III 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. CON. RES. 101 

Condemning the repression of the Iranian Baha’i community and calling 

for the emancipation of Iranian Baha’is. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 14, 2006 

Mr. REID (for himself, Mr. BROWNBACK, Mr. DURBIN, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. 

JOHNSON, Mr. LIEBERMAN, and Mr. SARBANES) submitted the following 

concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 

Relations 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Condemning the repression of the Iranian Baha’i community 

and calling for the emancipation of Iranian Baha’is. 

Whereas in 1982, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, and 

2000, Congress, by concurrent resolution, declared that it 

deplores the religious persecution by the Government of 

Iran of the Baha’i community and holds the Government 

of Iran responsible for upholding the rights of all Iranian 

nationals, including members of the Baha’i Faith; 

Whereas on March 20, 2006, the United Nations Special 

Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Ms. Asma 

Jahangir, revealed the existence of a confidential letter 

dated October 29, 2005, from the Chairman of the Command Headquarters of Iran’s Armed Forces to the Ministry of Information, the Revolutionary Guard, and the 


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•SCON 101 IS

Police Force, stating that the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah 

Khamenei, had instructed the Command Headquarters to 

identify members of the Baha’i Faith in Iran and monitor their activities; 

Whereas the United Nations Special Rapporteur expressed 

‘‘grave concern and apprehension’’ about the implications 

of this letter for the safety of the Baha’i community; 

Whereas in 2005 the Iranian Government initiated a new 

wave of assaults, homes raids, harassment, and detentions against Baha’is, and in December 2005, Mr. 

Zabihullah Mahrami died after 10 years of imprisonment 

on charges of apostasy due to his membership in the 

Baha’i Faith; and 

Whereas beginning in October 2005, an anti-Baha’i campaign 

has been conducted in the state-sponsored Kayhan newspaper and in broadcast media: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 

2 concurring), That Congress— 

3 (1) condemns the Government of Iran for the 

4 October 29, 2005 letter, calls on the Government of 

5 Iran to immediately cease such activities and all ac6 tivities aimed at the repression of the Iranian Baha’i 

7 community, and continues to hold the Government 

8 of Iran responsible for upholding all the rights of its 

9 nationals, including members of the Baha’i commu10 nity; and 

11 (2) requests the President to— 


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•SCON 101 IS

1 (A) call for the Government of Iran to 

2 emancipate the Baha’i community by granting 

3 those rights guaranteed by the Universal Dec4 laration of Human Rights and other inter5 national covenants on human rights; 

6 (B) emphasize that the United States re7 gards the human rights practices of the Govern8 ment of Iran, including its treatment of the 

9 Baha’i community and other religious minori10 ties, as a significant factor in the foreign policy 

11 of the United States Government regarding 

12 Iran; and 

13 (C) initiate an active and consistent dia14 logue with other governments and the European 

15 Union in order to persuade the Government of 

16 Iran to rectify its human rights practices. 

Æ 


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