The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“SPECIAL ORDER ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1125-E1126 on July 27, 2015.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
SPECIAL ORDER ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
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speech of
HON. ANNA G. ESHOO
of california
in the house of representatives
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to join my colleagues, Congressmen Vargas and Collins in this Special Order regarding international religious freedom.
As the daughter of Assyrian and Armenian immigrants who fled the slaughter of Middle East Christians in the early 1900's, the importance of religious freedom is interwoven into the history of my family.
I remember vividly the stories my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles told me of what they faced; how they fled; about the family members murdered; of Churches being burned; and all because they were Christians. Tragically, we are witnessing history repeating itself today in the Middle East.
Violence and instability has once again placed Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East in exceptional peril, a population which has already dwindled considerably in Iraq and Syria.
There is a systematic extermination of the world's oldest Christian communities taking place. First it was Al Qaeda when the U.S. invaded Iraq. Today it is the barbarians of ISIS who are responsible for horrific acts, including torture, murder and displacement of thousands, many with whom I share the same ethnic background.
From the founding of our nation, religious freedom has been a pillar of our democracy and it remains a cornerstone of our democracy and a value we espouse to peoples around the world.
The situation for religious minorities in the Middle East remains particularly desperate and many are losing hope. As a maelstrom of violence and religious persecution ravages this part of the world, we can and must lead.
First, there is a desperate need for humanitarian aid for the displaced inside and outside established refugee camps.
Second, the United States should provide adequate safety for the few remaining religious minority communities in Syria and Iraq.
Third, we should ease the bureaucratic burdens which hold up immigration applications for religious minorities who wish to seek refuge in the United States. Today they are made to wait years due to our tedious refugee processing through the State Department and Department of Homeland Security.
Religious leaders across ecumenical lines have come together and firmly stated their support for religious freedom. Pope Francis said in January, ``. . . Freedom of religion and freedom of expression are both fundamental human rights.''
The United States must step up, lead by example, and make good on our belief that religious freedom is a precious one.
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