III 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 436 

Urging the Federation Internationale de Football Association to prevent persons or groups representing the Islamic Republic of Iran from participating in sanctioned soccer matches. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 6, 2006 

Mr. MCCAIN (for himself, Mr. LUGAR, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mr. 

ENSIGN, Mr. MENENDEZ, and Mr. MARTINEZ) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Urging the Federation Internationale de Football Association 

to prevent persons or groups representing the Islamic 

Republic of Iran from participating in sanctioned soccer 

matches. 

Whereas, since 1984, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been 

identified by the Department of State as an active sponsor of terrorism; 

Whereas an Iran capable of deploying nuclear weapons constitutes a threat to international peace and security; 

Whereas, in July 2003, the Iranian Ministry of Defense confirmed the results of a successful test of an intermediate 

range ballistic missile that is capable of striking Israel; 

Whereas, since February 2003, Iran has— 


wwhite on PROD1PC65 with BILLS
2 

•SRES 436 IS

(1) consistently misled the United Nations, the 

International Atomic Energy Agency, the European 

Union, and the United States about the scope of its nuclear activities; and 

(2) taken steps to produce weapons-grade uranium; 

Whereas top officials of Iran have repeatedly threatened the 

United States, including— 

(1) Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who stated in June 

2004 that ‘‘[t]he world of Islam has been mobilized 

against America for the past 25 years. The peoples call, 

‘death to America’. Who used to say death to America? 

Who, besides the Islamic Republic and the Iranian people, used to say this? Today, everyone says this.’’; 

(2) members of the parliament of Iran who, on October 2004, shouted ‘‘Death to America’’ as that body 

unanimously approved legislation requiring the Government to resume uranium enrichment; and 

(3) President Ahmadinejad, who stated on October 

2005 that ‘‘God willing, with the force of God behind it, 

we shall soon experience a world without the United 

States and Zionism’’, and referred to a world without the 

United States as ‘‘a possible goal and slogan’’; 

Whereas the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in 

an October 26, 2005, address at the World Without Zionism conference in Tehran, declared that— 

(1) Israel is ‘‘a disgraceful blot [on] the face of the 

Islamic world’’; 

(2) Israel ‘‘must be wiped off the map’’; and 

(3) ‘‘anybody who recognizes Israel will burn in the 

fire of the Islamic nation’s fury’’; 

Whereas President Ahmadinejad also stated on December 8, 

2006, that ‘‘If the Europeans are honest they should give 


wwhite on PROD1PC65 with BILLS
3 

•SRES 436 IS

some of their provinces in Europe . . . to the Zionists, 

and the Zionists can establish their state in Europe’’; 

Whereas Iran supports and provides funds to terrorist groups 

that are determined to destroy the State of Israel; 

Whereas an estimated 6,000,000 Jews were killed in the Nazi 

Holocaust; 

Whereas President Ahmadinejad has denied the existence of 

the Holocaust on numerous occasions, including— 

(1) on December 8, 2005, when at an Islamic conference in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, he declared that ‘‘Some 

European countries insist on saying that Hitler killed 

millions of innocent Jews in furnaces... although we 

don’t accept this claim’’; and 

(2) on December 14, 2005, when on Iranian television, he remarked that ‘‘They have invented a myth 

that Jews were massacred and place this above God, religions and the prophets’’; 

Whereas it is a crime in the Federal Republic of Germany 

to deny the existence of the Holocaust; 

Whereas on June 9, 2006, the Federation Internationale de 

Football Association (referred to in this preamble as 

‘‘FIFA’’) World Cup soccer tournament is scheduled to 

begin in the Federal Republic of Germany; 

Whereas the Islamic Republic of Iran is a member of FIFA, 

and the Iranian national team is scheduled to play its 

opening match on June 11, 2006, in Nuremberg, Germany, which was the site of war crimes tribunals that 

tried Nazi leaders for atrocities and genocide against 

Jews during the Holocaust; 

Whereas the International Olympic Committee barred the Republic of South Africa from the Olympics until 1992, 


wwhite on PROD1PC65 with BILLS
4 

•SRES 436 IS

when the country repealed all of its apartheid laws during 

the previous year; 

Whereas, in October 1964, FIFA suspended the national soccer team of South Africa from international competition 

until the Government of South Africa ended its policy of 

apartheid in 1991; 

Whereas, on May 30, 1992, in a resolution imposing diplomatic and economic sanctions on Yugoslavia, the United 

Nations Security Council called on member states of the 

United Nations to ‘‘take the necessary steps to prevent 

the participation in sporting events on their territory of 

persons or groups representing Yugoslavia.’’; 

Whereas, in 1992, the Union of European Football Associations banned Yugoslavia from participating in the European soccer championships and prevented it from participating in the 1994 World Cup qualifying matches; and 

Whereas Article 3 of the ‘‘Regulations Governing the Application of the FIFA Statutes’’ states that ‘‘Discrimination 

of any kind against a country, private person or groups 

of people on account of ethnic origin, gender, language, 

religion, politics or any other reason is strictly prohibited 

and punishable by suspension or expulsion.’’: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) condemns the terrible statements issued by 

3 the Iranian president and demands that he repu4 diate them; 

5 (2) calls on the United Nations Security Coun6 cil and all countries to prevent Iran from acquiring 

7 nuclear weapons; 


wwhite on PROD1PC65 with BILLS
5 

•SRES 436 IS

1 (3) strongly urges the Federation Internationale 

2 de Football Association (referred to in this resolu3 tion as ‘‘FIFA’’) to ban persons or groups rep4 resenting the Islamic Republic of Iran from sanc5 tioned international sporting competition, including 

6 the 2006 FIFA World Cup, until such time that 

7 Iran— 

8 (A) rescinds its position disavowing the 

9 Holocaust; 

10 (B) repudiates its calls for the eradication 

11 of the State of Israel; 

12 (C) ends its support for terrorism; and 

13 (D) ceases its pursuit of nuclear weapons; 

14 and 

15 (4) calls on all FIFA members to support such 

16 actions within the appropriate FIFA governing bod17 ies. 

Æ 


wwhite on PROD1PC65 with BILLS