[Pages H5595-H5600]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

ESTABLISHING SPECIAL ENVOY FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN THE NEAR EAST AND
SOUTH CENTRAL ASIA

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 440) to provide for the establishment of the
Special Envoy to Promote Religious Freedom of Religious Minorities in
the Near East and South Central Asia, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:

H.R. 440

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:
(1) Seven Baha'i leaders in Iran have been wrongfully
imprisoned since 2008.
(2) In May 2010, suspected terrorists attacked two mosques
in Pakistan belonging to the Ahmaddiya minority Muslim sect,
killing at least 80 people. Ahmadis consider themselves
Muslim, but Pakistani law does not recognize them as such.
(3) Said Musa, an Afghan Christian convert, was arrested in
May 2010 on charges of apostasy, a crime which can carry the
death sentence, and was released in February 2011 only after
sustained international pressure.
(4) On October 31, 2010, gunmen laid siege on Our Lady of
Salvation Church in Baghdad, Iraq killing at least 52 police
and worshipers, including two priests, making it the worst
massacre of Iraqi Christians since 2003.
(5) Iraq's ancient and once vibrant Christian population
that numbered an estimated 1,500,000 out of a total
population in Iraq of 30,000,000 in 2003 has been reduced by
at least one half, due in significant part to Christians
fleeing the violence.
(6) In November 2010, a Pakistani court sentenced Aasia
Bibi, a Christian mother of five, to death under the
country's blashphemy law for insulting the Prophet Muhammad.
(7) On New Year's Eve 2010, 23 people were killed when a
suicide bomber attacked a Coptic Christian church in
Alexandria, Egypt.
(8) On March 2, 2011, Pakistani Federal Minorities Minister
Shahbaz Bhatti, the only Christian member of the Cabinet, who
was outspoken in his opposition to Pakistan's blasphemy laws
was assassinated by extremists.
(9) The Department of State's 2010 International Religious
Freedom Report stated that many religious minority groups in
Uzbekistan ``faced heavy fines and/or short jail terms for
violations of restrictive religion laws''.
(10) The Special Envoy for Anti-Semitism, Hannah Rosenthal,
has noted that Holocaust glorification ``is especially
virulent in the Middle East media''.
(11) A number of countries in the Middle East have recently
undergone popular revolutions which in some countries have
left security vacuums making religious minorities especially
vulnerable to violent attacks, such as--
(A) in March 2011, the Shahedin Church in Helwan province,
Egypt, was torched, leading to protests which spurred
sectarian clashes in the streets of Cairo;
(B) on March 20, 2011, a group of Salafists in Upper Egypt
cut off a Christian man's ear and burned his home and car;
and
(C) news reports from April 2011 indicate that Salafi
organizations in Egypt have been implicated in the
destruction of Sufi shrines across the country fueling
violent conflict.
(12) Many of these ancient faith communities are being
forced to flee the lands which they have inhabited for
centuries.
(13) The United States Commission on International
Religious Freedom has recommended that Iran, Iraq, Pakistan,
Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan be designated by
the Department of State as Countries of Particular Concern in
accordance with the International Religious Freedom Act of
1998.
(14) The situation on the ground in the region continues to
develop rapidly and the United States Government needs an
individual who can respond in kind and focus on the critical
situation of religious minorities in these countries.

SEC. 2. SPECIAL ENVOY TO PROMOTE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM OF
RELIGIOUS MINORITIES IN THE NEAR EAST AND SOUTH
CENTRAL ASIA.

(a) Appointment.--The President shall appoint a Special
Envoy to Promote Religious Freedom of Religious Minorities in
the Near East and South Central Asia (in this Act referred to
as the ``Special Envoy'') within the Department of State.
(b) Qualifications.--The Special Envoy should be a person
of recognized distinction in the field of human rights and
religious freedom and with expertise in the Near East and
South Central Asia regions. The Special Envoy shall have the
rank of ambassador and shall hold the office at the pleasure
of the President.
(c) Prohibition.--The person appointed as Special Envoy may
not hold any other position of Federal employment for the
period of time during which the person holds the position of
Special Envoy.

SEC. 3. DUTIES.

(a) In General.--The Special Envoy shall carry out the
following duties:
(1) Promote the right of religious freedom of religious
minorities in the countries of the Near East and the
countries of South Central Asia, denounce the violation of
such right, and recommend appropriate responses by the United
States Government when such right is violated.
(2) Monitor and combat acts of religious intolerance and
incitement targeted against religious minorities in the
countries of the Near East and the countries of South Central
Asia.
(3) Work to ensure that the unique needs of religious
minority communities in the countries of the Near East and
the countries of South Central Asia are addressed, including
the economic and security needs of such communities to the
extent that such needs are directly tied to religious-based
discrimination and persecution.
(4) Work with foreign governments of the countries of the
Near East and the countries of South Central Asia to address
laws that are inherently discriminatory toward religious
minority communities in such countries.
(5) Coordinate and assist in the preparation of that
portion of the report required by sections 116(d) and 502B(b)
of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151n(d) and
2304(b)) relating to the nature and extent of religious
freedom of religious minorities in the countries of the Near
East and the countries of South Central Asia.
(6) Coordinate and assist in the preparation of that
portion of the report required by section 102(b) of the
International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C.
6412(b)) relating to the nature and extent of religious
freedom of religious minorities in the countries of the Near
East and the countries of South Central Asia.
(b) Coordination.--In carrying out the duties under
subsection (a), the Special Envoy shall, to the maximum
extent practicable, coordinate with the Bureau of Population,
Refugees and Migration of the Department of State, the
Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, the
United States Commission on International Religious Freedom,
and other relevant Federal agencies and officials.

SEC. 4. DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATION.

Subject to the direction of the President and the Secretary
of State, the Special Envoy is authorized to represent the
United States in matters and cases relevant to religious
freedom in the countries of the Near East and the countries
of South Central Asia in--
(1) contacts with foreign governments, intergovernmental
organizations, and specialized agencies of the United
Nations, the

[[Page H5596]]

Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe, and other
international organizations of which the United States is a
member; and
(2) multilateral conferences and meetings relevant to
religious freedom in the countries of the Near East and the
countries of South Central Asia.

SEC. 5. PRIORITY COUNTRIES AND CONSULTATION.

(a) Priority Countries.--In carrying out this Act, the
Special Envoy shall give priority to programs, projects, and
activities for Egypt, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
(b) Consultation.--The Special Envoy shall consult with
domestic and international nongovernmental organizations and
multilateral organizations and institutions, as the Special
Envoy considers appropriate to fulfill the purposes of this
Act.

SEC. 6. FUNDING.

(a) In General.--Of the amounts made available for
``Diplomatic and Consular Programs'' for fiscal years 2011
through 2015, $1,000,000 is authorized to be appropriated for
each such fiscal year for the hiring of staff, for the
conduct of investigations, and for necessary travel to carry
out the provisions of this Act.
(b) Funding Offset.--To offset the costs to be incurred by
the Department of State for the hiring of staff, for the
conduct of investigations, and for necessary travel to carry
out the provisions of this Act for fiscal years 2011 through
2015, the Secretary of State shall eliminate such positions
within the Department of State, unless otherwise authorized
or required by law, as the Secretary determines to be
necessary to fully offset such costs.
(c) Limitation.--No additional funds are authorized to be
appropriated for ``Diplomatic and Consular Programs'' to
carry out this Act.

SEC. 7. SUNSET.

This Act shall cease to be effective beginning on October
1, 2015.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Berman) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
I rise to urge my colleagues to support H.R. 440, a bill to establish
a Special Envoy to Promote Religious Freedom of Religious Minorities in
the Near East and South Central Asia.
The bill is authored by my very good friend and colleague,
Congressman Frank Wolf, who was also the author of the International
Religious Freedom Act of 1988 and other religious freedom legislation.
He has taken the lead in Congress time and time again to advance the
cause of those who are persecuted because of their faith. I wish to
thank him for his years of service on this issue--his legislation and
his tireless advocacy on behalf of religious freedom.
Mr. Speaker, this bill establishes the special envoy position for
religious minorities in 31 Middle Eastern and South Central Asian
countries, almost all of which have had bad or very bad records of
persecuting or disadvantaging religious minorities. The special envoy
will represent the United States in contacts with foreign governments,
intergovernmental organizations, U.N. agencies, the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe, and in contacts with international
organizations and multilateral conferences. He or she will also meet
with victims and try to take their story to offending governments to
try to end the abuse.
We know from experience, Mr. Speaker, that special envoys, including
and especially for Sudan and Northern Ireland, have achieved
unparalleled successes over the years in mitigating explosive
situations and literally saving lives all while pursuing positive and
durable solutions to what appear to be intractable and unresolvable
problems.
But not all special envoys have been equally effective. Almost
everything depends on whom the President appoints to the position. So I
would appeal to the President: When this bill becomes law, appoint
someone with the passion, energy, and experience to get this job done
and to stand up as never before for these persecuted minorities.
Mr. Speaker, many of my colleagues will speak about different
religious minorities in the Middle East, but I am particularly
concerned about the Coptic minority in Egypt. They have been called the
bellwether of the rights for religious minorities in the Middle East.
As the largest and one of the oldest minorities, they are suffering,
and their escalating agony portends suffering throughout the region.
And make no mistake, they are suffering. On Friday of last week, I
chaired a hearing specifically to hear of the needs and experiences of
the Copts during this time during transition. What I heard and what my
colleagues heard on the Helsinki Commission worried us deeply. Coptic
women and girls, some as young as 14, are being systematically lured
from their families or kidnapped off the street corners and forced to
change their religion and forced to marry outside of their community.
These young girls frequently suffer physical and psychological abuse,
including rape, beatings, forced isolation, and lack of personal
freedom both before and after their so-called ``marriage/conversion.''
The drugging of victims appears to be commonplace.
One story that emerged at the hearing detailed the situation of a
married woman who was forced to leave her Coptic community and marry a
Muslim. Her family was present at the official inquiry--which are no
longer conducted, I might point out--and said that she showed signs of
being drugged. She was out of it. Over and over she repeated, ``I had
to do it for the children. I had to do it for the children.''
Dr. Michele Clark, an internationally recognized anti-trafficking
expert--she was one of those who led the Protection Project at Johns
Hopkins and was director of the OSCE trafficking efforts for years--she
authored a report called ``The Disappearance, Forced Conversions, and
Forced Marriages of Coptic Christian Women in Egypt.'' She testified
that this happens to thousands of Coptic women and girls each and every
year. She said this on Friday. Others also concurred in that analysis.
Dr. Clark further testified that the mounting evidence shows that the
term ``alleged''--which has been used in the U.S. State Department
Reports on Human Rights Practices, as well as in the TIP report--needs
to be replaced. It's no longer even close to being accurate. It's not
an allegation; it's a fact that she herself, as a human rights
investigator, has helped to establish by doing extensive investigation
and inquiries on the ground in Egypt.
She pointed out that the criminality of alleged forced marriages and
conversions is generally dismissed by authorities here and everywhere
else, especially in Egypt. The coverup must end. Young women are
presumed to be willing participants, they are not. The abduction and
the disappearance of Coptic women and girls follow, as she puts it,
consistent patterns and constitutes human trafficking--modern day
slavery.
Dr. Clark testified that men and women and peers are used to build
trust and dispel resistance in young women targeted for conversion in
marriage. Most cases documented in the report begin with a trusting
relationship that ultimately leads to the disappearance or abduction,
marriage to a Muslim man, and conversion to Islam. These supposed new
friends exploit the vulnerability and naivete of a young Coptic woman.
Once trust has been established, girls are lured to an isolated
place, drugged and kidnapped. Often they are raped. Following the rape,
the Coptic women experience shame and fear of how their families will
respond. They become more willing to stay with the Muslim friends. They
feel that they have been so abused. And then they often marry their
rapist because they feel they have nowhere else to go. This outrageous
abuse must be exposed and stopped--and these young women rescued.

{time} 1240

Let me just point out to my colleagues, what is going on in Egypt and
the abuses being experienced by Christians and people of the Baha'i
faith in Iran and elsewhere, we need to do much more than we have done
to combat this, to speak out, to do effective chronicling, but also,
once you get the information, to ensure that it is actionable and that
you take it to those governments. Sadly, we have not done that. A
special envoy would be uniquely equipped and empowered to take the
cause of the beleaguered, suffering religious minorities in the Middle
East and to fight, and to fight every day of the week for those people.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill, and I
yield

[[Page H5597]]

myself as much time as I may consume.
This bipartisan legislation creates a special envoy to promote
religious freedom of religious minorities in the Near East and South
Central Asia. Housed at the State Department, the special envoy would
be responsible for monitoring and combating acts of religious
intolerance, engaging with foreign governments to address laws that
discriminate against religious minorities, and working to ensure that
the unique needs of religious minority communities are being addressed.
This bill is important because religious minority communities all
around the world, but particularly in the Near East and South Central
Asia, are facing increased attacks and increased persecution. For
example, Iraq used to have a significant number of religious
minorities, including Christians, Yazidis, Sabean Mandaeans, Baha'is,
Shabaks, Kaka'is, and a small number of Jews. These groups have been
subject to escalating violence, persecution, and discrimination for
their religious beliefs, and today they comprise only about 3 percent
of Iraq's population. By some estimates, half of Iraq's Christian
population has fled since 2003.
In November of 2010, a Pakistani court sentenced Aasia Bibi, a
Christian and mother of five, to death under the country's blasphemy
law. And what was her offense? In June 2009, she was asked to get water
for herself and a group of women working in the fields with her. The
other laborers objected to a non-Muslim touching the water bowl and an
argument ensued. That group of women later falsely accused Aasia of
speaking ill of the prophet Mohammed in order to settle a personal
score against her. Aasia remains in prison awaiting review of her death
sentence.
When Punjab's Governor Salman Taseer had the courage to demand that
Aasia be pardoned, one of his own bodyguards killed him. Two months
later, when Pakistan's Minister for Minorities, Shahbaz Bhatti,
condemned the blasphemy law, militants executed him in broad daylight.
In Egypt, as the gentleman from New Jersey has stated, 23 men, women,
and children were killed in a bombing at an Alexandria church in Egypt
on New Year's Eve. Just last May, extremists attacked Christians at St.
Mina Church in Cairo, leaving 12 dead and hundreds wounded.
I wish these were isolated cases, but I could provide countless other
examples, from Afghanistan, to India, to Saudi Arabia. We're fortunate
to live in a country that was founded by religious refugees on
principles of tolerance, but it is important that we do everything we
can to ensure that religious minorities elsewhere in the world enjoy
the freedoms and protections they deserve, the freedoms and protections
enjoyed by all Americans. Appointing this special envoy will be an
important step in that direction, and I urge my colleagues to support
this bill.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the distinguished chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce-
Justice-Science for the Appropriations Committee, the author of H.R.
440, the gentleman from Virginia, Frank Wolf.
(Mr. WOLF asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, before I begin, I want to thank Chairman Ros-
Lehtinen for her support, Mr. Berman for his support, and Mr. Smith for
his help. I also want to thank some key staff members whose hard work
and efforts on the bill have not gone unnoticed: Elyse Anderson,
Kalinda Stephenson, Yleem Poblete, Steve Stombres, and also Kyle Nevins
with the majority leader's office. They have been very, very helpful,
and I am grateful for their help.
This past January, in the wake of increasing violence, targeted
attacks, and heightened discrimination against Christians and other
religious minorities in Iraq and Egypt, and persistent concerns in
Afghanistan and Pakistan, among other nations, I introduced bipartisan
legislation, H.R. 440, which would require the administration to
appoint a special envoy to advocate for religious minorities in the
Middle East and South Central Asia in order to make this issue a
foreign policy priority.
Since introduction, this legislation has garnered widespread
bipartisan support with nearly 80 cosponsors. I want to thank Anna
Eshoo, the lead Democrat in the House, for her work on this. Also,
companion legislation has been introduced now by Senators Roy Blunt and
Carl Levin. The legislation has also been championed by a host of
faith-based organizations and diaspora communities, who recognize the
importance of ensuring that the vulnerable communities have an advocate
within the U.S. Government and around the world.
Shortly before introducing this legislation, I chaired a hearing at
the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission on the recent spate of attacks
and the ongoing persecution of Christians in Iraq and Egypt. Commission
members heard testimony about the increasing sectarian tensions in the
two countries and the need for greater U.S. attention to the plight of
religious minorities. The hearing was held prior to recent events in
the Middle East which have, in some cases, created a political vacuum
that have left religious minorities particularly vulnerable. I heard
this fear expressed time and again during a recent trip to Egypt.
Religious minorities throughout the region, including those who are
Jewish, Ahmadis, Baha'is, are under increasing pressure. In fact, many
of these ancient faith communities have been forced to flee the lands
that they have inhabited for centuries.
Consider some of the following:
Last October, at least 70 people were killed during a siege on Our
Lady of Salvation Church in Baghdad, making it the worst massacre of
Iraqi Christians since 2003.
Iraq's once vibrant Christian community population has been reduced
by at least half since 2003. This would be tragic under any
circumstances, but it is especially so given the rich ancestral
heritage of this indigenous community.
Apart from Israel, the lands and peoples of modern-day Iraq are
mentioned with greater frequency in the Bible than any other country.
Abraham, Jonah, Nineveh, Esther, and Daniel all hail from Iraq. The
Christians of Iraq today still speak Aramaic, the language that Jesus
spoke.
In Afghanistan and Pakistan, countries where the United States has
invested its treasure and the lives of countless brave American
soldiers, persecution of Christians runs rampant.
On November 7 last year, a Pakistani court sentenced Aasia Bibi, a
Christian mother of five, to death for the crime of blasphemy. Only
after intervention by the international community was her execution
delayed. Her fate still remains, at this moment, unclear.
Pakistan's blasphemy laws are often used to victimize both religious
minorities and Muslims. Earlier this year, Punjab's influential
Governor, Salman Taseer, was shot and killed by his own bodyguard, who
reportedly told police that he, quote, killed Mr. Taseer because of the
Governor's opposition to Pakistan's blasphemy law.
In April, Pakistan's Federal Minister for Minority Affairs, Shahbaz
Bhatti, a heroic man of faith whose courageous and outspoken leadership
against his nation's draconian blasphemy law made him a prime target of
extremist Islamist elements in his country, was assassinated. Bhatti
was the only Christian member of the Pakistani Cabinet.

{time} 1250

In an interview with The Washington Post's Fred Hiatt, Shahbaz Bhatti
``urged Americans not to forsake or forget'' Pakistan's suffering
religious minority community.
Members of the Jewish faith continue to experience discrimination and
persecution throughout the region. The Special Envoy for Anti-Semitism,
Hannah Rosenthal, has noted that Holocaust glorification ``is
especially virulent in the Middle East media.''
If the international community fails to speak out, the prospects for
religious pluralism and tolerance in the region are bleak. I urge my
colleagues' support for this bill, and again thank the leadership on
both sides for making this legislation a priority. I am hopeful that
this bill will overwhelmingly pass the House and send a clear and
unequivocal message to both the persecutors and the persecuted that the
United States of America stands with those whose most basic freedom--
the right to

[[Page H5598]]

worship according to the dictates of conscience--is under assault.
Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 3 minutes to the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Eshoo), who brought this bill to my
attention and has worked with the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf) to
put it together and bring it to this point. She is deeply committed on
this issue and a very great Member of Congress.
Ms. ESHOO. I thank Mr. Berman, our distinguished ranking member of
the Foreign Affairs Committee, for not only yielding me this time but
for his conscience, because that indeed is what this is about, and his
unflagging leadership on so many issues. Your endorsement and strong
support of this bill I think bolsters it enormously, and says to the
entire House that a person that is steeped in the background of the
issues of the entire world is for this.
I want to pay tribute to Mr. Wolf for his incredible advocacy on this
issue relative to religious minorities for so long. It is an honor to
have worked with you to bring this to a realization of not only
legislation but to bring it to the floor. I salute you. You are a
gentleman; and you, too, are a man of great conscience.
Mr. Speaker, I think today we are here on something that really
distinguishes the United States of America. From the founding of our
Nation, religious freedom has been a pillar of our democracy, and it
remains one of the most critical exports of our great Nation. I think
having said that really establishes the foundation of why we are here
in strong support of H.R. 440. This bill, as my colleagues have said,
will create a special envoy to promote religious freedom of religious
minorities in the Near East and South Asia. The legislation responds to
the very urgent needs of Christians and other religious minorities who
are under siege. When I say that, I underscore it. They are under siege
in the Middle East. Again, I commend everyone, especially Mr. Wolf, who
has been part of this effort. And as a cochair of the Religious
Minorities Caucus and all of the members of it, I thank them as well.
In January of this year, Representative Wolf chaired a hearing to
review the violence and the hardships faced by Middle Eastern religious
minorities. I was privileged to testify that day about the plight of
many people, but most especially the Assyrians. I am of both Assyrian
and Armenian descent, and the language Mr. Wolf spoke of, Aramaic, I
speak fluently and understand very well. It is the language, as he
said, that Jesus spoke. These are the world's oldest Christians, and
they are quickly disappearing from Iraq. During this hearing, we also
learned of Egypt's Coptic Christian population and the renewed threats
they face and unacceptable violence in that uncertain political
situation.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mr. BERMAN. I yield the gentlelady 2 additional minutes.
Ms. ESHOO. At the conclusion of the hearing, we agreed to press
forward with this legislation to create a special envoy at the State
Department, someone at the ambassador level to elevate this issue for
the attention it deserves. We need a high-level official dedicated to
religious freedom in the region, committed to addressing the concerns
of the minority communities.
I am very, very pleased that this legislation has attracted very
solid bipartisan support. We have 78 cosponsors, an even split between
Republicans and Democrats, all calling for the State Department to
elevate religious freedom in the Middle East as a diplomatic priority.
There is a history for this. Senator John Danforth served our Nation as
special envoy to Sudan, and Senator George Mitchell as special envoy to
Northern Ireland, so there is precedent for this.
I want to speak of a meeting I had in my office last week. Three
Dominican nuns, sisters who traveled from Iraq, and they once again
relayed their story of what is happening to them. They have been
dispersed across Iraq. They teach everyone regardless of their
background, Muslims, Christians, no matter what the background is. And
in their hospitals, they care for whomever is sick and wounded. And yet
their convents have been burned, the statute of the Blessed Mother's
hands chopped off and placed at their door. So these threats are very
real. They are very real. That is just one example of it.
So this history of violence must and should be dealt with. As I said,
our great Nation, our great Nation treasures its religious freedoms,
and it is part of the core of our democracy. So that's why I urge all
of my colleagues to join us, not just me but all of us, in supporting
this important legislation. The message that will go forward from this
Chamber, with all of the other issues that are swirling around us, is
that we stand with great dignity for one of the great principles of our
great Nation.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the
gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky), who both here and abroad
fights against persecution and discrimination against religious
minorities.
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. I thank the gentleman for yielding to me.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 440, a bill to provide for the
establishment of a special envoy to promote religious freedom of
religious minorities in the Near East and South Central Asia. I want to
thank my colleagues, Congressman Frank Wolf and Congresswoman Eshoo,
for introducing this legislation and for their tireless leadership on
this critical issue.
Ethno-religious minorities continue to face a crisis in Iraq, where
attacks and violence against Christians continue. My district is home
to a large and vibrant Assyrian population, and they regularly share
with me the devastating stories of their friends and family members
still living in Iraq who are facing threats because of their faith. In
November 2010, over 1,500 protesters demonstrated in Chicago, sending a
powerful message about the need to protect Iraqi minorities.
By creating a special envoy specifically focused on the rights of
religious minorities in the region, this legislation is an important
step toward ending the cycle of violence.
To date, the U.S. Government and the international community
unfortunately have failed to provide security for Iraqi ethno-religious
minorities. Iraqi Christians continue to fear for their physical
safety, as well as for the survival of their communities and culture.
Of a population that numbered 1.4 million people before the American-
led invasion, there are now less than 500,000 Iraqi Christians in the
country.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 440 is a critical step toward addressing the threat
against Iraqi ethno-religious minorities. I urge my colleagues to join
me in supporting this bill.

{time} 1300

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the
distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Dold).
Mr. DOLD. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Since 1947, 49 million Hindus in Bangladesh have gone missing,
according to Professor Sachi Dastidar. A recent Hindu American
Foundation report concluded that the ``Hindus of Bangladesh continue to
be victims of daily acts of murder, rape, kidnapping, temple
destruction, and physical intimidation.''
Dr. Richard Benkin, an authority on human rights abuses in
Bangladesh, has described to me on several occasions the atrocities and
human rights abuses suffered by Bangladeshi Hindus that he personally
has verified. Other groups, like the Christian Assyrians in Iraq's
Nineveh province, the suffering of the Baha'i prisoners in Iran, and
millions of others who seek to practice their religion in peace, look
to the United States as a beacon of hope. I believe this bill helps us
answer that important call. H.R. 440 will create a powerful diplomatic
tool for the promotion of religious freedom and human rights in the
volatile regions of the Near East and South Central Asia.
I thank the gentleman for his bill, and I urge support for this
meaningful legislation.
Mr. BERMAN. I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Michigan (Mr. Peters).
Mr. PETERS. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased today to rise in support of H.R.
440, a bill to establish a special envoy to promote religious freedom
of religious minorities in the Near East and

[[Page H5599]]

South Central Asia. As a cosponsor of this bipartisan legislation and
as a member of the Religious Minorities of the Middle East Caucus, I
strongly support its passage.
While many parts of the Near East and Southeast Asia are
predominantly Muslim, historically these areas have been home to a
diverse group of ethnic and religious minorities. Whether it is
Chaldeans, Syriacs, and Assyrians in Iraq, Baha'i in Iran, Copts in
Egypt, or the Hindus in Pakistan, religious minorities have for
centuries lived and worshipped alongside their Muslim countrymen and
women.
Unfortunately, instability in the Middle East has had a
disproportionately negative impact on religious minorities. The most
striking example of this has been in Iraq, where more than half of the
Iraqi Christian population has been forced to flee the country since
the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Those who have stayed have been
specifically targeted in gruesome and random acts of violence, such as
murder, rape, and abduction.
This includes religious and community leaders like Archbishop Rahho,
who was kidnapped and murdered. Religious minorities have also suffered
attacks in their places of worship, such as the October 2010 massacre
at Our Lady of Salvation Church in Baghdad, in which 58 worshipers were
killed by militants and extremists.
While the end of the Mubarak regime in Egypt has brought about the
promise for democratic reform, it has also given rise to instability
and acts of violence against religious minorities. Coptic Christians
have lived peacefully in this part of the world for centuries. Sadly,
in recent months, Coptic churches and protesters have also been
targeted for violence.
Freedom of religion is something we take for granted here in the
United States. Our citizens are free to worship however they please,
without fear that they will be targeted for violence because of their
religious beliefs. I'm honored to represent Michigan's Ninth
Congressional District, which is home to an amazingly diverse
population. We have Jewish synagogues, Islamic mosques, Hindu temples,
and Christian churches of almost every kind imaginable. This diversity
is a source of strength in our community, and something my constituents
are very proud of. Many of my constituents have relatives in Near East
or South Central Asia and they wish that they, too, had the same
freedom to worship that so many of us take for granted. They are
desperate to see the United States take more leadership in promoting
religious tolerance overseas.
That is why the legislation we're debating today is so important. It
creates a permanent special envoy that will work on behalf of the
President and the Secretary of State to advance the cause of religious
minorities abroad. This individual will be able to ensure that the
United States is fully engaged to fight to protect religious minorities
in other countries and to help hold our own government accountable when
that should be done.
I would like to thank Representative Wolf, who is not only the author
of this legislation but also the cochair of the Religious Minorities of
the Middle East, a tireless champion on behalf of vulnerable
populations. I would also like to thank my friend, Representative
Eshoo, who is also a cochair of the caucus and a true champion for
religious minorities in the Middle East.
I urge my colleagues to support this legislation so that the United
States will be vigilant in promoting religious tolerance and freedom
around the world.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I simply ask the House to pass what is I think an important bill
because we only have to read what is going on recently to understand
this is a rapidly increasing and severe problem that affects those
countries deeply in terms of the conflict's intentions. I think much
good can come from having someone focused on these issues in that
region.
I urge an ``aye'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts).
Mr. PITTS. I rise to urge this Chamber to support H.R. 440, a bill
that requires the President to appoint a special envoy at the State
Department to advocate for religious minorities in the Near East and
South Central Asia. I commend the gentleman for his leadership on this
matter.
I have personally met with oppressed people from all over the globe,
but predominantly ones from the Near East and South Asia. The region
has long been a hot-bed of religious discrimination, and little has
been done by our government to aid these innocent practitioners of
faith. Revolutions striving for democracy and greater expression in the
region have been matched by a wake of religious intolerance and
extremism. As we cherish our right to the free expression of religion
here at home, our State Department needs to reflect our dedication to
protecting this right in our diplomatic engagements abroad.
Religious minorities in Egypt, Iraq, Iran, and countless other
countries are left without an advocate in the political process of
their respective governments. H.R. 440 would provide an envoy that can
advocate for these religious minorities and focus solely on their
plight while being able to avoid bureaucratic red tape. As basic human
rights are increasingly under assault in this region, our government
needs to rapidly respond to the new challenges rapidly emerging. It is
in our strategic interest to pass this legislation. I ask the Members
to join me in supporting it.

General Leave

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on H.R. 440.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New Jersey?
There was no objection.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Zoe Lofgren).
Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
This is a bipartisan bill, which I support. I would just note--and I
know the gentleman's long history with mine of advocating for human
rights and religious freedom in Vietnam. I hope that we can follow up
this great effort with a similar effort really specifically oriented
toward the religious oppression that's going on in Vietnam against the
Buddhists, against the Cao Dai, against the Catholics and many others.
I commend the gentleman for this bill. I just wanted to raise that
issue in the hopes that it can be addressed at a later date.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, the issue of religious freedom for minorities in the
Middle East and South Central Asia must be of the highest priority. For
far too long, religious minorities and the persecution and
marginalization they endure has been overlooked, even trivialized.
Their rights and even their very lives must now be assiduously
protected in this time of political upheaval, especially in the Middle
East.
Mr. Wolf had the foresight to draft this bill before the so-called
Arab Spring. It was needed in January. It's even more needed now,
especially in light of the spate of church bombings and escalated
persecution against believers, especially with kidnappings of thousands
each and every year of Coptic Christian teenage girls, who are then
forced to convert to Islam and forced to ``marry'' a Muslim man.

{time} 1310

Make no mistake, Mr. Speaker. The Middle East is at a critical
juncture. We are witnessing the systematic extinction of centuries-old
religious communities. South and Central Asia are also systematically
failing their religious minorities.
The late Shahbaz Bhatti, Federal Minister for Minorities in Pakistan,
gave his life to fight the injustices and atrocities suffered by the
religious minorities in Pakistan. The Government of Pakistan has since
abolished the Ministry for Minorities, perhaps under the false
impression that it does not matter in relations with the United States.
A Special Envoy for religious minorities sends the right message at
the right time, and empowers a diplomat with access to the President
and to, hopefully, all the leaders throughout

[[Page H5600]]

the region and to all those who are disenfranchised. The rights of
religious minorities matter, and we will not look askance during this
perilous time.
Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise as a cosponsor of H.R. 440, a
bill to establish a Special Envoy to promote religious freedom for
minorities in the Near East and South Central Asia, because no one
should be made to feel that the practice of their religion is a crime
or a source of shame.
Around the world, people are persecuted in the name of one religion
against another. Such persecution not only violates their inalienable
right to worship as they choose; it also creates instability in many
places around the world. Many conflicts are rooted in sectarian
differences and rivalries. To the extent the United States can promote
religious tolerance, we advance the cause of human rights, justice and
peace around the globe.
This bill creates a special envoy in order to monitor and combat acts
of religious intolerance and incitement targeted against religious
minorities and to work with foreign governments to address laws that
are inherently discriminatory toward religious minority communities.
As we speak, there are minorities all over the world who live in fear
for their lives merely because they practice a different religion than
those around them. I encourage my colleagues to join me in support of
H.R. 440.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 440, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and
nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.

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