[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 14]
[House]
[Pages 19648-19651]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       CONDEMNING THE PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS AROUND THE WORLD

  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 407) condemning the persecution of 
Christians around the world, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 407

       Whereas the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 
     U.S.C. 6401 et seq.) found that religious persecution is not 
     confined to a particular region or regime and reaffirmed the 
     commitment of the United States that religious freedom, which 
     is the freedom of thought and conscience and the right to 
     practice theistic and non-theistic beliefs, is the right of 
     every individual and should never be arbitrarily abridged by 
     any government;
       Whereas the persecution of Christians is a global problem, 
     occurring in countries across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, 
     and the Americas;
       Whereas Christians face persecution not only from Islamic 
     extremist groups, like the Islamic State and Boko Haram, but 
     also from other religious extremist groups and from officials 
     at all levels of government;
       Whereas the Middle East has been a home to Christians since 
     the first century A.D., but the Christian population in the 
     Middle East has significantly decreased over the past few 
     decades as a result of persecution, displacement, and 
     genocide;
       Whereas such persecution ranges from social harassment and 
     discrimination to physical violence, imprisonment, torture, 
     enslavement, rape, and death;
       Whereas Christians in Syria and Iraq have faced assault, 
     torture, imprisonment, enslavement, and execution in a 
     genocidal campaign by the Islamic State;
       Whereas according to 2017 reports from international non-
     governmental organizations, the Christian population in Iraq 
     decreased from 1,400,000 people in 2003 to just 275,000 
     people in 2016, as a result of displacement and genocide 
     caused by religious extremism;
       Whereas Christian holy sites in Syria have been destroyed 
     by the Islamic State;
       Whereas in 2016, approximately 200 Christians in Iran were 
     arrested, while others have been beaten, tortured, subjected 
     to feigned public executions, and even sentenced to death for 
     their faith, and at least 90 remain in illegal detention;
       Whereas in Saudi Arabia, Christians as well as other 
     religious minorities face imprisonment, torture, and 
     deportation and must practice their faith in secrecy because 
     their houses of worship are not allowed;
       Whereas on April 9, 2017, Palm Sunday, 44 people were 
     killed in bomb attacks by the Islamic State on Coptic 
     churches in Egypt;
       Whereas the Islamic State has also claimed responsibility 
     for the attack on a bus on May 26, 2017, in which 29 Coptic 
     Christians were killed while traveling to a monastery in 
     Minya, Egypt;
       Whereas since the fall of the Gaddafi regime, Libya has 
     served as a haven for militant Islamist extremist groups, 
     like the Islamic State, which has resulted in more violent 
     forms of Christian persecution;
       Whereas the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the 
     killing of 51 Coptic Christians in Libya in February and 
     March of 2015;
       Whereas Christian migrants from northern Africa traveling 
     through Libya on their way to Europe have been abducted, 
     trafficked, and forced to convert to Islam at the hands of 
     the Islamic State;
       Whereas in Afghanistan there are reports that converts to 
     Christianity have been murdered or sent to mental hospitals;
       Whereas Christians in Pakistan face accusations of 
     blasphemy, punishable by death, and convictions and sentences 
     for blasphemy are given despite little or no evidence;
       Whereas according to Open Doors USA, approximately 600 
     Christian churches were attacked in Pakistan in 2016;
       Whereas both Christians and Muslims in Nigeria have been 
     massacred by Islamic extremist groups like Boko Haram;
       Whereas Christian converts in Somalia often face public 
     execution;
       Whereas in 2017, a mob of 100 men attacked a Christian 
     church in Uganda, beating and raping members of the 
     congregation;
       Whereas in May 2017, a Christian governor in Indonesia was 
     found guilty of blasphemy and sentenced to two years in 
     prison, in what was widely seen as a challenge to religious 
     pluralism in Indonesia;
       Whereas communist regimes have a strong history of 
     oppressing and persecuting Christians as well as other 
     religious minorities;
       Whereas since 2013, in the Zhejiang Province of China, 
     crosses have been removed from over 1,500 churches as part of 
     that province's anti-cross campaign;
       Whereas in China, members of Christian churches, as well as 
     other religious minorities, that are not registered with the 
     government face increased persecution from the Chinese state, 
     including the risk of imprisonment and torture;
       Whereas in North Korea, the practice of Christianity is 
     prohibited and if caught, Christians are sent to forced labor 
     camps;
       Whereas in November 2016, Vietnam adopted a new ``Law on 
     Belief and Religion'' that falls dramatically short of 
     internationally accepted standards for human rights and 
     curtails the right to religious freedom for over 8,000,000 
     Christians in that country;
       Whereas in Mexico and Colombia, Christian church leaders 
     have been assaulted, threatened, and in some cases killed by 
     transnational criminal organizations and paramilitary armed 
     groups attempting to intimidate and silence them;
       Whereas religious discrimination, including the persecution 
     of Christians, is a global human rights problem; and
       Whereas the right to religious freedom is a universal right 
     recognized by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) condemns all violations of religious freedom and 
     affirms that religious freedom is a fundamental right of 
     every individual that should never be arbitrarily abridged by 
     any government;
       (2) condemns the persecution of Christians around the 
     world;
       (3) calls on discriminatory countries to cease their 
     persecution of Christians and religious minorities and combat 
     religious persecution carried out by extremist non-state 
     actors; and
       (4) urges the President and the heads of the governments of 
     all countries around the world to uphold the right to 
     religious freedom and condemn the global persecution of 
     Christians and other religious minorities.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from

[[Page 19649]]

California (Mr. Royce) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their 
remarks and to include extraneous material in the Record on this 
measure.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, let me begin here by thanking the gentleman from 
Wisconsin, Representative Glenn Grothman, for his work on this 
resolution.
  As many in our country are preparing to celebrate this season of 
peace and joy, thousands of Christian believers around the world are 
marking the holiday in a much more somber way. They are marking this 
holiday under a threat of persecution and under a threat of violence.
  Pope Francis has said: ``When we read the history of the first 
centuries, we read of so much cruelty toward Christians. I tell you: 
There is the same cruelty today, and to a greater extent.''
  Those were his words.
  According to research, Christians today are more targeted for attack 
than any other body of believers.
  While about 30 percent of the world's population identifies as 
Christian, 80 percent of all reported acts of religious persecution 
right now are directed at Christians. Open Doors charity reports that, 
each month, around the world, 300 Christians are murdered--this would 
be for their faith--and more than 200 churches and properties are 
destroyed. This is each month.
  Over 770 acts of violence are committed against Christians, including 
beatings, abductions, rapes, arrests, and forced marriages.
  For example, across the Middle East there are historic Christian 
communities that are only one or two generations away from extinction. 
These were the indigenous people to this region. In Iraq, there are now 
fewer than 250,000 Christians remaining of a community that once had 
more than 1.4 million believers.
  Last Congress, the House took the lead in declaring the violence 
against Christians committed by ISIS in Iraq and Syria as genocide. 
Since then, Congress has pushed hard to make sure that these vulnerable 
communities are protected and receive the assistance that they need.
  I have visited these communities up in northern Iraq, and I can 
attest to the amount of persecution that they have been through.
  Of course, our brave men and women in uniform deserve our praise for 
leading the fight to destroy ISIS, the so-called caliphate, allowing 
for the safe return of Christians and other religious minorities in the 
region.
  We are blessed to live in this country free to enjoy our religious 
festivals in peace and security. We must not turn a blind eye to the 
atrocities happening elsewhere in the world.
  With passage of this measure, we acknowledge the disturbing rise in 
persecution of Christians around this globe and recommit our Nation to 
support the religious freedom of all people.
  We also call on other world leaders to end persecution of Christians 
and other religious minorities that are also persecuted at the 
national, local government, and community level. This includes 
persecution, of course, by violent non-state actors like terrorist 
groups Boko Haram and ISIS.
  With this call to action, we work to advance our Nation's historic 
goal to promote ``peace on Earth and goodwill toward men.''
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this measure. I want to thank Mr. 
Grothman from Wisconsin for authoring this resolution. I also thank my 
good friend and the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Ed 
Royce, for his leadership as always.
  Mr. Speaker, freedom of worship is a basic human right, yet we see 
religious minorities all over the world subjected to persecution and 
violence.
  In Iraq and Syria, ISIS has forced Christians in Mosul to convert to 
Islam, to pay a protection tax, and to flee or face execution. ISIS has 
carried out genocide against the Yazidis, the Christians, and the 
Shias. In Europe, we see synagogues fire-bombed and a surge of anti-
Semitism across the continent. In Burma, we see government security 
forces engaged in ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya.

                              {time}  1530

  Freedom of religion has been a bedrock principle of open and 
democratic societies for centuries. It is enshrined in our founding 
documents, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and in 
charters of democracies all over the world.
  The freedom to worship as a person chooses or not to worship at all 
is a broad right that should not be restrained by a government or a 
fanatical group. Religious persecution holds societies back, undercuts 
progress, and is usually associated with a much broader assault on 
basic human rights.
  Here in the United States, we must make it clear that it is not 
enough to just guarantee religious liberty to our own people. We must 
speak out and act when we see this freedom, this liberty, and any other 
freedom under attack anywhere and hold accountable those responsible 
for human rights abuses.
  In places like China, we see freedom of speech under attack. In 
Chechnya, we see LGBT individuals targeted, tortured, and executed by 
Putin's cronies just for whom they love. We see women's reproductive 
rights under attack.
  We must also speak out against attacks on our press, on our right to 
organize, on equality for LGBT persons, and on women's right to control 
their own bodies. This legislation helps us send a clear message that 
protecting all human rights is a priority for the United States.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, we all know that America's first immigrants 
came here because they were fleeing religious persecution in their home 
countries. It would be hypocritical of us to condemn current-day 
religious persecution around the world and then to slam our doors shut 
in the face of those trying to flee such persecution. America must 
remain a place where those facing persecution or death can find refuge.
  Mr. Speaker, I support this measure and urge my colleagues to do the 
same, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the 
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman), the author of this resolution.
  Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my resolution, H. Res. 407, 
condemning the persecution of Christians around the world.
  The persecution of Christians is a global human rights problem that 
Congress needs to address. According to Open Doors' 2017 World Watch 
List, approximately 1 in 12 Christians around the world is experiencing 
persecution for their faith.
  North Korea, which is one of the world's most repressive regimes, is 
a serious violator of international religious Christian rights, which 
is not surprising, given it is a communist country. Communist countries 
throughout history have done what they can to suppress and destroy 
Christians.
  Human rights groups have reported that members of underground 
churches in North Korea have been arrested, beaten, tortured, or 
killed.
  In another communist country, China, religious groups, including 
Christians, are required to register with the government. Those that do 
not face imprisonment and torture.
  In 2016, 232 Protestants were imprisoned for their religious 
activities. As part of the country's anti-cross campaign, some 2,000 
crosses and buildings have been demolished since 2014, according to 
State Department estimates.

[[Page 19650]]

  In the Middle East, the Islamic State and other jihadist militant 
groups have forced Christians in Iraq, Syria, Libya, and other 
countries in the region to flee or risk enslavement, execution, or 
death. Since the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, the number of 
Christians in Iraq has plunged from 1.5 million to just a couple 
hundred thousand.
  In Libya, ISIS and other extremist groups have gained a stronghold in 
the country since the fall of Qadhafi.
  I reluctantly have to point out that the Christian persecution going 
on in Libya and Iraq has happened after the United States decided to 
get involved in these countries, so we have a special responsibility to 
look out for the Christians there.
  In Egypt, ISIS claimed responsibility for killing over 70 Coptic 
Christians earlier this year.
  The persecution of Christians in the Middle East doesn't end with 
terrorists. It is institutional, as well.
  Pakistan has some of the most extreme blasphemy laws in the world. In 
June of 2016, two Christians received death sentences for blasphemy 
convictions.
  In Iran, approximately 200 Christians were arrested last year. At 
least 90 remain in illegal detention.
  Acts of persecution against Christians across the globe is a 
violation of international law, which is why Congress must act.
  Sadly, in our own country, the United States, sometimes Christians 
can be forced to participate in ceremonies with which they don't agree. 
It is kind of hard to believe that this is going on in the United 
States of America.
  H. Res. 407 will condemn the persecution of Christians around the 
world. It calls for all discriminatory countries and groups to cease 
their persecution of religious minorities and urge world leaders to 
uphold the universal human right to religious freedom.
  I encourage all of my colleagues to support this bipartisan 
resolution.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New 
York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney).
  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend 
and colleague for yielding and for his incredible leadership as the 
ranking member on this important committee. I also thank Chairman Royce 
for his work on this issue, bringing the bill to the floor, and truly 
being a visionary legislator in shining a spotlight on the systematic 
persecution of Christians around the world. It is frightening, it is 
wrong, and we need to do everything we can to stop it.
  Freedom of religion is a core American principle and a key component 
for peace and stability around the world. There are too many examples 
of Christian persecution. Congress must clearly condemn those 
atrocities.
  As cofounder and co-chair of the Hellenic Caucus, I have long 
advocated for reforms in Turkey to respect the rights of the Ecumenical 
Patriarchate and reopen the Halki seminary.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman an additional 1 
minute.
  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Boko Haram has wreaked havoc in 
Nigeria, killing innocent Christians and Muslims alike.
  Coptic Christians in Egypt and elsewhere face the constant threat of 
violence, and we have seen some tragedies for this community just in 
the past year. The number of Coptic Christians that have been killed is 
truly astounding. They have laws now that, if a wall falls or any 
church needs repair, you cannot even repair the church.
  These are just a few examples of spots around the world where 
Christian persecution is rampant.
  Persecution against Christians and other religious minorities around 
the world is a security crisis, and the United States Government must 
remain vigilant in monitoring and response. It should be a unanimous 
vote in support of this important resolution.
  I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for bringing this to 
the attention of Congress and, hopefully, the world.
  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, protecting human rights has been and must remain a 
cornerstone of our foreign policy. Around the world, we see religious 
liberties under siege in places like Iraq, Syria, Burma, and certainly 
in Iran. But we also see threats to free press, rights to organize, 
persecution for sexual orientation, and even reproductive rights in 
places like China, Chechnya, and other places as well. So we must send 
a clear message to the world that the United States does not and will 
not stand idly by, and helping pass this measure helps us to say just 
that.
  I want to thank Chairman Royce, as always, for his cooperation. This 
is strong, important, bipartisan legislation, and we should pass it 
unanimously.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me supporting H. Res. 407, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of 
my time.
  Mr. Speaker, I also want to thank Mr. Engel for his leadership in 
bringing these issues to the floor and, certainly, our colleague, the 
cosponsor of this resolution, Carolyn Maloney. I thank, again, 
Congressman Glenn Grothman for authoring this important resolution 
here.
  Christians around the world are being assaulted, raped, tortured, and 
murdered. Believers in North Korea, for example, have ``disappeared'' 
by the hundreds. They are hidden away in labor camps for decades. Many 
of them are worked to death, as you know by the conditions in those 
camps. The reason they are there is they attempted to practice their 
faith: Christianity.
  We know that, at the hands of ISIS, brutal atrocities have risen to 
the level of genocide. Wherever ISIS goes, you see the consequence in 
the terror that is visited upon Christians, Yazidis, Jews, and other 
races.
  In terms of the positioning that ISIS had in the Middle East, they 
had ready access to the Christian communities. Having visited those 
Christian communities in the aftermath of those attacks as they escaped 
into the Kurdish regions, it was absolutely heart-wrenching to hear the 
accounts of the survivors about what had happened among the Christians 
and Yazidis.
  These are just a few of the examples of the persecution against 
Christians that is happening around the world.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in this call to world leaders to work 
to stop the global persecution of Christians.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House 
Resolution 407 condemning the persecution of Christians around the 
world, as amended.
  I am proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with all those who have been 
persecuted for their religious views and remain committed to fighting 
with you as we embark on the journey of promoting freedom of 
conscience, speech, association, religion, and all other freedoms that 
are inalienable to all humankind.
  As a Member of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, I continue to 
work with my colleagues in a bipartisan manner in order to amplify the 
important work of upholding religious freedom, facilitating human 
dignity, and protecting human rights.
  As a Member of Congress, one of our charges is to understand how to 
improve religious freedom and diplomacy across the globe and here at 
home.
  A good measure for this congressional call of fostering religious 
freedom and diplomacy is H. Res. 407 that calls on:
  (1) discriminatory regimes to cease their persecution of not only 
Christians but all religious minorities, and
  (2) the President and heads of the governments of all democratic 
countries to uphold the right to religious freedom and condemn the 
persecution of Christians and minorities.
  This resolution highlights the United States foreign policy 
commitment to the protection and promotion of religious freedom across 
the globe from Indonesia, to Pakistan to Nigeria to China to name a 
few.
  The persecution of religious minorities is a global problem, 
occurring in countries across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and the 
Americas.
  Christians, for example, face persecution not only from Islamic 
extremist groups, like the

[[Page 19651]]

Islamic State and Boko Haram, but also from other religious extremist 
groups and from officials at all levels of certain foreign government.
  Such persecution of religious minorities ranges from social 
harassment and discrimination to physical violence, imprisonment, 
torture, enslavement, rape, and death.
  Over 200 million Christians experience persecution across the globe, 
the majority of those are found in the Middle East. But it is important 
to note that Christianity is not a Western imposition on historically 
Islamic countries in the Middle East.
  The Middle East has been a home to Christians since the first century 
A.D., but unfortunately the Christian population in the Middle East has 
significantly decreased over the past few decades as a result of 
persecution, displacement, and genocide.
  Not only Christian lives, but also Christian holy sites have been 
destroyed by the Islamic State.
  And not only Christians, but anyone who opposed their ruthless war on 
peace.
  In many places, Christians must practice their faith in secrecy 
because churches are not allowed, and makeshift churches in homes are 
raided.
  A loud example of this persecution is aimed at the Coptic Christians 
in Egypt that have faced persecution for over 50 years, and on April 9, 
2017, Palm Sunday, 44 people were killed in bomb attacks by the Islamic 
State on Coptic churches.
  The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack on a bus 
on May 26, 2017, in which 29 Coptic Christians were killed while 
traveling to a monastery in Minya, Egypt;
  This important resolution describes numerous instances where 
Christians have been attacked by terrorist groups, groups that hide 
behind religion as a pretext to destroy minority groups and to 
recklessly and harmfully seek power.
  Religious minority persecution has been on the rise in Asia, 
primarily due to religious nationalism.
  Recently, in Bangladesh, hundreds of Christians are being forced off 
their property, and legal action rarely results in the favor of a 
Christian party.
  In Burma/Myanmar, since late August 2017, more than 645 thousand 
ethnic Rohingya have fled a campaign of ethnic cleansing by Burma's 
security forces and sought asylum in Bangladesh.
  The Rohingya massacre is another example of religious minority 
persecution, overlooked and disregarded by a government that, as some 
may surmise, values power over people.
  Not surprisingly, Christians and other dissidents of the government 
in North Korea are forced into harsh labor camps, where approximately 
70,000 Christians are imprisoned in 2017.
  All that is to say that religious discrimination is a global human 
rights problem and the right to religious freedom is a universal right 
recognized by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
  In the 114th Congress, I introduced and continue to support 
legislation by my colleagues that seek to protect religious freedom and 
democracy which are the very bedrock of the United States Constitution.
  Fighting for human rights across the globe is one of my passions and 
I have sought to promote and protect religious freedom such as H. Res. 
290, a resolution I introduced in the last Congress condemning 
blasphemy laws that serve as a pretext to persecute religious 
minorities; that resolution was co-sponsored by our former colleague, 
Joseph Pitts of Pennsylvania.
  Within the context of H. Res. 407 and other legislation addressing 
human rights, some of the issues we continue to grapple with include:
  Expanding the Country of Particular Concern (CPC) list to include 
more countries who have not improved in their treatment of religious 
minorities or upholding religious freedoms;
  The need for an Annual Countries of Particular Concerns Designations;
  Double hatting of sanctions and indefinite waivers;
  The need to designate non-state actors as violators of religious 
freedom;
  Prosecuting Islamic state militants; and
  The need to have a high functioning Department of State with 
appropriate leadership for both senior and junior staff, and sufficient 
funding.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 407, 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.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________