Title: Condemning the global persecution of Christians.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution condemns the persecution of members of any faith and calls on foreign governments to recognize the right of Christians to practice their faith without fear of persecution.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 640 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 640

            Condemning the global persecution of Christians.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 18, 2019

   Mr. Palmer (for himself, Mr. Mooney of West Virginia, Mr. Hice of 
Georgia, Mr. Duncan, Mr. Aderholt, Mr. Buck, Mr. Lamborn, Mr. Fulcher, 
Mr. Gaetz, Mr. Wright, Mr. Grothman, Mr. Bilirakis, Mrs. Hartzler, Mr. 
Hill of Arkansas, Mr. Abraham, Mr. Byrne, Mr. Fleischmann, Mr. Meadows, 
   Mr. Budd, Mr. Roy, Mr. Cloud, Mr. Babin, Mr. Weber of Texas, Mr. 
 Gianforte, Mr. Brooks of Alabama, Mr. Fortenberry, Mr. Marshall, Mr. 
    Rutherford, Mr. Spano, Mr. Kelly of Mississippi, Mr. Johnson of 
   Louisiana, Mr. Ratcliffe, Mr. Walker, Mr. Biggs, Mrs. Miller, Mr. 
    Wenstrup, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, Mr. Mullin, Mrs. Rodgers of 
    Washington, Mr. Moolenaar, Mr. Westerman, and Ms. Foxx of North 
Carolina) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
            Condemning the global persecution of Christians.

Whereas Christian persecution remains a global problem;
Whereas, according to the Pew Research Center, Christians remain the most 
        persecuted religious group in the world;
Whereas persecution includes acts such as physical violence, forced exile, 
        imprisonment, torture, rape, and death;
Whereas, according to Open Doors USA's 2019 World Watch List, the 50 most 
        dangerous countries for Christians were responsible for 4,136 Christians 
        killed for faith-related reasons, 1,266 church or Christian building 
        attacks, and the detention without trial, arrest, sentencing, and 
        imprisonment of 2,625 Christians;
Whereas, in 2010, Asia Bibi, a Christian mother and field laborer, was charged 
        with blasphemy and sentenced to death by hanging in Pakistan;
Whereas, after nine years of imprisonment, Pakistan's Supreme Court acquitted 
        Asia Bibi based on insufficient evidence and she was finally allowed to 
        leave the country in May 2019;
Whereas, since 2014, discrimination and violence toward Christians, Muslims, and 
        other religious minorities in India have significantly increased using 
        anticonversion laws, anti-cow-slaughter laws, forced conversions, and 
        injustice within law enforcement;
Whereas, in Nigeria on February 15, 2014, Boko Haram militants attacked a 
        farming village in Borno State, killing 106 people while targeting male 
        residents of the Christian community;
Whereas, in August 2014, ISIS swept into the Nineveh Plain in Iraq, forcing 
        thousands of Christian families to flee their homes;
Whereas, in 2016, Secretary of State John Kerry stated that a genocide was being 
        committed against Christians and Yazidis in Northern Iraq and Syria;
Whereas, in 2016, United States Pastor Andrew Brunson was wrongfully imprisoned 
        by the Government of Turkey for two years until his release in 2018;
Whereas, on April 9, 2017, Palm Sunday, two Egyptian Coptic Christian churches 
        were bombed, killing 45 and injuring 126 churchgoers;
Whereas, in Nigeria on June 23, 2018, Fulani militants in Plateau State killed 
        120 Christians as they returned from a funeral;
Whereas, in December 2018, police officers in Chengdu, China, arrested 
        Protestant Pastor Wang Yi and more than 100 Early Rain Covenant Church 
        members;
Whereas Chinese authorities searched and sealed each of the Early Rain Covenant 
        Church's properties and forced members to sign a pledge that they would 
        not attend the church or church school again;
Whereas China banned the online sale of the Bible;
Whereas Chinese authorities are forcing Christians to replace pictures of Jesus 
        with pictures of Chinese government officials;
Whereas an estimated 60 million Christians reside in China and most worship in 
        underground churches to avoid government control;
Whereas, on April 21, 2019, Easter Sunday, more than 180 people were killed 
        while worshipping at Christian churches in three separate locations in 
        Sri Lanka;
Whereas the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the Easter attacks, stating 
        it was carried out by seven ISIS fighters and targeted Christians and 
        ``citizens of Crusader coalition states''; and
Whereas, in May 2019, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt issued an interim 
        report finding that ``the overwhelming majority (estimated at 80 
        percent) of persecuted religious believers are Christians.'': Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) condemns persecution of members of any faith;
            (2) calls for every government to recognize the right of 
        Christians to practice their faith without fear of persecution, 
        including physical violence, death, or imprisonment; and
            (3) calls on the Department of State to prioritize freedom 
        of conscience and religious freedom in United States foreign 
        policy consideration.
                                 <all>