IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 554 

Affirming the nature and importance of the support of the United States 

for the religious and ethnic minority survivors of genocide in Iraq. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 23, 2023 

Ms. SLOTKIN (for herself, Mr. MOOLENAAR, Mrs. MCCLAIN, Mr. BERGMAN, 

Ms. MACE, Mr. KILDEE, Ms. STEVENS, and Mr. ALLRED) submitted the 

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Affirming the nature and importance of the support of the 

United States for the religious and ethnic minority survivors of genocide in Iraq. 

Whereas national, ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities 

and indigenous peoples including Yezidis, Turkmen, 

Shabak, Sabaean-Mandeans, Kaka’i, and indigenous 

Christians (including Chaldean, Syriac, Assyrian, Armenian, and Melkite communities), among others, have been 

an integral part of the cultural fabric and history of Iraq 

and the broader Middle East for millennia; 

Whereas these same religious and ethnic minorities communities have made invaluable contributions to the prosperity and well-being of Iraq, and to societies across the 


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Middle East and the world, including in the United 

States; 

Whereas the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (‘‘ISIS’’) committed innumerable atrocities against these ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq, including murder, subjugation, 

forced conversion, kidnapping, human trafficking, forced 

emigration or expulsion, ethnic cleansing, torture, sexual 

enslavement, rape, and destruction of ancient artifacts 

and sites among other crimes; 

Whereas the Secretary of State declared on March 17, 2016, 

and on August 15, 2017, that ISIS is responsible for 

genocide, crimes against humanity, and other atrocities 

against religious and ethnic minority groups in Iraq and 

Syria, including Shia Muslims, Christians, and Yezidis, 

among other religious and ethnic groups; 

Whereas the Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–300) affirms that 

it is the policy of the United States to ensure that assistance for humanitarian, stabilization, and recovery needs 

of individuals who are or were nationals and residents of 

Iraq or Syria, and of communities in and from those 

countries, is directed toward those individuals and communities with the greatest need, including those individuals from communities of religious and ethnic minorities, 

and communities of religious and ethnic minorities, that 

the Secretary of State declared were targeted for genocide, crimes against humanity, or war crimes, and have 

been identified as being at risk of persecution, forced migration, genocide, crimes against humanity, or war 

crimes; 


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Whereas members of these religious and ethnic minority communities in Iraq continue to face daily insecurity, discrimination, and hardship; 

Whereas internally displaced members of these religious and 

ethnic minority communities continue to face significant 

challenges to returning to their ancestral homelands, including in Mosul, Baaj, Sinjar, the Nineveh Plain, and 

other Yezidi places, due to security concerns, economic 

hardship, and shifting demographics; 

Whereas the restoration and economic revitalization of these 

regions, as well as the repatriation of the Indigenous 

communities to their ancestral homes in a manner that 

provides an opportunity for diverse ethnic and religious 

communities to flourish, advances Iraq’s stability and the 

security interests of the international community; and 

Whereas local self-determination and security protection for 

the communities of these regions, including Mosul, Baaj, 

Sinjar, and the Nineveh Plain, within the framework of 

the Federal Republic of Iraq would restore and preserve 

the fundamental human rights, including property rights, 

of the Indigenous peoples of these regions: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) protects and upholds that the fundamental 

3 human right and dignity of the religious and ethnic 

4 minority communities of Iraq should be a policy pri5 ority of the United States and the international com6 munity; 

7 (2) supports the restoration of security, sta8 bility, and economic opportunity of, as well as the 


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1 safe, dignified, and voluntary return of the displaced 

2 Indigenous peoples to the territories of Mosul, Baaj, 

3 Sinjar, and the Nineveh Plain, and other ancestral 

4 homelands of minority religious and ethnic commu5 nities, and should be a policy priority of United 

6 States and the international community; 

7 (3) supports the restoration of homes, schools, 

8 churches and other religious sites, and community 

9 buildings of religious and ethnic minority commu10 nities in these regions should receive a specific and 

11 enduring budget allocation by the Iraqi Government, 

12 as well as continued support from international aid 

13 donors; 

14 (4) supports the effective representation in con15 sultation with members of the Indigenous popu16 lation, including internally displaced members of re17 ligious and ethnic minority communities is essential 

18 to restoring and upholding the rights of these com19 munities, in line with article 125 of the Constitution 

20 of Iraq, which states that the Constitution ‘‘shall 

21 guarantee the administrative, political, cultural, and 

22 educational rights of the various nationalities, such 

23 as Turkmen, Chaldeans, Assyrians, and all other 

24 constituents, and this shall be regulated by law’’; 

25 and 


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•HRES 554 IH 

1 (5) supports greater regional integration for mi2 nority groups in Iraq and encourages the Secretary 

3 of State to promote opportunities for affected minor4 ity groups to achieve greater administrative auton5 omy within the federal structure of the Republic of 

6 Iraq. 

Æ 


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