Expressing Sense of the House Regarding Religious Persecution in Afghanistan

EXPRESSING SENSE OF THE HOUSE REGARDING RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION IN AFGHANISTAN -- (House of Representatives - March 29, 2006)

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Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I commend President Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Afghan President Karzai for their quick and decisive action to save the life of Afghani Christian convert Abdul Rahman. I wish to extend my thanks to my fellow Congressmen, fellow Americans and other members of the world community who rose up to demand that the travesty of Abdul Rahman's trial and near certain death for apostasy be stopped. The actions, and the prayers, of millions helped save an innocent man and demonstrate that the world community will not tolerate such offenses against freedom of conscience.

We all dodged a bullet in Afghanistan. But the problem is not just Afghanistan, and the ultimate solution is not simply granting asylum for yet another refugee of conscience. The problem is the increased number, and increasing attempts to enforce, laws and statutes against conversion in many countries of the world, not just Afghanistan. This freedom of thought, conscience and belief is now threatened not only in places like Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iraq. It is also threatened in countries such as Sri Lanka, India and Indonesia, where religious pluralism has long been established. It is threatened in countries like Russia and Belarus, where minority religions are denounced as ``non-traditional'' and suffer harassment and discrimination.

Freedom of religion is founded on the inherent dignity of every individual. It is a right that is not granted at the whim of governments. Freedom of religion does not mean permission for an individual to follow the religion of his ancestors, and no other. It does not mean that only established religions have the right to exist and be practiced freely. It means, rather, that:

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

This is not an ``American point of view.'' This is not a ``Western point of view.'' This is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This is fully confirmed by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Afghanistan has acceded.

Today's resolution condemns the enforcement of laws against apostasy. I would go further: we must condemn not just the enforcement, but the very existence of such laws. Whether enforced or not, they are an ever present threat to all believers, an ever present reminder that those who believe differently are second class citizens. They are a continuing denial of the principal of individual human dignity and freedom.

And I call upon the President to work not just with the government of Afghanistan to enhance human rights protection and religious freedom, but also with Iraq. Last year I and my colleagues pointed out that the new Iraqi Constitution also contains language which endangers individual freedom, especially religious freedom and the rights of women. The Iraqi Parliament now must adopt crucial implementing legislation for the Constitution. We must ensure that such legislation effectively protects individual freedom and freedom of conscience. Otherwise we may see countless repetitions of the appalling drama that has just been completed in Afghanistan.

I also call upon the President to work with Sri Lanka, whose government has pandered to religious extremists by introducing anticonversion laws. Sri Lanka is a recipient of Millennium Challenge grants, which are premised on progress in democracy and rule of law, not regress.

Finally, I call upon my colleagues to support this important resolution.

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