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77th Anniversary of the Incarceration of Several Prominent Members of the Baha'i Community by the Iranian Regime

Floor Speech

Date: May 14, 2015
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Religion Arts, Entertainment, and History

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Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 7th anniversary of the incarceration of several prominent members of the Baha'i community by the Iranian regime.

The 9th District of Illinois is home to the Baha'i House of Worship--which I just visited last week--and many members of the Baha'i faith. I have heard many stories about the Iranian government's mistreatment of the Baha'i community, and those stories are truly heartbreaking. Members of the Baha'i community face the constant risk of violence, arrest or worse, and suffer significant discrimination as they go about their daily lives.

The arrest and conviction of these Baha'i leaders is but one example of a much larger problem of human rights abuses. I call on the Iranian government to release the seven Baha'i leaders who have been in their custody for so long and to change the way it treats religious minorities--including members of the Baha'i community.

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