In Support of H. Res. 274

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, I rise to highlight the Baha'i Faith as Iran's largest religious minority group which has been subjected to state-sponsored persecution that has intensified since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. State-sponsored media has disseminated over 1,500 anti-Baha'i pieces every month in 2016, inciting hatred against the Baha'i community.

After Baha'is were barred from attending or teaching in Iranian universities, the Baha'i Institute for Higher Education (BIHE), an informal higher education system, was created in 1987 by members of the Baha'i community in Iran. In recent years, faculty and staff have been arrested and imprisoned for their participation in BIHE.

We must be very clear that education is not a crime. In any diplomatic engagement with Iran, I urge the administration to make human rights and religious freedom, including the persecuted Baha'is, an integral part of the dialogue.

I fully support House Resolution 274, which condemns the government of Iran's state sponsored persecution of its Baha'i minority and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights.

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