IV 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 840 
Condemning continuing violations of religious freedom in the Middle East, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 15, 2009 
Mr. BURTON of Indiana (for himself, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, and Mr. FRANKS 
of Arizona) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Condemning continuing violations of religious freedom in the 
Middle East, and for other purposes. 
Whereas for thousands of years, a broad and diverse array 
of religious communities have resided in the Middle East, 
including numerous denominations of Christians, Mus-
lims, Jews, and others; 
Whereas the increasing activity, both political and violent, of 
Islamist extremists throughout the region have caused 
the displacement within or emigration from the Middle 
East of many indigenous Christians, Jews, and others; 
Whereas government-controlled media in Iran, Syria, Saudi 
Arabia, Egypt, and other countries, as well as in the Pal-
estinian Authority and the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, 
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•HRES 840 IH 
continue to publish and broadcast anti-Semitic and anti- 
Israel materials that demonize and stereotype Jews; 
Whereas the Government of Iran continues to persecute many 
Iranian religious communities; 
Whereas the Government of Iran does not recognize any non- 
Muslim religious minority communities other than Chris-
tians, Jews, and Zoroastrians; 
Whereas all non-Muslim religious minorities are prohibited 
from running for all but 5 seats in the national legisla-
ture, from serving in the security services and the judici-
ary, and from working as public school principals; 
Whereas Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has report-
edly called for a crackdown on Christianity in that coun-
try, and the Government of Iran continues to close down 
churches and arrest converts to Christianity; 
Whereas the Government of Iran has taken and continues to 
take special measures to harass and discriminate against 
Baha’is, including seizing their communal property, ar-
resting and imprisoning them on account of their faith, 
banning them from practicing or teaching their religion, 
prohibiting their official assembly, closing their com-
munal institutions, effectively precluding them from en-
rollment in state-run universities, excluding them from 
the social pension system, refusing them legal compensa-
tion for injuries, denying them the right to inherit prop-
erty, and frequently charging them with espionage for 
Israel; 
Whereas anti-Israel demonstrations in Iran increasingly in-
clude the denunciation of Jews and Iranian synagogues 
and continue to be assaulted; 
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•HRES 840 IH 
Whereas Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has repeat-
edly and virulently denounced the Jewish State of Israel, 
has openly denied the Holocaust; 
Whereas apostasy and conversion from Islam are punishable 
by death in Iran; 
Whereas the 2008 Department of State Country Report on 
International Religious Freedom on Iran stated that 
‘‘During the reporting period, respect for religious free-
dom in the country continued to deteriorate . . . govern-
ment rhetoric and actions created a threatening atmos-
phere for nearly all non-Shi’a religious groups, most no-
tably for Baha’is, as well as Sufi Muslims, evangelical 
Christians, and members of the Jewish community . . . 
reports of Government imprisonment, harassment, intimi-
dation, and discrimination based on religious beliefs con-
tinued during the reporting period . . . Baha’i religious 
groups reported arbitrary arrests, expulsions from univer-
sities, and confiscation of property.’’; 
Whereas in February 2008 a revision to the Syrian Penal 
Code was drafted for approval by the legislature whereby 
apostasy, specifically conversion from Islam, would be 
punishable by death under the revised Penal Code; 
Whereas the Government of Syria reportedly continues to bar 
Syrian Jews from working in the armed forces or civil 
service, gives extra scrutiny to applications by Jews for 
government documents, and lists religion on the identity 
cards and passports of Jews, and Jews alone; 
Whereas in July 2006, the Syrian Deputy Minister of Reli-
gious Endowment declared on state television that Jews 
are cursed and called them ‘‘the descendants of apes and 
pigs’’; 
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•HRES 840 IH 
Whereas the 2008 Department of State Country Report on 
International Religious Freedom on Syria stated that: 
‘‘The Government continued to outlaw the Jehovah’s Wit-
nesses . . . in addition, the Government continued to 
monitor the activities of all groups, including religious 
groups, and discouraged proselytizing, which it deemed a 
threat to relations among religious groups.’’; 
Whereas the Government of Saudi Arabia does not recognize 
or protect freedom of religion under the law; 
Whereas the Government of Saudi Arabia continues to en-
gage in political, economic, religious, legal, and social dis-
crimination against those who do not adhere to the state- 
backed Wahhabi interpretation of Islam; 
Whereas there are numerous reports of harassment, violence, 
and murder by the Saudi mutawwai’in (state religious po-
lice); 
Whereas textbooks in Saudi state-sponsored schools report-
edly continue to include statements of hate and contempt 
for Christians, Jews, Shiite Muslims, Isma‘ilis, and oth-
ers; 
Whereas in Saudi Arabia, foreign workers and their family 
members have reportedly been exploited, discriminated 
against, arrested, or deported on account of their reli-
gious beliefs; 
Whereas, according to the United States Department of 
State, customs officials in Saudi Arabia ‘‘confiscated or 
censored materials considered offensive, including Chris-
tian Bibles and religious videotapes’’; 
Whereas the Government of Saudi Arabia reportedly con-
tinues to refuse to finance the construction or mainte-
nance of Shiite mosques, deny approval for the construc-
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•HRES 840 IH 
tion or registration of Shiite community centers, and pro-
hibit the import or sale of Shiite religious paraphernalia; 
Whereas the 2008 Department of State Country Report on 
International Religious Freedom on Saudi Arabia stated 
that: ‘‘The public practice of non-Muslim religions is pro-
hibited, and mutawwa’in (religious police) continued to 
conduct raids of private non-Muslim religious gatherings 
. . . although the Government also confirmed its policy 
to protect the right to possess and use personal religious 
materials, it did not provide for this right in law, and the 
mutawwa’in sometimes confiscated the personal religious 
material of non-Muslims.’’; 
Whereas since the radical Islamist group Hamas violently 
seized power in the Gaza Strip in June of 2007, harass-
ment of and violence against Christians has increased; 
Whereas Christian-owned stores in Gaza, such as the Bible 
Society bookstore, have been targets of firebombs and 
gunfire; 
Whereas Palestinian Authority officials have in the past 
failed to effectively combat harassment of and violence 
against Christian residents of Bethlehem; 
Whereas the Government of Egypt continues to refuse to rec-
ognize conversions by Egyptian Muslims to Christianity; 
Whereas the 2008 Department of State Country Report on 
International Religious Freedom on Egypt stated that: 
‘‘The Constitution provides for freedom of belief and the 
practice of religious rites, although the Government 
places restrictions on these rights in practice.’’; 
Whereas Islamic extremists in Iraq have bombed dozens 
churches in the past 4 years and demanded Christians ei-
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ther convert or pay thousands of dollars in ransom, and 
have kidnapped or killed a number of Christian clergy; 
Whereas many of Iraq’s Christian population has been forced 
to flee their homes under threats from Islamic extremists; 
Whereas Sabean-Mandaeans reported that Islamic extremists 
threatened, kidnapped, and killed members of their reli-
gion for refusing to convert to Islam; 
Whereas the 2008 Department of State Country Report on 
International Religious Freedom on Iraq stated that: 
‘‘While the Government generally endorsed freedom of 
thought, conscience, and religious belief and practice for 
Muslims and non-Muslims alike, violence conducted by 
terrorists, extremists, and criminal gangs restricted the 
free exercise of religion and posed a significant threat to 
the country’s vulnerable religious minorities throughout 
the reporting period . . . radical Islamic elements from 
outside the Government exerted tremendous pressure on 
individuals and groups to conform to extremist interpre-
tations of Islamic precepts . . . sectarian violence, in-
cluding attacks on clergy and religious places of worship, 
hampered the ability to practice religion freely . . . as 
the Government began to exhibit the will and capacity to 
challenge its militant opponents, the violence began to 
abate and the Government became increasingly successful 
in restoring security, in a generally nonsectarian manner, 
throughout the country.’’; and 
Whereas in addition to the many reports of violations of reli-
gious freedom in the Middle East, many other incidents 
are never reported due to fear of further persecution: 
Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
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•HRES 840 IH 
(1) condemns violations of religious freedom in 
the Middle East; and 
(2) calls on the President to— 
(A) direct the Secretary of State, as well 
as the United States representative at all appli-
cable international institutions, to urge that vio-
lations of religious freedom in the Middle East 
be considered and addressed in all appropriate 
international fora; 
(B) consider the status of religious free-
dom in each country in the Middle East when 
assessing and developing relations with govern-
ments in the region; and 
(C) further incorporate religious freedom 
into bilateral and multilateral strategic dia-
logues; and 
(D) denounce, strongly and repeatedly, de-
monizing of and incitement against Jews, 
Christians, Muslims, Baha’is, and other reli-
gious communities in media and educational 
textbooks controlled or sponsored by Middle 
Eastern governments. 
Æ 
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