Expresses concern that individual Baha'is continue to suffer from severely repressive and discriminatory government actions, including executions and death sentences, solely on account of their religion.
Urges the Government of Iran to: (1) permit Baha'i students to attend and Baha'i faculty to teach at Iranian universities, return property confiscated from the Baha'i Open University (OU), free imprisoned faculty members of OU, and permit OU to continue to function; (2) implement fully the conclusions and recommendations on the emancipation of the Iranian Baha'i community made by the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance, Professor Abdelfattah Amor, in his March 1996 report to the UN Commission of Human Rights; and (3) extend to the Baha'i community the rights guaranteed by UDHR and the international covenants of human rights.
Calls upon the President to continue to: (1) assert the U.S. Government's concern regarding Iran's violations of the rights of its citizens, including members of the Baha'i community, along with expressions of its concern regarding the Iranian Government's support for international terrorism and its efforts to acquire weapons of mass destruction; (2) emphasize that the United States regards the Iranian Government's human rights practices, particularly its treatment of such community and other religious minorities, as a significant factor in the development of the U.S. Government's relations with the Government of Iran; (3) emphasize the need for the UN Special Representative for Human Rights to be granted permission to enter Iran; (4) urge the Iranian Government to emancipate the Baha'i community by granting rights guaranteed by UDHR and the international covenants on human rights; and (5) encourage other governments to continue to appeal to the Iranian Government, and to cooperate with other governments and international organizations, including the UN, in efforts to protect the religious rights of the Baha'is and other minorities through joint appeals and other appropriate actions.
[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 257 Introduced in House (IH)]
106th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. CON. RES. 257
Concerning the emancipation of the Iranian Baha'i community.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 29, 2000
Mr. Porter (for himself, Mr. Lantos, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, Mr.
Hoyer, Mr. Neal of Massachusetts, Mr. Capuano, Mr. George Miller of
California, Mr. Forbes, Mr. Wolf, Mr. Gutierrez, Mr. Evans, Mr.
McDermott, Mr. Rogan, Mr. Abercrombie, Mrs. Morella, Mr. Horn, Mr.
Traficant, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Waxman, Mr. Moore, Mr. Wexler, Mr.
Hinchey, Mrs. Mink of Hawaii, Mr. Underwood, Mr. Visclosky, Mr.
Bateman, Mrs. Lowey, Mr. Clement, Mr. Deutsch, Mr. Coyne, Mr. DeFazio,
Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. Berkley, Mr. Ackerman, Mr. Frank of Massachusetts,
Mr. Engel, Mr. Rahall, and Mr. Faleomavaega) submitted the following
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on
International Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Concerning the emancipation of the Iranian Baha'i community.
Whereas in 1982, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, and 1996, Congress, by concurrent
resolution, declared that it holds the Government of Iran responsible
for upholding the rights of all its nationals, including members of the
Baha'i Faith, Iran's largest religious minority;
Whereas Congress has deplored the Government of Iran's religious persecution of
the Baha'i community in such resolutions and in numerous other appeals,
and has condemned Iran's execution of more than 200 Baha'is and the
imprisonment of thousands of others solely on account of their religious
beliefs;
Whereas in July 1998 a Baha'i, Mr. Ruhollah Rowhani, was executed by hanging in
Mashhad after being held in solitary confinement for 9 months on the
charge of converting a Muslim woman to the Baha'i Faith, a charge the
woman herself refuted;
Whereas 2 Baha'is remain on death row in Iran, 2 on charges on apostasy, and 10
others are serving prison terms on charges arising solely from their
religious beliefs or activities;
Whereas the Government of Iran continues to deny individual Baha'is access to
higher education and government employment and denies recognition and
religious rights to the Baha'i community, according to the policy set
forth in a confidential Iranian Government document which was revealed
by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in 1993;
Whereas Baha'is have been banned from teaching and studying at Iranian
universities since the Islamic Revolution and therefore created the
Baha'i Institute of Higher Education, or Baha'i Open University, to
provide educational opportunities to Baha'i youth using volunteer
faculty and a network of classrooms, libraries, and laboratories in
private homes and buildings throughout Iran;
Whereas in September and October 1998, Iranian authorities arrested 36 faculty
members of the Open University, 4 of whom have been given prison
sentences ranging between 3 to 10 years, even though the law makes no
mention of religious instruction within one's own religious community as
being an illegal activity;
Whereas Iranian intelligence officers looted classroom equipment, textbooks,
computers, and other personal property from 532 Baha'i homes in an
attempt to close down the Open University;
Whereas all Baha'i community properties in Iran have been confiscated by the
government, and Iranian Baha'is are not permitted to elect their
leaders, organize as a community, operate religious schools, or conduct
other religious community activities guaranteed by the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights;
Whereas on February 22, 1993, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights
published a formerly confidential Iranian government document that
constitutes a blueprint for the destruction of the Baha'i community and
reveals that these repressive actions are the result of a deliberate
policy designed and approved by the highest officials of the Government
of Iran; and
Whereas in 1998 the United Nations Special Representative for Human Rights,
Maurice Copithorne, was denied entry into Iran: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
That Congress--
(1) continues to hold the Government of Iran responsible
for upholding the rights of all its nationals, including
members of the Baha'i community, in a manner consistent with
Iran's obligations under the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights and other international agreements guaranteeing the
civil and political rights of its citizens;
(2) condemns the repressive anti-Baha'i policies and
actions of the Government of Iran, including the denial of
legal recognition to the Baha'i community and the basic rights
to organize, elect its leaders, educate its youth, and conduct
the normal activities of a law-abiding religious community;
(3) expresses concern that individual Baha'is continue to
suffer from severely repressive and discriminatory government
actions, including executions and death sentences, solely on
account of their religion;
(4) urges the Government of Iran to permit Baha'i students
to attend Iranian universities and Baha'i faculty to teach at
Iranian universities, to return the property confiscated from
the Baha'i Open University, to free the imprisoned faculty
members of the Open University, and to permit the Open
University to continue to function;
(5) urges the Government of Iran to implement fully the
conclusions and recommendations on the emancipation of the
Iranian Baha'i community made by the United Nations Special
Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance, Professor Abdelfattah
Amor, in his report of March 1996 to the United Nations
Commission of Human Rights;
(6) urges the Government of Iran to extend to the Baha'i
community the rights guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights and the international covenants of human rights,
including the freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, and
equal protection of the law; and
(7) calls upon the President to continue--
(A) to assert the United States Government's
concern regarding Iran's violations of the rights of
its citizens, including members of the Baha'i
community, along with expressions of its concern
regarding the Iranian Government's support for
international terrorism and its efforts to acquire
weapons of mass destruction;
(B) to emphasize that the United States regards the
human rights practices of the Government of Iran,
particularly its treatment of the Baha'i community and
other religious minorities, as a significant factor in
the development of the United States Government's
relations with the Government of Iran;
(C) to emphasize the need for the United Nations
Special Representative for Human Rights to be granted
permission to enter Iran;
(D) to urge the Government of Iran to emancipate
the Baha'i community by granting those rights
guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
and the international covenants on human rights; and
(E) to encourage other governments to continue to
appeal to the Government of Iran, and to cooperate with
other governments and international organizations,
including the United Nations and its agencies, in
efforts to protect the religious rights of the Baha'is
and other minorities through joint appeals to the
Government of Iran and through other appropriate
actions.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on International Relations.
Referred to the Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights.
Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Committee Agreed to Seek Consideration Under Suspension of the Rules, by Voice Vote.
Mr. Gilman moved to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution.
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H7750-7753)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H. Con. Res. 257.
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H7750-7751)
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On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H7750-7751)
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Received in the Senate.