106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. CON. RES. 57

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 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 4 Baha’is remain on death row in Iran, 2 on

charges on apostasy, and 11 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
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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 re-
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veals 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 Senate (the House of Representatives

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

8 other international agreements guaranteeing the civil

9 and political rights of its citizens;

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

11 and actions of the Government of Iran, including the

12 denial of legal recognition to the Baha’i community

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

14 educate its youth, and conduct the normal activities

15 of a law-abiding religious community;

16 (3) expresses concern that individual Baha’is

17 continue to suffer from severely repressive and dis18 criminatory government actions, including executions

19 and death sentences, solely on account of their reli20 gion;
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1 (4) urges the Government of Iran to permit

2 Baha’i students to attend Iranian universities and

3 Baha’i faculty to teach at Iranian universities, to re4 turn the property confiscated from the Baha’i Open

5 University, to free the imprisoned faculty members

6 of the Open University, and to permit the Open Uni7 versity to continue to function;

8 (5) urges the Government of Iran to implement

9 fully the conclusions and recommendations on the

10 emancipation of the Iranian Baha’i community made

11 by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Reli12 gious Intolerance, Professor Abdelfattah Amor, in

13 his report of March 1996 to the United Nations

14 Commission of Human Rights;

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

16 the Baha’i community the rights guaranteed by the

17 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the

18 international covenants of human rights, including

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

20 equal protection of the law; and

21 (7) calls upon the President to continue—

22 (A) to assert the United States Govern23 ment’s concern regarding Iran’s violations of

24 the rights of its citizens, including members of

25 the Baha’i community, along with expressions
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1 of its concern regarding the Iranian Govern2 ment’s support for international terrorism and

3 its efforts to acquire weapons of mass destruc4 tion;

5 (B) to emphasize that the United States

6 regards the human rights practices of the Gov7 ernment of Iran, particularly its treatment of

8 the Baha’i community and other religious mi9 norities, as a significant factor in the develop10 ment of the United States Government’s rela11 tions with the Government of Iran;

12 (C) to emphasize the need for the United

13 Nations Special Representative for Human

14 Rights to be granted permission to enter Iran;

15 (D) to urge the Government of Iran to

16 emancipate the Baha’i community by granting

17 those rights guaranteed by the Universal Dec18 laration of Human Rights and the international

19 covenants on human rights; and

20 (E) to encourage other governments to

21 continue to appeal to the Government of Iran,

22 and to cooperate with other governments and

23 international organizations, including the

24 United Nations and its agencies, in efforts to

25 protect the religious rights of the Baha’is and
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1 other minorities through joint appeals to the

2 Government of Iran and through other appro3 priate actions.

Passed the Senate July 19, 2000.

Attest:

Secretary.
106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. CON. RES. 57

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Concerning the emancipation of the Iranian Baha’i

community.