State Department briefings? Do you 
ever hear her name mentioned at the White House? Does anyone even know 
who she is? Does anyone even care?
  She faces death, the death penalty, for her alleged crimes.
  Too often, when confronted with these types of cases, the State 
Department offers unsatisfactory assurances that they ``raised the 
issue'' during private bilateral discussions, that is, if they raised 
it at all. Or perhaps the Department issues a bland statement

[[Page H7562]]

``condemning the violence,'' and then acts as if this is somehow a 
courageous or principled response to a bloody assault on innocent human 
life.
  This State Department and this President ought to learn from 
President Reagan and his State Department. President Reagan always 
advocated for those who were persecuted. And Secretary Baker and the 
Bush administration always advocated.
  This administration is silent. And, quite frankly, this Congress, 
House, and Senate are silent.
  The suffering church takes little solace in this approach, nor should 
we. In fact, I profoundly reject this approach. The Congress should 
profoundly reject this approach. And I humbly submit, the church in the 
West should demand more, for, if not them, who?
  With a few notable exceptions, among them the Catholic Church, 
specifically, Cardinal Dolan, who, in his farewell address as head of 
the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, beckoned the bishops to extend 
their efforts to the ``dramatic front lines of this battle, where 
Christians are paying for their fidelity with their lives.''
  Too few in the American church are burdened with this point of action 
for their suffering brethren.
  Reverend Martin Luther King's ``Letter from a Birmingham Jail'' is 
addressed to his fellow--and everyone ought to read Martin Luther 
King's ``Letter from a Birmingham Jail.'' It was addressed to his 
fellow clergymen. Earlier in the letter, he speaks of his love for the 
church, a love that I share, but then he goes on to admonish his fellow 
clergymen. This is what Martin Luther King said:

       I must honestly reiterate that I have been disappointed 
     with the church. When I was suddenly catapulted into the 
     leadership of the bus protest in Montgomery, Alabama, a few 
     years ago, I felt I would be supported by the White church. I 
     felt that the White ministers, priests, rabbis of the South 
     would be among our strongest allies. Instead, some have been 
     outright opponents. All too many others have been more 
     cautious than courageous and have remained silent behind the 
     anesthetizing security of stained glass windows.

  Could we not substitute a few words and be left with a similar 
critique today? Might the imprisoned Pakistani Christian lament, ``I 
thought I would be supported by the church in the West''? Might the 
fearful Coptic Christians cry, ``I thought the ministers in America 
would be among our strongest allies''?

  If the church slumbers, Washington will scarcely lead the way. Do not 
expect the Congress or the administration to lead the way if the church 
does not lead the way.
  Advent is the season of expectant waiting rich and spiritual meaning 
for believers the world over. My prayer this Advent is that the 
suffering church would no longer suffer alone, and that we would stand 
with them and seek a day when, in the words of the beloved Christian 
carol, ``all oppression shall cease.''
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________