[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 7624]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




CONVENING OF THE `RELIGIONS AGAINST TERRORISM' CONFERENCE TO BE HELD IN 
                           ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 26, 2016

  Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the upcoming 
conference in Astana, Kazakhstan entitled `Religions Against 
Terrorism.' I was honored to be invited to this conference by Chairman 
Tokayev, Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of 
Kazakhstan, and regret that I will not be able to attend this important 
event.
  The conference will bring together political and religious leaders 
from around the world who are dedicated to ensuring that religious 
freedom is the rule rather than the exception. These leaders will also 
spend their valuable time discussing ways in which we can help defeat 
those who wish to pervert and twist religions into vehicles of hate and 
destruction.
  Between 2003 and 2012, Kazakhstan was host to four important 
gatherings that drew senior members from many different religions 
including Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, and Taoism. 
By holding the upcoming conference, Kazakhstan once again leads its 
region and the world in working toward a time when all religions are 
respected and those wishing to do harm under the color of religion are 
undermined and stopped from doing so at every turn.
  Mr. Speaker, under the leadership of President Nazarbeyev, Kazakhstan 
has, since the earliest days of its independence, been a valued leader 
in promoting religious tolerance. This legacy continues with the 
upcoming `Religions Against Terrorism' conference and will, I am sure, 
continue far into the future. I wish my friends a successful conference 
and applaud their laudable efforts.

                          ____________________