RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION AS A VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1982 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D.C. The committee met in open markup session, at 11:05 a.m., in room 2172, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Clement J. Zablocki (chairman of the committee) presiding. Chairman ZABLOCKI. The committee will be in order. We meet this morning to consider two bills reported by the Subcommittee on International Economic Policy and Trade. They are H.R. 6838 and H.R. 6393, and two concurrent resolutions, Senate Concurrent Resolution 18 and House Concurrent Resolution 378, reported by the Subcommittee on Human Rights and International Organizations. [Whereupon, the committee proceeded in consideration of other business.] Chairman ZABLOCKI. The first concurrent resolution is Senate Concurrent Resolution 18, relating to the restoration of free exercise of religion in the Ukraine. The Chair will recognize the gentleman from Maryland, a member of the Subcommittee on Human Rights and International Organizations, to explain the resolution briefly. Mr. BARNES. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As you indicated, this morning we are considering Senate Concurrent Resolution 18, which expresses congressional concern about the repression of the Ukrainian Orthodox and Catholic Churches in the Soviet Union and calls upon the Soviet Government to permit the resurrection of these churches. I have been asked by the chairman of the Subcommittee on Human Rights and International Organizations to manage this bill in his absence. Senate Concurrent Resolution 18 describes the persecution of Ukrainian Orthodox and Catholic Churches and calls upon the President of the United States to call upon the Government of the Soviet Union to allow freedom of worship in the Soviet Union and in Eastern Europe. The bill closely resembles House Concurrent Resolution 123, sponsored by our distinguished colleague from Illinois, Mr. Derwinski. Upon Mr. Derwinski's request, the subcommittee considered the Senate resolution to expedite final passage and enactment of this important congressional resolution. At this time I would like to yield to the gentleman from Illinois for any comments that he may have about the legislation. Chairman ZABLOCKI. The gentleman from Maryland yields to the gentleman from Illinois. Mr. DERWINSKI. I thank the gentleman. This problem of course goes back to when the Communists seized control of the Soviet Union and oppression of national churches was a way of stamping out the nationalism of the non-Russian peoples in the U.S.S.R. In the Ukraine, the two very strong religious bodies were the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which had its own patriarch, and then the Ukrainian Catholic Church affiliated with Rome, also headed by a patriarch. Both of these were seriously restricted and during the period following World War II there were further restrictions. What we have had in effect is the elimination of these two national churches as functioning institutions. The resolution also makes note of what is referred to as other independent religions-the Fundamentalists, Baptists, and remnants of some Lutheran churches-they have also been stamped out as is the case in the U.S.S.R. As Mr. Barnes indicated, the Senate passed an identical resolution some time ago. If we passed this in the form of the Senate resolution, we could take it to the House floor and then avoid the necessity of a conference, and the Congress will have spoken its conscience and heart on this matter. Chairman ZABLOCKI. The gentleman from Florida? Mr. FASCELL. Mr. Chairman, in speaking in support of this resolution, I just want to emphasize that it is important for us in this country from time to time to restate certain fundamental principles, as this resolution does, because we have to be reminded constantly of the nature of the Soviet Union and its people. Despite their own constitution, despite the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, despite the Helsinki Accords, despite the very nature of humanity, the fact is that the Soviets continue to flout and ignore all of those principles that we so strongly believe in, for whatever reasons. Whether their reason is ideological, political, or spiritual is really immaterial. But suffice it to say that what they do in the name of religion or in their definition of religion, if you will, is a tragedy. People are literally destroyed, their minds are torn between their desire to express their beliefs in a spiritual sense and their inability to get anything from their government except state-controlled institutions, state-controlled ministers of religion, and other harassments and obstacles to the free practice of religion. It would be farcical if they were not so serious, on the part of the government, to put on a face saying that "we believe in the spirit of man" when the fact is they do not. We have to remind ourselves that that happens every day in the Soviet Union, every hour, every minute. It is like the case of Yuri Balovlenkov, the gentleman who is on a hunger strike for the last 80-some days out of the last 96, because the Soviets refuse to allow him to be reunited with his American wife. The Soviets just insisted they were not going to do anything for him until he ended his hunger strike, and he did. They didn't do anything for him, and he went back on it. His wife had to deceive him that she had gotten some real promises from the Soviet Union this time because he was about to dieif you can believe the length that people go to protect their beliefhe was about to die, and she finally got him to give up the hunger strike. He will be in critical condition for the next 24 hours or so. The point is, do you think the Soviets are going to change their mind? Despite all of their efforts in trying to put on the right face and signing all of these declarations that we are all familiar with, I doubt very much that he is ever going to be able to join his wife. They might make a political decision after the media heat is off this particular case to maybe let him go to get rid of him. They might. They do that from time to time. But that is the way they assess everything-purely politically-whether it is a matter of the human spirit, whether it is religion, or whatever the matter which affects the individual. Therefore, this is not a useless gesture, passing a resolution of this kind, in which we reaffirm as representatives of the American people how we feel, how the American people feel about all of this. It is not a useless gesture. We have to do it constantly because they never quit. They are of one set mind. As far as I can tell, they are absolutely paranoid about the slightest bit of freedom that anybody might have, the slightest bit of difference in thought. I think they would like to have everybody's brain put into a little square box, painted green and labled "U.S.S.R." Chairman ZABLOCKI. If there is no further discussion, the chief of staff will read the resolution. Mr. FASCELL. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent the resolution be considered as read and open for amendment. Chairman ZABLOCKI. It will be printed in the record. Is there objection? The Chair hears none. Chairman ZABLOCKI. Are there any amendments? If not, the Chair will put the question. All those in favor of Senate Concurrent Resolution 18 will signify by saying "aye"; opposed, "no." The "ayes" have it. Senate Concurrent Resolution 18 is reported out favorably.1 Mr. DERWINSKI. Mr. Chairman, may I have the attention of the acting subcommittee chairman? I have a number of items which I would like to have the staff incorporate into the committee report, which could make supplemental views unnecessary, to strengthen the report and give us the strongest possible record in history to take to the House floor. I would appreciate working that out with the committee staff. Chairman ZABLOCKI. The next order of business is consideration of House Concurrent Resolution 378, to condemn Iranian persecution of the Baha'i community. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Maryland to explain the resolution. 1 1 S. Con. Res. 18 passed the House of Representatives on Sept. 30, 1982. Mr. BARNES. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As the chairman indicated, this resolution condemns the Iranian persecution of the Baha'i community. This bill was also considered and passed by the Subcommittee on Human Rights and International Organizations. The resolution before us is identical to Senate Concurrent Resolution 73, which passed the Senate on June 3. It notes the persecution, harassment, and execution of Baha'i religious leaders at the hands of the Iranian authorities and calls upon the Government of Iran to end this campaign against the Baha'is. The Subcommittee on Human Rights and International Organizations held a hearing on the issue of the persecution of the Baha'is in Iran on May 25 of this year, during which time we received testimony from American Baha'i leaders, as well as a young Iranian woman whose parents were both killed because of their faith. The subcommittee passed the resolution unanimously on July 27 because of our desire to join with the Senate in condemning the persecution of the Baha'is. On behalf of the chairman of the Subcommittee on Human Rights and International Organizations, I want to thank the ranking minority member of the subcommittee, Mr. Leach, as well as Representatives Derwinski and Hyde, for their special interest in human rights in Iran and for their support of this legislation, which, as I indicated, passed the subcommittee unanimously. I urge my colleagues to support the legislation before us. Chairman ZABLOCKI. Is there any futher discussion? Mr. LEACH. Mr. Chairman. Chairman ZABLOCKI. Mr. Leach. Mr. LEACH. I would simply like to register my full support for this resolution as well. The problem has been brought before this subcommittee largely at the instigation of the gentleman from Illinois, Mr. Derwinski. What is happening to the Baha'is is one of the most extraordinary instances of persecution in world history, comparable only to the situation of the Polish Jews during World War II and that of the Hmong people in Laos today. I think the resolution underscores the concern that we all have not only for religious persecution, but for tolerance. I am personally a little disappointed that the resolution doesn't go farther than it does, but the fact is, it is a very positive resolution. It has been passed by the Senate, and I think if we stay with the Senate language, it can be easily adopted by the full Congress without further ado. I would again stress, however, that we could definitely go further in this resolution. It is very weak in relation to the profundity of the problem at stake, but I urge its adoption. Chairman ZABLOCKI. Any further discussion? The gentleman from Illinois? Mr. DERWINSKI. I would like to draw to the attention of the members that the tragedy the Baha'is are suffering is probably, to use a geographic point of comparison, as tragic as the World War I Turkish effort to wipe out the Armenians. The further problem is that given the absence of any coverage out of Iran, with the few Western reporters who are there restricted to the capital, and the Baha'is a special target of the religious fanatics that now run that government, you have an awful tragedy going on without anyone in the world paying much attention to it. This resolution, therefore, has special significance. Certainly it is not going to change the direction of the Iranian Government. But perhaps it will alert the sleeping conscience of the world to the terrible tragedy that the Baha'is are suffering through. I, like Mr. Leach, would have preferred the language of the resolution which we introduced. It spells out in much more detail the history, the background, the U.N. Human Rights Commission report, and a number of other things. The principal point here is that we are taking proper notice, that we do recognize this ongoing tragedy, and perhaps if we could start to awaken the people throughout the world to this problem-granted that the Middle East and a few other trouble spots are getting all of the headlines-someday the world will recognize the awesome tragedy the Baha'is have suffered for their religious beliefs. They are not a threat to the government there, they are peace loving, and they are suffering merely because of their religious beliefs. In that spirit, I urge support of the resolution. Mr. LAGOMARSINO. Will the gentleman yield? Mr. DERWINSKI. Yes. Mr. LAGOMARSINO. I thank the gentleman. I have a number of Baha'is in my district. Many of them, of course, have relatives and friends in Iran. The stories they tell certainly are tragic. I hope the committee will unanimously adopt this resolution. I, too, wish it were stronger. Mr. FASCELL. Will the gentleman from Illinois yield to me? Mr. FASCELL. Mr. Chairman, the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, otherwise known as the Helsinki Commission, which I chair, has reported on this problem and made a report on it. We are of course delighted to see this resolution being adopted as expressing the sense of Congress, the outrage of Congress at what is going on here. We even have to say in the name of religion this kind of atrocity that takes place is almost unbelievable. It is one thing to say it might take place in the Soviet Union or some other place, but to say that it takes place in the name of those who believe in a supreme being and who wish to exterminate people who have a different belief is almost incredulous in this day and age. I guess it simply points out, along with the penchant for the desire to solve all disputes by pointing a gun at somebody or pulling the trigger, that mankind has a long way to go yet. Mr. DYMALLY. Mr. Chairman, I simply want to add my voice in support of this resolution. I was present when the hearings were conducted by Mr. Bonker on this issue. It is truly a worldwide tragedy that these people are being exterminated by the gun and it is a sad reflection on the state of affairs in Iran today. I urge that we pass this out unanimously. |