IV
107TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. RES. 348
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to viola-
tions in Pakistan of the freedom of individuals to profess and practice
religion or belief.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 14, 2002
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN (for herself, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr.
PITTS, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, and Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia) sub-
mitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on
International Relations
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with
respect to violations in Pakistan of the freedom of indi-
viduals to profess and practice religion or belief.
Whereas under Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, ‘‘Everyone has the right to freedom of
thought, conscience and religion; this right includes free-
dom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either
alone or in community with others and in public or pri-
vate, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, prac-
tice, worship and observance’’;
Whereas under Article 18 of the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights, ‘‘No one shall be subject to co-
•HRES 348 IH
ercion which would impair his freedom to have or adopt
a religion or belief of his choice’’;
Whereas freedom of thought, conscience, religion, or belief is
inextricably linked to the exercise of other rights, includ-
ing the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and asso-
ciation, the right to freedom of association with others,
and the right to freedom of expression, and the recogni-
tion that all persons are equal before the law and are en-
titled without any discrimination to the equal protection
of the law, including in employment;
Whereas the Department of State’s annual reports on reli-
gious freedom and human rights have documented nu-
merous instances of legal and government discrimination
in Pakistan based on religion or belief;
Whereas Pakistani Christians face tremendous persecution
under that country’s Blasphemy Law, which is applied
arbitrarily upon the accusation of insult to the Prophet
Mohammed or the Holy Koran and can carry the death
penalty;
Whereas minority Muslim groups in Pakistan also face op-
pression, as some have been declared ‘‘not Muslims’’ in
the eyes of the law and their practice of elements of
Islam is therefore considered blasphemous;
Whereas under current Martial Ordinance XX of 1984, ev-
eryday life of an Ahmadi Muslim has been turned into a
crime, and quotidian religious observances, such as the
traditional Muslim greeting ‘‘peace be upon you’’ and the
call to prayer are criminal acts punishable with imprison-
ment when practiced by members of the Ahmadiyya com-
munity;
•HRES 348 IH
Whereas Church of Pakistan Bishop Alexander John Malik
has described the Blasphemy Law as a ‘‘license to har-
ass, enslave and eliminate minorities and legalize reli-
gious persecution’’;
Whereas while the blasphemy laws remain in place, Paki-
stan’s religious minorities are defenseless against oppor-
tunism and malice; and
Whereas General Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan explained
that his ‘‘view is of a tolerant Islam, Islam in the true
sense, and not an Islam which is manipulated for political
gains . . . Islam is a ‘deen’, a way of life . . . I am a
believer in taking Islam in its real, progressive form—a
much broader futuristic view rather than a dogmatic and
retrogressive one’’: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1) calls on General Pervez Musharraf of Paki-
stan to repeal the Blasphemy Law, which has be-
come an instrument of repression;
(2) urges General Musharraf to repeal Martial
Ordinance XX which is in conflict with international
law and the basic human right of freedom of reli-
gion;
(3) appeals to General Musharraf to release
prisoners jailed under Ordinance XX and the Blas-
phemy Law;
(4) asks General Musharraf to repeal the 8th
Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan declar-
ing Ahmadis ‘‘not Muslims’’ under the law;
•HRES 348 IH
(5) encourages General Musharraf to eliminate
the requirement to declare one’s religion when apply-
ing for a passport or swear to exclusive statements
regarding religion, admission to an educational insti-
tution, obtaining the national identity card, or em-
ployment; and
(6) calls upon the President and the Secretary
of State to—
(A) raise violations of the freedom of
thought, conscience, religion, or belief, at every
appropriate level with representatives of the
Government of Pakistan, including during dis-
cussions regarding terrorism and nuclear pro-
liferation; and
(B) include experts on religious liberty on
United States delegations to Pakistan and to
appropriate regional and international meetings.
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