IV 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 141 
Expressing condolences for the murder of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer 
and Pakistan Minister of Minority Affairs Shahbaz Bhatti, and calling 
for a Taseer-Bhatti Resolution in the United Nations Human Rights 
Council honoring their courage in defense of core principles of Pakistan’s 
democracy, enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 
particularly the freedom of religion. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 3, 2011 
Mr. FRANKS of Arizona (for himself, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. SHULER, Mr. DUN-
CAN of South Carolina, Mr. PITTS, Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of Cali-
fornia, Mr. AKIN, Mr. LAMBORN, and Mr. MCGOVERN) submitted the fol-
lowing resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Af-
fairs 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing condolences for the murder of Punjab Governor 
Salman Taseer and Pakistan Minister of Minority Affairs 
Shahbaz Bhatti, and calling for a Taseer-Bhatti Resolu-
tion in the United Nations Human Rights Council hon-
oring their courage in defense of core principles of Paki-
stan’s democracy, enshrined in the Universal Declaration 
of Human Rights, particularly the freedom of religion. 
Whereas two respected Pakistani officials—Punjab Governor 
Salman Taseer and Pakistan Minister of Minority Affairs 
Shahbaz Bhatti—were both murdered for their advocacy 
on behalf of religious freedom for people of all faiths 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:39 Mar 04, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR141.IH
HR141
jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
•HRES 141 IH 
throughout Pakistan on January 4, 2011, and March 1, 
2011, respectively; 
Whereas both Taseer and Bhatti were actively opposed to the 
death sentence handed down to Asia Bibi in November 
2010 for insulting Islam and called for amendments to 
the blasphemy laws; 
Whereas blasphemy laws under section 295(c) of the Paki-
stan Penal Code carry the criminal penalties of life im-
prisonment and the death penalty and have led to in-
creasing acts of harassment and violence against Paki-
stani citizens, thousands of whom have had cases filed 
against them often on the basis of false accusations and 
with little recourse or justice; 
Whereas according to the United States Commission on 
International Religious Freedom, ‘‘Blasphemy laws have 
been used against members of religious minorities and 
dissenters within the majority Muslim community, and 
frequently result in imprisonment on account of religion 
or belief and/or vigilante violence.’’; 
Whereas more than 30 people have been killed by lynch mobs 
after being accused of blasphemy in Pakistan since the 
law was adopted in 1979 and perpetrators are seldom 
brought to justice; 
Whereas Bhatti decried recent attacks by extremist groups on 
religious minorities saying they allowed intolerance and 
violence to perpetuate itself; 
Whereas only days before he was murdered Taseer warned on 
Twitter: ‘‘I was under huge pressure 2 cow down b4 
rightist pressure on blasphemy, Refused. Even if I’m the 
last man standing.’’; 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:39 Mar 04, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR141.IH
HR141
jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
•HRES 141 IH 
Whereas the United Nations has repeatedly endorsed blas-
phemy laws through annual ‘‘defamation of religions’’ or 
‘‘vilification of religions’’ resolutions that call for member 
states to take measures to prevent criticism of religion; 
Whereas Pakistan has been the main sponsor of resolutions 
through the Organization of Islamic Conference at the 
United Nations since 1999 which attempt to provide an 
internationally recognized legal justification for their ex-
isting blasphemy laws; 
Whereas according to the Department of State’s 2010 Inter-
national Religious Freedom Report on Pakistan, discrimi-
natory legislation and the Government’s failure or delay 
in addressing religious hostility by societal actors fostered 
religious intolerance, acts of violence, and intimidation 
against religious minorities; 
Whereas specific laws that discriminated against religious mi-
norities included the anti-Ahmadi provisions of the penal 
code and the blasphemy laws which provided the death 
penalty for defiling Islam or its prophets; 
Whereas according to the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, 
‘‘Blasphemy laws empower states against their citizens, 
protect ideas rather than individuals, and engender vio-
lence by condemning peaceful speech. While proponents 
of the ‘defamation of religions’ resolution and blasphemy 
laws say they are needed to defend the honor of vulner-
able religious believers, in reality they only achieve more 
violence by creating a culture of impunity where the state 
officially sides with extremists.’’; and 
Whereas recalling that Muhammad Ali Jinnah, founder of the 
Republic, in an historic speech before the constituent as-
sembly in 1947 urged citizens to worship as they choose 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:39 Mar 04, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR141.IH
HR141
jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
•HRES 141 IH 
and stated, ‘‘You may belong to any religion or caste or 
creed-that has nothing to do with the business of the 
State.’’: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) calls on the Secretary of State and the 
United States Permanent Representative to the 
United Nations to introduce a ‘‘Taseer-Bhatti Reso-
lution’’ in the United Nations Human Rights Coun-
cil advocating the repeal of blasphemy laws and con-
demning their adverse effects on freedom of religion 
and thought and to continue to work to defeat pas-
sage of the annual ‘‘defamation’’ resolutions intro-
duced by the Organization of Islamic Conference; 
and 
(2) calls on the President to initiate a dialogue 
with the Government of Pakistan to address the 
blasphemy laws, including engaging in a bilateral re-
view of— 
(A) the compatibility of all blasphemy leg-
islation with the universally recognized freedom 
of religion with the intent to repeal or amend 
such incompatible legislation; 
(B) the actions against those who make 
claims of blasphemy that have incited violence; 
(C) how the Government of Pakistan pro-
tects individuals like Taseer and Bhatti and can 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:39 Mar 04, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HR141.IH
HR141
jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
•HRES 141 IH 
establish an early warning mechanism to pro-
tect all citizens from calls to violence; and 
(D) the burden of proof used to allow citi-
zens to file claims of blasphemy against other 
citizens and whether such claims need to meet 
a certain threshold of evidence before being 
filed, education provided the general public on 
the rights of religious minorities in order to cre-
ate a climate of religious tolerance. 
Æ 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:39 Mar 04, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\HR141.IH
HR141
jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS