[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 5 (Monday, January 9, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E36]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                INTRODUCING THE JUSTICE FOR YAZIDIS ACT

                                  _____
                                 

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, January 9, 2017

  Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Justice for 
Yazidis Act, legislation that will expand mental health, physical 
therapy, and other health services to religious minority groups that 
have suffered the greatest persecution under the Islamic State (IS). 
These programs, though modest, are greatly needed and will help victims 
of genocide begin the long process of healing. In addition, this 
legislation establishes a P2 Processing system for Iraqi and Syrian 
religious minority groups, allowing these groups and individuals to 
apply directly to the United States for refugee status without 
compromising the rigorous vetting standards already in place.
  The crimes committed by IS are horrifying and brutal. Countless 
articles have been published detailing the unimaginable abuse that 
groups like the Yazidis have endured. Apart from the mass killings, the 
beheadings and torture, IS created a system of organized kidnapping, 
rape, forced marriage, and sexual slavery primarily targeted against 
girls from religious and ethnic minority groups. It's not hidden: they 
sell captives in the open, like cattle at market, where militants come 
and go as they please to select slaves as young as nine years old. Once 
sold, girls and women are traded among fighters for months at a time. 
Fighters believe they are entitled--and obligated--to enslave, rape, 
and forcibly convert these girls. They even published a pamphlet in 
December 2014 on how to treat female slaves.
  Thousands of women remain enslaved. For those who have escaped or 
been rescued, the road to recovery in war-torn Syria and Iraq is 
daunting. The United States, through the Department of State and the 
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided 
services and goods for these groups, but the need continues to grow on 
a daily basis.
  Human Rights Watch recently documented the severity of the need for 
trained trauma specialists, explaining that ``doctors need to be better 
trained in examining women who have been victims of sexual assault . . 
. otherwise, the exams could be harmful and humiliating for women and 
girls, and make them feel like they have no control over their bodies--
which is what they felt when they were abducted by ISIS.'' By 
dedicating specific resources dedicated to providing access to trauma-
informed counseling, the United States can play a significant role in 
rehabilitating these traumatized and often suicidal survivors of IS.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope this body will expeditiously pass this measure. 
Doing so will reaffirm America's commitment to those around the world 
suffering from great injustice.

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