This subcommittee has a record of taking on tough subjects, and sometimes I may not have agreed with the chairman, but I have always agreed with the fact that he has been willing to go into issues that others would walk away from. I think this is one where all of us here would agree that we have an obvious persecution, and I use the word genocide in an attempt to eradicate a religious minority, and it is one of the great tragedies at the present time. The U.N. resolution was weak, and, unfortunately, that was a disappointment by the world body, and I think what we could do is to start at the long, necessary effort to get public opinion behind

our concern.

Mr. BONKER. The very fact that we are conducting hearings will serve to focus attention on the plight of the Baha'is. It has been our experience in the past that holding hearings and bringing forth witnesses who will disclose the extent of the persecution often has, in and of itself, been helpful. We are open to suggestions, ways we can deal with this issue.

There is quite a national community, either embracing the Baha'i faith or very sympathetic to their cause. Since the subcommittee has scheduled these hearings, I have encountered a number of people in my own district who are interested in the subject. They have either written to me or come forth at one of the many town. hall meetings that I hold. I might add that in 4 years of chairing this subcommittee and dealing with a variety of human rights issues, this is the first time that anybody in my district has ever been aware of anything this subcommittee has done. It says something about the communication network that exists among the Baha'i community. They have a very strong faith and fraternal sense that draws them together in this common effort. If the Baha'is were to communicate with their own Members of Congress and to rally behind a resolution such as that submitted by Mr. Stark, or in some other form that might take shape in this Congress, that we might find something of a national movement.

Mr. Derwinski, once again, it is really a pleasure to have you before the subcommittee. I hope you can stay, because there might be other questions, and you are something of a resident authority on this subject.

Whatever is your pleasure.

The subcommittee would now like to recognize the Honorable Pete Stark, who is a Representative from the State of California, and who has the only resolution on this subject that has been introduced in the House, House Concurrent Resolution 283. We will include it as part of the official record as well as the Baha'i resolution of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights.

[The information follows:]

IV

97TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION

H. CON. RES. 283

Expressing the sense of Congress that the President and other official representatives of the United States should at every opportunity before international forums reiterate and emphasize the extent to which we deplore and condemn the religious persecution of peoples of the Baha'i faith by the Government of Iran.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 9, 1982

Mr. STARK submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense.of Congress that the President and other official representatives of the United States should at every opportunity before international forums reiterate and emphasize the extent to which we deplore and condemn the religious persecution of peoples of the Baha'i faith by the Government of Iran.

Whereas the Government of Iran has persecuted peoples of the

Baha'i faith, has killed more than one hundred individuals of the Baha'i faith since 1978, has jailed Baha'is unjustly, has confiscated and shut down Baha'i holy places and other community property, has banned Baha'i meetings, has dismissed Baha'is from public and private employment, has destroyed Baha'i homes and businesses, and has harassed or

assaulted Baha'is in outlying villages trying to force them to recant their faith: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 2 concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that (a) in ac3 cordance with our own history and national traditions of op4 position to religious persecution, as well as in full respect for 5 international law and custom, the United States condemns 6 and opposes the religious persecution of peoples of the Baha'i 7 faith by the Government of Iran.

8

(b) The President and other official representatives of 9 the United States should at every opportunity before interna10 tional forums reiterate and emphasize the extent to which we 11 deplore and condemn the religious persecution of peoples of

12 the Baha'i faith by the Government of Iran.

QUESTION OF THE VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS
IN ANY PART OF THE WORLD, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO COLONIAL
AND OTHER DEPENDENT COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES

Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, Germany, Federal Republic of,
Ireland, Netherlands, Norway and United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland: draft resolution

The Commission on Human Rights,

Guided by the principles embodied in the Charter of the United Nations and the 1/ Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

Noting that it is imperative for all Member States of the United Nations to fulfil their obligations on the basis of international instruments to promote and encourage respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all individuals without distinction of any kind,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 36/55 by which the General Assembly proclaimed the Declaration on the limination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief,

Recalling also General Assembly resolution 36/22 on the practice of summary ari arbitrary executions,

Taking into account resolution 8 (XXXIV) of the Sub-Commission on Frevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, by which the Sub-Commission expressed its profound concerr. for the perilous situation facing the Baha'is in Iran, and the report by the Secretary-General pursuant to that resolution,

* In accordance with rule 69, paragraph 3, of the rules of procedure of the functional commissions of the Economic and Social Council.

1/ General Assembly resolution 217 4 (III).

2/ E/CH.4/1517.

1.

Expresses its deep concern at the continuing reports about grave violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Iran, such as summary and arbitrary executions;

2. Urges the Government of Iran as a State party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to respect and ensure to all individuals within its territory and subject to its jurisdiction the rights recognized in that Covenant, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinions, national or social origin, property or other status;

3. Requests the Secretary-General to establish direct contacts with the Government of Iran on the human rights situation prevailing in that country and to continue his efforts to endeavour to ensure that the Baha'is are guaranteed full enjoyment of their human rights and fundamental freedoms;

4. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the Commission on Human Rights at its thirty-ninth session a report compiled on the basis of all available information, including information on any direct contacts which he may have established with the Government of Iran concerning the general human rights situation prevailing in that country;

5. Invites the Government of Iran to extend its co-operation to the Secretary-General;

6. Decides to keep the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Iran under consideration at its thirty-ninth session.

Mr. BONKER. It is a pleasure to have you here, and we know of your interest in this subject.

STATEMENT OF HON. FORTNEY H. STARK, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

Mr. STARK. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for the opportunity to testify before your subcommittee today and to express and add my concern to that of others in the Congress who believe that we should condemn and oppose the repression, and possible genocide of the Baha'is in Iran.

I believe you have the full text of my statement, and I would ask that it appear in your record in its entirety, and I will attempt to summarize it.

I think that where you have a group of people who for a long time have been concerned with world order, peace, love, friendship and humanity, who I suspect are not very political, it seems to me to be sad and ironic that they are being repressed and oppressed. It seems to me that the reasons they are being persecuted tend to focus largely on where the Baha'is allegedly happen to live or allegedly have political offices. The accusations that have been forthcoming from Iran are that they are subversive and heretical, and that they are a political party, and that they are agents of all kinds of foreign powers, ourselves, Russia, Britain, and we will probably now find that they are agents of the Argentinians.

Allegedly they are spies for all of those varied and assorted countries, and if they are smart enough to collect from both us and Russia at the same time, probably we ought to embrace them.