IV

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. CON. RES. 57

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JULY 20, 2000

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;
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SCON 57 RFH

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

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 com-
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SCON 57 RFH

munity, 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 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;
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1 (3) expresses concern that individual Baha’is

2 continue to suffer from severely repressive and dis3 criminatory government actions, including executions

4 and death sentences, solely on account of their reli5 gion;

6 (4) urges the Government of Iran to permit

7 Baha’i students to attend Iranian universities and

8 Baha’i faculty to teach at Iranian universities, to re9 turn the property confiscated from the Baha’i Open

10 University, to free the imprisoned faculty members

11 of the Open University, and to permit the Open Uni12 versity to continue to function;

13 (5) urges the Government of Iran to implement

14 fully the conclusions and recommendations on the

15 emancipation of the Iranian Baha’i community made

16 by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Reli17 gious Intolerance, Professor Abdelfattah Amor, in

18 his report of March 1996 to the United Nations

19 Commission of Human Rights;

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

21 the Baha’i community the rights guaranteed by the

22 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the

23 international covenants of human rights, including

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

25 equal protection of the law; and
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1 (7) calls upon the President to continue—

2 (A) to assert the United States Govern3 ment’s concern regarding Iran’s violations of

4 the rights of its citizens, including members of

5 the Baha’i community, along with expressions

6 of its concern regarding the Iranian Govern7 ment’s support for international terrorism and

8 its efforts to acquire weapons of mass destruc9 tion;

10 (B) to emphasize that the United States

11 regards the human rights practices of the Gov12 ernment of Iran, particularly its treatment of

13 the Baha’i community and other religious mi14 norities, as a significant factor in the develop15 ment of the United States Government’s rela16 tions with the Government of Iran;

17 (C) to emphasize the need for the United

18 Nations Special Representative for Human

19 Rights to be granted permission to enter Iran;

20 (D) to urge the Government of Iran to

21 emancipate the Baha’i community by granting

22 those rights guaranteed by the Universal Dec23 laration of Human Rights and the international

24 covenants on human rights; and
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1 (E) to encourage other governments to

2 continue to appeal to the Government of Iran,

3 and to cooperate with other governments and

4 international organizations, including the

5 United Nations and its agencies, in efforts to

6 protect the religious rights of the Baha’is and

7 other minorities through joint appeals to the

8 Government of Iran and through other appro9 priate actions.

Passed the Senate July 19, 2000.

Attest: GARY SISCO,

Secretary.