[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16327]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           BAHA'I BICENTENARY

                                  _____
                                 

                        HON. ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 23, 2017

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, on the 200th anniversary of the birth 
of Baha'u'llah, the founder of the Baha'i Faith, it is with great 
pleasure that I send warm greetings to the Baha'i community of South 
Florida and beyond.
  Baha'is have thrived in the United States for over 120 years, making 
the world a better place by being good citizens, serving their 
communities, and working with those around them to promote the common 
good. With over five million followers around the world, the Baha'i 
Faith continues to promote Baha'u'llah's message of justice, unity, and 
peace, as it calls for equality, education, interfaith harmony, and 
international cooperation, and an end to racial prejudice.
  Despite the Baha'i message of peace, Baha'is in Iran continue to 
endure severe persecution because of their faith. In the last two 
Congresses, I have been honored to introduce a resolution which 
condemns ``the Government of Iran's state-sponsored persecution of its 
Baha'i minority and its continued violation of the International 
Covenants on Human Rights.'' Last year the House unanimously passed 
this resolution, sending a strong message that Iran must be held 
accountable for its actions, and we continue to garner strong 
bipartisan support for a similar measure, H. Res. 274, this year.
  As we celebrate the bicentenary of the birth of Baha'u'llah, let us 
remember his words: ``so powerful is the light of unity that it can 
illuminate the whole earth.'' In our quest for justice and peace, we 
must all work together to combat religious persecution whenever and 
wherever it is found.
  My best wishes to the entire Baha'i community on this very special 
occasion.

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