Title: A resolution condemning the terrorist attacks on Christian worshipers in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, April 21, 2019, and standing with the Government of Sri Lanka to encourage the protection and preservation of religious liberties.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution condemns the April 21, 2019, terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka and declares that the Senate stands with the government of Sri Lanka in bringing peace and security to the citizens of Sri Lanka, particularly the religious communities of that nation.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 176 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 176

 Condemning the terrorist attacks on Christian worshipers in Sri Lanka 
 on Easter Sunday, April 21, 2019, and standing with the Government of 
  Sri Lanka to encourage the protection and preservation of religious 
                               liberties.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 30, 2019

  Mr. Hawley (for himself, Mr. Cotton, Mr. Blunt, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. 
Roberts, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Rubio, and Mr. Perdue) submitted the following 
  resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Condemning the terrorist attacks on Christian worshipers in Sri Lanka 
 on Easter Sunday, April 21, 2019, and standing with the Government of 
  Sri Lanka to encourage the protection and preservation of religious 
                               liberties.

Whereas, on the morning of April 21, 2019, Easter Sunday, 7 Islamist suicide 
        bombers carried out coordinated attacks on--

    (1) the Shrine of St. Anthony Church in Colombo, Sri Lanka;

    (2) St. Sebastian's Church in Negombo, Sri Lanka;

    (3) Cinnamon Grand Hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka;

    (4) Zion Evangelical Church in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka;

    (5) a guest house near the National Zoo of Sri Lanka; and

    (6) a housing complex in Dematagoda, Sri Lanka;

Whereas more than 250 people were killed and more than 500 people were injured 
        in the attacks;
Whereas the attackers acted in the name of National Thowheeth Jama'ath (referred 
        to in this preamble as ``NTJ''), a local Islamist group that had 
        previously attacked Buddhist monks and statues;
Whereas NTJ has ties to global Islamist terrorist organizations and subscribes 
        to an intolerant Wahhabi ideology that condones violence against non-
        Muslims and fellow Muslims; and
Whereas the Wall Street Journal has reported that, according to SITE, a 
        terrorist-monitoring firm, on Tuesday, April 23, 2019, the Islamic State 
        released a video claiming responsibility for the attacks, stating that 
        ``the executors of the attack that targeted citizens of coalition states 
        and Christians in Sri Lanka two days ago were Islamic State fighters'': 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) condemns the April 21, 2019, terrorist attacks in Sri 
        Lanka as--
                    (A) targeted principally against Christians because 
                of their faith, on their holy day of Easter, during 
                their Easter prayers; and
                    (B) perpetrated by radical Islamist terrorists 
                acting in the name of a hateful radical Islamist 
                ideology;
            (2) considers the April 21, 2019, terrorist attacks to be 
        an attack on--
                    (A) all Christians and members of all faiths in Sri 
                Lanka and around the world; and
                    (B) the basic human liberty of freedom of religion;
            (3) stands with the Government of Sri Lanka in bringing 
        peace and security to the citizens of Sri Lanka, particularly 
        the religious communities of Sri Lanka; and
            (4) calls on Sri Lanka and all governments--
                    (A) to protect the freedom of religion, at home and 
                abroad; and
                    (B) to partner with the United States in advancing 
                security and freedom.
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