Whereas in Iran, the Baha'i community has been singled out for extermination by the Islamic authorities solely because of their faith; more than one hundred Baha'is have been killed for either teaching or practicing their religion; Baha'i shrines and cemeteries have been desecrated, administrative centers have been seized, homes have been burned, and savings confiscated; and the barbaric attacks on these gentle people continue and their situation grows more desperate; Whereas in Egypt, the head of the Coptic Christians is under

house arrest and many of his followers continue to languish in jails, and their religion is suppressed by the Egyptian authorities and believers are harassed and discriminated against;

Whereas in Ethiopia, the Falasha Jews are relentlessly persecuted;

Whereas in South Africa, antiapartheid religious believers-both black and white-are harassed, jailed, or banned;

Whereas in the Philippines, the Muslim minority is subjected to government repression and the Catholic clergy are intimidated and jailed;

Whereas in Taiwan, the Republic of Korea, and other countries, the Presbyterians and other Christians suffer harsh treatment because of their beliefs;

Whereas in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and Eastern European countries, both Christians and Jews are harshly persecuted for their beliefs and most of them are denied the right to immigrate to countries where their freedom of worship would be secure;

Whereas in Albania and the Democratic People's Republic of

Korea-officially atheistic states-religion of any kind is outlawed; and

Whereas in many countries of Latin America, Jews, Catholic priests, nuns, and lay leaders, as well as those who work with Protestant mission groups, are tortured, jailed, or assassinated for their witness on behalf of the poor, the silenced, and the suffering: Now, therefore, be it

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Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that

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(1) anyone who engages in religious persecution and discrimination is committing an act of terrorism which cannot be justified under any circumstances;

(2) the President and other official representatives

of the United States should at every opportunity raise the issue of violations of freedom of religion or belief at any appropriate international forum;

(3) the President should instruct our representatives at the thirty-ninth session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights to work for the establishment of a working group on the Elimination of All Forms of Religious Persecution and Discrimination;

(4) the President should encourage the leaders of

other countries to join with him in condemning all forms of religious persecution and discrimination when

ever and wherever they occur, to support the establish

ment of a working group at the United Nations Human

Rights Commission, and to call upon the United Nations

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(A) to condemn all forms of religious perse

cution and discrimination whenever and wherever

they occur as an act of terrorism,

(B) to establish effective procedures for dealing with all forms of religious persecution and dis

crimination, and

(C) to encourage all governments to adopt all necessary measures to eliminate all forms of religious persecution and discrimination; and

(5) the President should attempt to organize and implement a program of national and international

action to be taken with respect to governments practic

ing religious persecution and discrimination.

Mr. BONKER. This subcommittee for the past year has conducted a series of hearings on religious persecution as a violation of human rights. We have heard generally from those in the religious community and others who are engaged in human rights work.

We have had two overview hearings and we then have conducted a set of hearings focusing on particular cases and areas, where religious persecution has been prominent or a long-standing practice. We have understood and appreciated the scope of this issue, and the fact that there are more facets to this problem than just religious persecution. We could look at religious freedom, religious intolerance, religious beliefs, but we have attempted to focus more narrowly on persecution because it is a more severe violation of human rights and one which is of considerable interest to this subcommittee and to the Congress.

As a result of these hearings, we have attempted to develop a resolution which is now before the subcommittee that will identify, through the "whereas" clauses, many of the areas and examples of religious persecution that have been brought to the attention of this subcommittee. We have also added some language in the resolved section so we can direct the President to take action where necessary to deal with this very serious form of human rights violation.

The chairman has submitted a resolution for the subcommittee's attention and at this time I will accept a similar substitute resolution which has been prepared by Mr. Leach. We shall proceed in marking up that alternative draft.

Mr. LEACH. Mr. Chairman, I do have a substitute resolution based largely on your resolution and one Mr. Porter has also introduced. I think your resolution was excellent in fact. This simply puts it in a little different legalistic framework and I would offer it as a substitute to the former resolution.

Mr. BONKER. Without objection, the subcommittee will proceed to mark up the substitute resolution presented by Mr. Leach.

I would suggest in the several "whereas" sections where the language refers to "this declaration" and noted thereafter as, "this declaration" that this reference be removed.

I think we have at least three instances where the declaration has been identified.

At this time I move that we strike "this declaration" but keep the rest of language intact.

Mr. LEACH. I think that is a good correction.

Mr. BONKER. Is there objection to that change? None was heard. On page 3, following the "Whereas in Ethiopia, the Falasha Jews are relentlessly persecuted," I would add the following: "Whereas in Egypt, the head of the Coptic Christians is under house arrest and some of his followers have been jailed."

Is there objection to that change?

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Chairman, I really am concerned about specifying the country of Egypt in this circumstance.

I have difficulty separating political problems from religious problems in every context. I understand there is overlapping. I think if we are concerned with religious persecution we ought to be sure that people are being persecuted for their religion, for their

beliefs, for their need and attempt to practice their religion, to study their religion, to proselytize their religions.

But when we spill over into political activity-and I know the margin is blurred-we do run the risk, it seems to me, of condemning a country for resisting political activity under the guise of supporting religious freedom.

Now I am told that we had hearings on the Coptic situation in Egypt and I am told there is a dispute. There is a serious controversy as to the political activities of some of these people who are at the same time clergy, and high clergy; and I am reliably told, including by our State Department, that it is not at all clear that the imprisonment and restraints that are imposed upon these people in Egypt are the result of their religious beliefs. I wonder if we might entertain a comment from the representative of the State Department Bureau of Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs who I understand is here. Might we hear from him briefly on that subject?

Mr. BONKER. Is there somebody here from the Bureau of Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs? If so, would you approach the witness table, identify yourself and address the question posed by Mr. Hyde.

STATEMENT OF GARY PRICE, BUREAU OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Mr. PRICE. My Bureau has questions on the identification of Egypt and alleged persecution of the Coptic Church as a situation of religious persecution. Many of the people arrested in the demonstration during the latter days of the former President, were arrested due to a great deal of rioting, based largely on political grounds, and we feel that here is a country that is a very friendly country, very supportive and in the resolution we would not like to see it singled out as a country-

Mr. BONKER. Let me just state for a moment, this subcommittee is not going to compromise or modify its human rights concerns simply because a country is friendly. We have attempted to be consistent in calling attention to human rights violations wherever or whenever they occur. Mr. Hyde's comments are valid. He is generally pretty consistent in expressing his concerns on this subcommittee. We have to deal with them on their merits.

To use your standard that simply because a country is friendly, then we should remove all references to many other areas that have been disclosed by this subcommittee and are perceived to be friendly.

The question posed by Mr. Hyde is whether the Copts in Egypt are experiencing this form of repression-by having the head of the Coptic Church arrested and imprisoned, because of his political activities or because of his religious faith.

Mr. PRICE. I believe it is largely because of political activity. They are not being persecuted for being Coptics-simply for being Coptics.

Mr. HYDE. I would simply say in view of an ambiguity on this subject, in that context it is relevant to consider the big picture