[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Pages 12941-12942]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    CONDEMNING BIGOTRY AND VIOLENCE

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary 
Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 133 and 
that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 133) condemning bigotry and violence 
     against Arab Americans, Muslim Americans, South Asian-
     Americans, and Sikh Americans.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. SUNUNU. Mr. President, I support S. Res. 133, a resolution 
expressing the Senate's condemnation of acts of bigotry and violence 
against Arab Americans, Muslim Americans, South-Asian Americans, and 
Sikh Americans.
  I am pleased to join the Senior Senator from Illinois, Mr. Durbin, 
and the Senator from Wisconsin, Mr. Feingold, in sponsoring this 
resolution in the Senate. I would like to thank them for their 
leadership on this issue, along with the other Senators from both sides 
of the aisle who have joined us as cosponsors. And I would also like to 
thank Chairman Hatch, Ranking Member Leahy, and the members of the 
Judiciary Committee for their favorable action on the resolution.
  Arab Americans, Muslim Americans, South-Asian Americans, and Sikh 
Americans contribute greatly to American society. Many serve honorably 
in the armed services and as law enforcement officials. Like all law-
abiding Americans, they deserve respect for their civil rights and 
civil liberties. This resolution condemns bias-motivated acts against 
members of these communities and calls upon Federal and local law 
enforcement to prosecute any criminal violations.
  Regrettably, after the September 11 attacks and more recently after 
the start of military action in Iraq, acts of bigotry and violence 
against Arab Americans, Muslim Americans, South-Asian Americans, and 
Sikh Americans have increased. President Bush has condemned such 
incidents on more than one occasion, and it is appropriate for the 
Senate to join him and citizens across the country in expressing 
outrage over these acts.
  I applaud the Senate's passage of this resolution, and I again thank 
the Senator from Illinois, Mr. Durbin, and the Senator from Wisconsin, 
Mr. Feingold, for working with me on this important issue.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution 
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider 
be laid upon the table, all with no intervening action or debate, and 
any statements related to this measure be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 133) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

[[Page 12942]]



                              S. Res. 133

       Whereas all Americans are united in supporting American men 
     and women who protect our Nation abroad and at home;
       Whereas thousands of Arab Americans, Muslim Americans, Sikh 
     Americans, and South-Asian Americans serve in the military 
     and in law enforcement, working to protect all Americans;
       Whereas the Arab-American, Muslim-American, Sikh-American, 
     and South-Asian-American communities are vibrant, peaceful, 
     and law-abiding, and have greatly contributed to American 
     society;
       Whereas Arab Americans, Muslim Americans, Sikh Americans, 
     and South-Asian Americans, as do all Americans, condemn acts 
     of violence and prejudice; and
       Whereas the United States Senate is concerned by the number 
     of bias-motivated crimes against Arab Americans, Muslim 
     Americans, Sikh Americans, and South-Asian Americans, and 
     other Americans in recent months: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) declares that the civil rights and civil liberties of 
     all Americans, including Arab Americans, Muslim Americans, 
     Sikh Americans, and South-Asian Americans, should be 
     protected;
       (2) condemns bigotry and acts of violence against any 
     Americans, including Arab Americans, Muslim Americans, Sikh 
     Americans, and South-Asian Americans;
       (3) calls upon local, State, and Federal law enforcement 
     authorities to work to prevent bias-motivated crimes against 
     all Americans, including Arab Americans, Muslim Americans, 
     Sikh Americans, and South-Asian Americans; and
       (4) calls upon local, State, and Federal law enforcement 
     authorities to investigate and prosecute vigorously all such 
     crimes committed against Arab Americans, Muslim Americans, 
     Sikh Americans, and South-Asian Americans.

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