IV 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 1127 
Condemning the endemic restrictions on freedom of the press and media 
and public expression in the Middle East and the concurrent and wide-
spread presence of anti-Semitic material, Holocaust denial, and incite-
ment to violence in the Arab media and press. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 22, 2008 
Mr. ACKERMAN (for himself, Mr. PENCE, Mr. FORTUN˜O, Mr. BURTON of Indi-
ana, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. ENGEL, and Mr. POE) sub-
mitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Condemning the endemic restrictions on freedom of the press 
and media and public expression in the Middle East 
and the concurrent and widespread presence of anti- 
Semitic material, Holocaust denial, and incitement to 
violence in the Arab media and press. 
Whereas a free press and the right of free expression are 
both fundamental, universal human rights and are essen-
tial to making governments accountable to the people 
from whom their powers are derived; 
Whereas the nations of the Middle East, with Israel being the 
sole exception, suffer profound deficits when compared to 
the global community with regard to both measures of 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
03:44 Apr 23, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR1127.IH
HR1127
smartinez on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
•HRES 1127 IH 
human development and measures of human freedom and 
dignity; 
Whereas the Middle East is a region of vital national security 
interest to the United States and the twin deficits in 
human freedom and human development negatively affect 
United States efforts to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict 
and to stabilize the region for the benefit of all; 
Whereas overt censorship, intimidation, harassment through 
the civil courts, assaults by government agents on jour-
nalists and political activists, arbitrary press, and emer-
gency laws, and extra-legal restrictions on the kinds of 
topics which may be addressed are endemic practices in 
the Middle East, though in varying in degree and extent 
in the different Arab countries; 
Whereas many of the countries engaged most actively in ef-
forts to stifle public debate, suppress political discussion, 
and impose capricious limits on thought and expression 
are among the largest recipients of United States foreign 
assistance, potentially giving the mistaken impression 
that the United States endorses or condones the restric-
tive policies of the recipient countries; 
Whereas the extensive restrictions on speech and expression 
in the Arab world are uniquely counterposed by the space 
left open by Arab governments for grotesque anti-Semi-
tism, Holocaust denial, incitement to violence, and glorifi-
cation of terrorism; 
Whereas the exception from censorship and restrictions on 
expression for certain kinds of hate speech are not only 
exploited by government proxies, but often even by Arab 
governments themselves, including states that nominally 
prohibit racial, religious, or ethnic hate speech; 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
03:44 Apr 23, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR1127.IH
HR1127
smartinez on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
•HRES 1127 IH 
Whereas in the Middle East, where the press is generally not 
free, where there are rules for what can and cannot be 
said, the persistent promulgation of hate-speech indicates 
an obvious and dangerous form of state endorsement; 
and 
Whereas many of the same Arab governments to which the 
United States has turned for assistance in ending the 
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, are themselves responsible for 
using their government-owned, government-sanctioned, or 
government-controlled publishing houses and media to 
promulgate stories of imaginary Israeli massacres, Jewish 
blood-libels, alleged Israeli medical experiments on Pales-
tinian children, and to produce Arabic translations of 
anti-Semitic tracts such as, The Protocols of the Elders 
of Zion and Mein Kampf: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) strongly condemns the endemic restrictions 
on freedom of the press and expression in the Arab 
world and the concurrent and widespread presence 
of anti-Semitic material, Holocaust denial, and in-
citement to violence in the Arab media and press; 
(2) deplores the methods and practices utilized 
by the governments in the Middle East to exert con-
trol over the press, and on public expression, includ-
ing— 
(A) overt censorship; 
(B) intimidation and harassment of report-
ers, editors, and publishers by government 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
03:44 Apr 23, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HR1127.IH
HR1127
smartinez on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
•HRES 1127 IH 
agents, and through manipulation of the civil 
courts; 
(C) assaults by government agents on jour-
nalists and political activists; 
(D) arbitrarily enforced press and emer-
gency laws; and 
(E) extra-legal restrictions on the kinds of 
topics which may be addressed either in public 
or in private; 
(3) expresses deep concern that many of the 
same Arab governments to which United States has 
turned for assistance in ending the Israeli-Pales-
tinian conflict, are themselves responsible for using 
their government-owned, government-sanctioned, or 
government-controlled publishing houses and media 
to promulgate insidious, incendiary and poisonous 
speech regarding Israel and the Jewish people that 
makes United States efforts to help resolve the 
Arab-Israeli conflict all the more difficult; 
(4) affirms the unshakeable belief of the Amer-
ican people in the universal right of all persons to 
freely and peaceably express themselves, to publish 
and advocate for their nonviolent beliefs, and to peti-
tion their government for redress of their grievances; 
and 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
03:44 Apr 23, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HR1127.IH
HR1127
smartinez on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
•HRES 1127 IH 
(5) calls on the President, the Secretary of 
State, and all United States ambassadors to Arab 
countries to consistently protest the lack of freedom 
of thought and expression, and to advocate for the 
importance of free speech and a free press as essen-
tial components of development and political reform. 
Æ 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
03:44 Apr 23, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\HR1127.IH
HR1127
smartinez on PROD1PC64 with BILLS