[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 206 (Monday, December 7, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H6867-H6869]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CONDEMNING IRAN'S STATE-SPONSORED PERSECUTION OF ITS BAHA'I MINORITY
Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
resolution (H. Res. 823) condemning the Government of Iran's 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. 823
Whereas, in 1982, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996,
2000, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017,
and 2018, 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, since 1979, Iranian authorities have killed or
executed more than 200 Baha'i leaders, and more than 10,000
have been dismissed from government and university jobs;
Whereas the Report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur
on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of
Iran (A/74/188) dated July 18, 2019, provides, in part--
(1) the Iranian authorities and the Iranian criminal
justice system regard the Baha'is as ``unprotected
infidels''; the Baha'i faith is also ``regarded as a
misguided sect''; and ``Baha'i worship and religious
practices are deemed heresy.'';
(2) ``Baha'is have been murdered with impunity and
violations of their human rights have not been
investigated.'';
(3) members of the Baha'i faith ``frequently face charges,
such as, ``breaching national security', ``propaganda against
the holy regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran', or
`propaganda activities against the regime in the interests of
the Baha'i sect' '';
(4) ``Since August 2005, more than 1,168 Baha'is have been
arrested and charged with vaguely worded offences.'';
(5) ``There were a total of 95 Baha'is reportedly arrested
in 2018, compared with at least 84 in 2017 and 81 in 2016.'';
(6) ``On 1 January 2019, the court of appeal of Isfahan
reportedly condemned, in separate judgments, nine Baha'i
citizens to a total of 48 years of prison. They had been
charged with `membership of the illegal Baha'i community and
propaganda against the regime by spreading the Baha'i faith
in the society.' '';
(7) directed by a 2007 letter from the Security Unit of the
Public Place Supervision Office of the Islamic Republic of
Iran to police commanders throughout the country, Iranian
authorities continue to apply economic pressure against the
Baha'i community, by banning them from specific professions
and ``halting their entry to `high earning businesses' '';
and
(8) ``Since 2013, there have been more than 803 incidents
of violations of economic rights of the Baha'is, including
arbitrary shop closures, unfair dismissals from employment
and the actual or threatened revocation of business
licenses.'';
Whereas the Department of State's International Religious
Freedom Report for 2019, Iran section, provides, in part--
(1) ``Non-Shia Muslims and those affiliated with a religion
other than Islam, especially members of the Baha'i community,
continued to face societal discrimination and harassment, and
employers experienced social pressures not to hire Baha'is or
to dismiss them from their private sector jobs.''; and
(2) ``The law bars Baha'is from founding their own
educational institutions. A Ministry of Science, Research,
and Technology order requires universities to exclude Baha'is
from access to higher education or expel them if their
religious affiliation becomes known.'';
Whereas, on March 11, 2020, the Department of State
released the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for
2019 and, in connection with Iran, the report provides, in
part--
(1) Iranian authorities ``barred Baha'i students from
higher education'', and in 2019, denied enrollment to at
least 22 Baha'i college applicants solely because of their
religious affiliation despite passing the national admissions
test;
(2) ``The country materially contributed to human rights
abuses . . . in Yemen, through its support for Houthi rebels
and directing authorities in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen
to harass and detain Baha'is because of their religious
affiliation.''; and
(3) ``In July 2019, Iran Wire, a human rights reporting
agency, reported the case of Hamed Rezvani, a Baha'i musician
and teacher, who left his home in Isfahan in December 2018
and has not been heard from since. Repeated requests by the
Rezvani family for information from police and local
intelligence have not produced any information about his
disappearance.'';
[[Page H6868]]
Whereas according to the 2020 Annual Report of the United
States Commission on International Religious Freedom
(USCIRF)--
(1) ``There are more than 300,000 Baha'is in Iran, who
together constitute the largest non-Muslim religious minority
in the country.'';
(2) ``Security forces also prevented the burial of two
deceased Baha'i individuals in a Baha'i cemetery in Kerman
after it was sealed in March 2018. In October, the body of a
deceased Baha'i woman was exhumed four days after her burial
and abandoned in a desert area outside the town of Jaban.'';
(3) There is a ``particular uptick in the persecution of
Baha'is'', including of local government officials who
advocated on behalf of Baha'is, and the Iranian government
blamed Baha'is, without evidence, for wide-spread popular
protests in 2019; and
(4) ``In July 2019, Twitter banned several official Iranian
media accounts for incitement against Baha'is in Iran.'';
Whereas the Baha'i International Community documented a
more than 50 percent increase in hate propaganda directed
against the Baha'is in the twelve-month period ending August
2020 compared to prior years with more than 9,500 such
articles, videos, or web pages appearing in Iranian
government-controlled or government-sponsored media;
Whereas Iran is a member of the United Nations and a
signatory to both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,
among other international human rights treaties, without
reservation;
Whereas section 105 of the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions,
Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 (22 U.S.C. 8514)
authorizes the President to impose sanctions on individuals
``responsible for or complicit in, or responsible for
ordering, controlling, or otherwise directing, the commission
of serious human rights abuses against citizens of Iran or
their family members on or after June 12, 2009''; and
Whereas the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights
Act of 2012 (Public Law 112-158) amends and expands the
authorities established under the Comprehensive Iran
Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 to
sanction Iranian human rights abusers: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) condemns the Government of Iran's state-sponsored
persecution of its Baha'i minority and its continued
violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and
the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;
(2) calls on the Government of Iran--
(A) to immediately release all imprisoned or detained
Baha'is, together with all other prisoners held solely on
account of their religion;
(B) to end its state-sponsored campaign of hate propaganda
against the Baha'is; and
(C) to reverse state-imposed policies denying Baha'is and
members of other religious minorities equal opportunities to
higher education, earning a livelihood, due process under the
law, and the free exercise of religious practices;
(3) calls on the President and the Secretary of State, in
cooperation with responsible nations, to continue to 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 the Secretary of State to
utilize available authorities to impose sanctions on
officials of the Government of Iran and other individuals
directly responsible for serious human rights abuses,
including abuses against the Baha'i community of Iran.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Maryland (Mr. Raskin) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Yoho) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Maryland.
General Leave
Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on H. Res. 823.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Maryland?
There was no objection.
Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution condemning
the government of Iran's persecution of its besieged Baha'i minority. I
thank all of my colleagues who have worked on this, including on the
Committee on Foreign Affairs, Mr. Deutch and Mr. Wilson, for their
leadership on this measure.
Mr. Speaker, the Government of Iran has carried out an inhumane
campaign of religious persecution against the Baha'i minority, its
largest nonMuslim religious minority in the country. The regime has
closed Baha'i-owned shops and stores, forbidden Baha'i citizens from
holding government jobs, and denied Baha'i children access to school.
Members of the Baha'i community have been unjustly arrested and
prosecuted and executed, targeted solely for their religious beliefs.
Mr. Speaker, the U.S. stands for the freedom of religious exercise,
and we must speak up in the face of this theocratic injustice. We
cannot forget those who struggled for their basic religious freedom and
civil liberty in Iran.
Mr. Speaker, this resolution sends a strong message to the Iranian
Government that the Government of the United States will not remain
silent in the face of such terrible oppression. It calls for the
immediate release of all imprisoned or detained Baha'is, and urges
sanctions on Iranian officials and others who are responsible for these
human rights abuses, including abuses against the Baha'i community.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this
bipartisan resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, this body is no stranger to the human rights abuses
committed by the Iranian regime. The Islamic Republic of Iran is the
world's largest state sponsor of terror and has regularly attacked and
detained those who disagree with them, including even their own people
and American citizens.
Today, we focus on the regime's religious persecution of the Baha'i,
Iran's largest religious minority group. The Baha'i in Iran are
regularly subject to arbitrary interrogations and arrests without due
process. They are often denied employment and access to higher
education. Their cemeteries have been vandalized, and many of their
leaders have been executed. Moreover, Iranian state media publishes
anti-Baha'i hate propaganda, exposing them to prejudices and even
potentially violent attacks by their neighbors.
Mr. Speaker, the Trump administration has admirably used sanctions to
punish Iran's human rights abusers, but we cannot let up until all
people in Iran, including the Baha'i, have the right to practice their
faith freely. With this resolution, we vow to continue to hold human
rights abusers accountable, including those who target the Baha'i.
The Iranian regime must end their persecution of the Baha'i by
releasing those who have been illegally imprisoned, by ending their
hate-filled propaganda campaign against the Baha'i, and by reversing
policies that the Baha'is equal opportunity.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot).
Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I
thank him for his leadership on this very important topic.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 823, which condemns
the Iranian Government's persecution of the Baha'i minority. As an
original cosponsor of this measure myself, I thank Mr. Deutch and Mr.
Wilson for their work to bring it to the floor today.
Mr. Speaker, as a former chairman of the Subcommittee on the Middle
East, North Africa and International Terrorism myself, I have long
observed how the Iranian Government has repressed its own people,
stifled their voices and their freedoms, and systematically abused
human rights. Nowhere is this more evident than in the mullahs'
persecution of members of the Baha'i faith.
Mr. Speaker, since the Iranian Revolution, Iran has executed hundreds
of Baha'is, while 10,000 Baha'is have been dismissed from their jobs,
and a number of their holy sites have been desecrated. Baha'is also
have seen their homes and businesses raided, their children prohibited
from attending college, and their property confiscated. This cruel
persecution comes despite the fact that Iran has nothing to fear from
the Baha'i. The Baha'i faith espouses the values of peace and unity,
cooperation, education, interfaith harmony, and an end to prejudice.
Wherever Baha'is live, they strive to be good citizens, devoted to
service and universal respect for all people.
Mr. Speaker, this includes here in the United States. Since arriving
over 120 years ago, members of the Baha'i faith
[[Page H6869]]
have established themselves as patriotic and productive citizens in all
50 States. I want to specifically honor the Baha'i community in my
community in Cincinnati. One of their churches is about a mile down the
street from my home, and I have had the opportunity to meet their
representatives several times and come to learn how they have enriched
our city of Cincinnati back home.
With these values and contributions in mind, the Iranian persecution
of the Baha'i is clearly barbaric and shows the true nature of that
wicked regime in Iran.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me and join others on both
sides of the aisle in condemning the persecution by supporting this
resolution.
Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, one of the principles this country was founded
upon was the freedom to worship. This is a right that people all around
the world should have, including the people of Iran. Resolutions like
this remind the world that the United States of America will not turn a
blind eye to religious persecution.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch) and the
gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson) for their leadership in
introducing this bipartisan resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support H. Res. 823, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume
for the purpose of closing.
Mr. Speaker, I, too, thank Mr. Deutch and Mr. Wilson for their hard
work on this important resolution.
Mr. Speaker, American foreign policy must work to advance and protect
basic human rights around the world, including religious freedom and
the rights of religious minorities. When we see human rights
violations, like the ones the Iranian Government has inflicted on the
Baha'i community, we must speak out. We must pursue justice for the
victims and we must hold the perpetrators accountable. We must defend
people nonviolently exercising their faith against governments
violently imposing their will on the public.
Mr. Speaker, this resolution is a step in the direction of aggressive
defense of human rights, and I am pleased to support it. I urge all of
our colleagues to support this bipartisan measure.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Raskin) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 823, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
The title of the resolution was amended so as to read: ``A resolution
condemning the Government of Iran's state-sponsored persecution of its
Baha'i minority and its continued violation of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights.''.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________