IV 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 763 
Condemning the targeted violence of vulnerable minority faith communities 
in Syria and calling on the United States Government to prioritize 
the safety and security of these communities. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 2, 2012 
Mr. BILIRAKIS (for himself, Mr. SHULER, Mr. FRANKS of Arizona, Mr. WOLF, 
and Mr. WEST) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Condemning the targeted violence of vulnerable minority 
faith communities in Syria and calling on the United 
States Government to prioritize the safety and security 
of these communities. 
Whereas unrest in the region following the Arab Spring 
fueled antigovernment protests in Syria beginning in 
March 2011; 
Whereas these Syrian antigovernment protests have been fol-
lowed by increasing violence throughout Syria; 
Whereas the Strategic Research and Communication Centre 
estimates that as of July 2012, over 18,000 Syrians have 
been killed as a result of the unrest since March 2011; 
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•HRES 763 IH 
Whereas the United Nations High Commission for Refugees 
reports that they have registered over 119,000 Syria ref-
ugees in neighboring Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq; 
Whereas the Syrian Arab Red Crescent estimates that over 
1,000,000 people are internally displaced people in Syria; 
Whereas the violence in Syria has led to the targeting or 
massive displacement of religious minorities residing in 
the large, religiously diverse cities of Aleppo and Damas-
cus, as well as smaller towns in the provinces of Homs 
and Hama; 
Whereas the Syrian population is about 70 percent Sunni and 
also includes large minorities of Alawites and Christians 
(including Greek Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox, Armenian 
Apostolic, and Eastern Rite Catholics), as well as smaller 
numbers of Shia (including Ismailis), Druze, Ezidi, 
Mandaean, and Jewish communities with long standing 
ancient and indigenous ties to the area; 
Whereas the Christian, Jewish, Ezidi, and Mandaean commu-
nities, which number about 10 percent of the population, 
lack their own militias and regional protectors; 
Whereas these minority faith communities are vulnerable to 
pressure from all sides of the conflict and have been the 
target of retaliatory attacks, displacement, and the threat 
of ethnic cleansing for suspicion of allying with either 
side of the violence; 
Whereas the majority of the Christian population of Homs 
has left the city due to threats against their safety; 
Whereas in the town of Qusayr, where different religious 
groups have lived as neighbors for centuries, mosque 
loudspeakers have repeatedly ordered Christians to leave 
the town; 
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•HRES 763 IH 
Whereas at least 200 al Qaeda operatives are estimated to 
have entered Syria since December 2011 to fight the 
Assad regime and those perceived to be regime sup-
porters, sometimes solely by their religious minority iden-
tity; 
Whereas some of the Christian, Ezidi, and Mandaean com-
munities are already refugees from violence in Iraq; and 
Whereas human rights abuses and religiously motivated 
crimes contribute to regional instability and endanger fu-
ture peace: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) calls on all parties in the conflict to respect 
the dignity, human rights, and religious freedom of 
Syrian citizens, regardless of their religion or eth-
nicity; 
(2) calls on the United States Secretary of 
State to predicate future discussions with all Syrian 
groups on their obligation to respect the rights of all 
Syrians, regardless of their religion, ethnicity, or 
similar status; 
(3) calls for future aid to Syria to be 
preconditioned on the Syrian Government’s fulfill-
ment of its obligation to protect religious minorities 
and human rights; 
(4) calls on the United States Commission on 
International Religious Freedom to monitor the situ-
ation in Syria and report on the status of religious 
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•HRES 763 IH 
minorities in Homs, Aleppo, and throughout the 
country; and 
(5) calls on the United States Commission on 
International Religious Freedom to meet with the 
Secretary of State and to offer policy recommenda-
tions on how to ensure the protection of religious 
freedom and human rights for all Syrians, regardless 
of their religion or ethnicity. 
Æ 
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