Supporting H. Res. 823--Condemning of Iran's State-Sponsored Persecution of its Baha'i Minority

Floor Speech

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Mr. BILIRAKIS. Madam Speaker, I'm elated to announce that earlier this week my colleagues and I were able to unanimously pass H. Res. 823, which condemns Iran's state-sponsored religious persecution of its Baha'i minority. Iran has gone too long depriving its citizens the most fundamental of human rights, and I'm proud that we were able to call out Iran and hold them accountable for their atrocities against their own people.

I firmly believe that it is our duty in Congress to stand up to this tyrannical regime, and I have been committed to that cause since I first came to the House of Representatives. One of my first ever bills in Congress, the Iran Human Rights Act of 2007, focused on improving the respect for fundamental human rights of the people of Iran. It specifically recognized the plight and suffering of the Baha'i minority and that they face significant discrimination, including imprisonment, harassment, and intimidation.

The Iranian state's treatment of the Baha'i people is deplorable, and the fact it is motivated simply because of their faith is wholly unacceptable. Religious freedom is an issue that personally touches me, as I have had family and friends who have been victims of religious persecution. This makes me especially conscious of the incredible importance of ensuring that religious freedom is respected around the globe. Religious freedom is a fundamental human right outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and all people deserve a government that will respect their rights.

Our darkest moments as a human race have come during times when those who knew better stood silently, making excuses for passivity and allowing injustice and persecution to reign. While I celebrate the passage of H. Res. 823, I recognize there is more we can do. As Co- Chair of the International Religious Freedom Caucus and member of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission's Executive Committee, I stand with the Baha'i people against the injustices wrought against them by the Iranian government, and I call upon the United States and the international community to continue pressuring Iran to cease the persecution of its religious minorities and its violations of basic human rights. The Baha'i people deserve no less.

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