106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 257

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Concerning the emancipation of the Iranian Baha’i

community.

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 257

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

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 reso-
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lutions 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 men-
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tion 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

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That Congress—

3 (1) continues to hold the Government of Iran

4 responsible for upholding the rights of all its nation5 als, including members of the Baha’i community, in

6 a manner consistent with Iran’s obligations under

7 the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and
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1 other international agreements guaranteeing the civil

2 and political rights of its citizens;

3 (2) condemns the repressive anti-Baha’i policies

4 and actions of the Government of Iran, including the

5 denial of legal recognition to the Baha’i community

6 and the basic rights to organize, elect its leaders,

7 educate its youth, and conduct the normal activities

8 of a law-abiding religious community;

9 (3) expresses concern that individual Baha’is

10 continue to suffer from severely repressive and dis11 criminatory government actions, including executions

12 and death sentences, solely on account of their reli13 gion;

14 (4) urges the Government of Iran to permit

15 Baha’i students to attend Iranian universities and

16 Baha’i faculty to teach at Iranian universities, to re17 turn the property confiscated from the Baha’i Open

18 University, to free the imprisoned faculty members

19 of the Open University, and to permit the Open Uni20 versity to continue to function;

21 (5) urges the Government of Iran to implement

22 fully the conclusions and recommendations on the

23 emancipation of the Iranian Baha’i community made

24 by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Reli25 gious Intolerance, Professor Abdelfattah Amor, in
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1 his report of March 1996 to the United Nations

2 Commission of Human Rights;

3 (6) urges the Government of Iran to extend to

4 the Baha’i community the rights guaranteed by the

5 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the

6 international covenants of human rights, including

7 the freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, and

8 equal protection of the law; and

9 (7) calls upon the President to continue—

10 (A) to assert the United States Govern11 ment’s concern regarding Iran’s violations of

12 the rights of its citizens, including members of

13 the Baha’i community, along with expressions

14 of its concern regarding the Iranian Govern15 ment’s support for international terrorism and

16 its efforts to acquire weapons of mass destruc17 tion;

18 (B) to emphasize that the United States

19 regards the human rights practices of the Gov20 ernment of Iran, particularly its treatment of

21 the Baha’i community and other religious mi22 norities, as a significant factor in the develop23 ment of the United States Government’s rela24 tions with the Government of Iran;
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1 (C) to emphasize the need for the United

2 Nations Special Representative for Human

3 Rights to be granted permission to enter Iran;

4 (D) to urge the Government of Iran to

5 emancipate the Baha’i community by granting

6 those rights guaranteed by the Universal Dec7 laration of Human Rights and the international

8 covenants on human rights; and

9 (E) to encourage other governments to

10 continue to appeal to the Government of Iran,

11 and to cooperate with other governments and

12 international organizations, including the

13 United Nations and its agencies, in efforts to

14 protect the religious rights of the Baha’is and

15 other minorities through joint appeals to the

16 Government of Iran and through other appro17 priate actions.

Passed the House of Representatives September 19,

2000.

Attest:

Clerk.