•HCON 319 IH 
Whereas Congress has deplored the Government of Iran’s 
persecution of the Baha´′ı´ community and has condemned 
Iran’s execution of more than 200 Baha´′ı´ and the impris-
onment of thousands of others solely on account of their 
religious beliefs; 
Whereas on February 22, 1993, the United Nations Commis-
sion on Human Rights published a confidential Iranian 
Government document revealing that these repressive ac-
tions are part of a deliberate policy to destroy the Baha´′ı´ 
community, a deliberate policy that was designed and ap-
proved by the highest officials in the Iranian Govern-
ment; 
Whereas in 2002, when the United States was not a member 
of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, the 
resolution against human rights abuses in Iran failed to 
pass for the first time in 17 consecutive years; 
Whereas in 2003, a resolution against human rights abuses 
in Iran was not introduced for a vote at the meeting of 
the United Nations Commission on Human Rights; 
Whereas the Government of Iran is now free to continue its 
systematic and deliberate policy to destroy the Baha´′ı´ 
community in the absence of international monitors; 
Whereas the use of harassment, in the form of arrests, sus-
pended sentences, and short-term detentions against the 
Iranian Baha´′ı´s have increased since the failure in 2002 
to adopt the United Nations resolution against human 
rights abuses in Iran; 
Whereas four Baha´′ı´s remain imprisoned in Iran solely be-
cause of their religious beliefs, 1 serving a 4-year sen-
tence and another a life sentence for apostasy from
•HCON 319 IH 
Islam, while 2 others are serving 15 years of imprison-
ment for associating with Baha´′ı´ institutions; 
Whereas the Iranian Government’s deliberate policy to expel 
Baha´′ı´s from universities once it becomes known that 
they are Baha´′ı´s has not changed; 
Whereas Baha´′ı´s continue to be banned from studying at Ira-
nian universities and therefore were forced to create their 
own Baha´′ı´ Institute of Higher Education (BIHE) using 
private homes and volunteer faculty throughout Iran, yet 
in July 2002, Iranian Revolutionary Guards intimidated 
students and systematically disrupted qualifying examina-
tions for the Baha´′ı´ university in nine districts by 
videotaping the proceedings, interrogating students, and 
confiscating Baha´′ı´ books and examination papers; 
Whereas the Iranian Government’s deliberate policy to deny 
Baha´′ı´s any position of influence, such as in the edu-
cational sector, has not changed; 
Whereas in 1998, officers of the Iranian Government arrested 
36 faculty members of the Baha´′ı´ school and seized text-
books, scientific papers, computers, desks and benches 
from 532 Baha´′ı´ homes and, in March 2003, a Baha´′ı´ 
was re-imprisoned for, among similar charges, educating 
and training Baha´′ı´ youth in various professions and 
crafts; 
Whereas the Iranian Government’s deliberate policy to deny 
Baha´′ı´ individuals employment if they identify their reli-
gion has not changed; 
Whereas some 10,000 Baha´′ı´s were dismissed from govern-
ment positions and educational institutions in the 1980s 
because of their religious beliefs, many remain unem-
ployed and receive no unemployment benefits or pensions,
•HCON 319 IH 
while others have been required to return salaries or pen-
sions paid to them before they were dismissed; 
Whereas the Iranian Government’s deliberate policy to de-
stroy the Baha´′ı´ community’s cultural roots inside the 
country has not changed; 
Whereas the Iranian Government has refused to permit Ira-
nian Baha´′ı´s to elect their leaders, refuses to return con-
fiscated Baha´′ı´ community properties, refuses to allow 
Baha´′ı´s to assemble as a community, and has dem-
onstrated a desire to impose its own religious ideology on 
Baha´′ı´ youth, as shown by the arrest of 17 Baha´′ı´ boys 
and girls, in June 2002, on the way to a camp for Baha´′ı´ 
teaching and cultural activities; 
Whereas the Iranian Government’s deliberate policy to de-
stroy the Baha´′ı´ community’s cultural roots outside the 
country has not changed; 
Whereas in February 2001, Iranian authorities denied visas 
to non-Iranian Baha´′ı´s holding Indian, South Korean, 
Japanese, and United States passports who were part of 
the Baha´′ı´ International Community’s delegation to the 
Regional Preparatory Conference for the United Nations’ 
World Conference Against Racism, held in Tehran; and 
Whereas the Government of Iran’s deliberate policy of slowly 
strangling the Baha´′ı´ community’s viability is in direct 
violation of international norms expressed in the Uni-
versal Declaration of Human Rights and has not 
changed: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That Congress—
•HCON 319 IH 
(1) expects the Government of Iran to uphold 
the rights of all its nationals, including the members 
of the Baha´′ı´ Faith, in a manner consistent with 
Iran’s obligations under the Universal Declaration of 
Human Rights and other international agreements 
guaranteeing the civil and political rights of its citi-
zens, including freedom of thought, conscience, and 
religion; 
(2) condemns the deliberate policy of the Gov-
ernment of Iran to undermine the viability of the 
Baha´′ı´ community; 
(3) urges the Government of Iran to permit 
Baha´′ı´ students to attend, and Baha´′ı´ faculty to 
teach, at Iranian universities, as well as to permit 
the Baha´′ı´ Institute of Higher Education to continue 
teaching functions among Baha´′ı´ youth without dis-
turbance; 
(4) urges the Government of Iran to eliminate 
employment discrimination against Baha´′ı´s in both 
public and private sectors, and to distribute pensions 
and unemployment benefits without respect to belief 
or religious affiliation; 
(5) urges the Government of Iran to dem-
onstrate its commitment to human rights, democ-
racy, and religious freedom by making a legislative
•HCON 319 IH 
enactment to clarify that the civil and political rights 
of all unrecognized minorities or communities, such 
as the Baha´′ı´s, are to be respected regardless of 
their religious beliefs; 
(6) urges the Government of Iran to allow the 
reestablishment of Baha´′ı´ institutions, to give indi-
viduals the freedom to manifest their religion, and to 
return all confiscated Baha´′ı´ properties; 
(7) urges the United States representative to 
the United Nations to pursue a resolution on human 
rights violations in Iran, including specific mention 
of the the situation of the Baha´′ı´s, and calls for re-
establishment of the mandate of the Special Rep-
resentative on Iran at the United Nations Commis-
sion on Human Rights; and 
(8) calls upon the President to continue—
(A) to assert that the United States re-
gards the human rights practices of the Govern-
ment of Iran, particularly its treatment of the 
Baha´′ı´ community and other religious minori-
ties, as a significant factor in the foreign policy 
of the United States Government regarding 
Iran; and 
(B) to encourage other governments to 
continue to appeal to the Government of Iran,
•HCON 319 IH 
and to cooperate with other governments and 
international 
organizations, 
including 
the 
United Nations and its agencies, in efforts to 
protect the religious rights of the Baha´′ı´s and 
other minorities.
Æ