[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 897]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           IRANIAN CHRISTIANS

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, on an early morning last month, over 70 
Christians in Iran were suddenly arrested and detained by the Iranian 
authorities. As these Iranian Christians were taken to a notorious 
Tehran prison, one married couple was forced to leave a 2-year-old 
child behind. Another mother was taken while breast-feeding her baby.
  Eleven were released after hours of harsh interrogation. The fate of 
the others remains unknown. According to some reports they are 
suffering through sleep deprivation and blindfolded interrogations. 
They are likely to face charges of proselytizing, a death penalty 
offense in Iran.
  The peaceful worship of these Christians poses no threat to the 
Iranian Government, and the government's persistence in accusing its 
own population of being enemies does nothing to strengthen the regime.
  We stand with these oppressed Christians and other religious 
minorities in Iran that face constant harassment and potential 
prosecution. Most of all, we call on the Iranian Government to release 
those prisoners so they can raise their families and peacefully 
practice their faith.
  Mr. Speaker, why would a government that claims to be so powerful be 
afraid or threatened by such a small, peaceful minority?

                          ____________________