[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 121 (Wednesday, July 30, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5125-S5126]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ACT

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I wish to express my appreciation that the 
Senate has passed H.R. 4028, a bipartisan bill Representatives Grace 
Meng and Doug Collins introduced that amends the International 
Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to include the desecration of cemeteries 
among the many forms of violations of the right to religious freedom. 
Last month, Senator Risch and I introduced a Senate companion bill, S. 
2466, to H.R. 4028.
  In 1998, Congress passed the International Religious Freedom Act to 
affirm America's commitment to religious freedom, enshrined both in the 
U.S. Constitution and in numerous international human rights 
instruments. The act acknowledges the pressure and persecution that 
many people around the world face because of their religious beliefs 
and requires the Department of State to issue an annual report on 
international religious freedom.
  Freedom of religion requires respect for those practicing their faith 
alone as well as in community with others. It also requires protection 
for those who identify as members of a religious community, for the 
symbols of the community, for the houses of worship, and for other 
institutions of the community. The defacing or destruction of a 
cemetery based on an affiliation with a particular religious or 
spiritual group should not be tolerated by governments and must factor 
into our international religious freedom reporting. This bill, H.R. 
4028, will ensure inclusion of these acts in the annual State 
Department reports and will better aid those of us working to monitor 
and combat anti-Semitism and other religious discrimination.
  There is no question that we need to report on these crimes. In 
recent years, we have witnessed with growing concern a number of cases 
involving the desecration of Jewish cemeteries in the Netherlands, 
Hungary, Russia, Poland, France, Germany, Georgia, Moldova, and 
Argentina. This legislation is even more important and timely given the 
rise in anti-Semitism across Europe. In just the past few weeks, large-
scale anti-Semitic protests have taken place in major cities across 
Europe. In this year's European Union elections, extremist parties 
espousing anti-Semitic platforms have made alarming progress. And in 
Hungary and Greece, extremist parliamentary parties associated with 
street militias have been successful in elections.
  I have served on the Helsinki Commission for nearly 20 years. During 
my tenure, I have worked tirelessly to combat anti-Semitism and 
religious discrimination. Ensuring that religiously motivated cemetery 
desecration is reported is the first important step to combating this 
serious crime.
  I thank Senator Risch for his leadership on this issue. I also thank 
Senators Menendez and Corker for taking up H.R. 4028 and moving it 
quickly through the Senate Foreign Relations

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Committee. Finally, I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle 
supporting this bill and for helping to recognize the desecration of 
cemeteries as a violation of the right to religious freedom.

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