[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 601 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 601
Condemning the death sentence against Meriam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag, a
Sudanese Christian woman accused of apostasy.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 28, 2014
Mr. Franks of Arizona (for himself, Mr. Wolf, Mrs. Walorski, Mr.
Rothfus, Mr. Huelskamp, Mr. Gingrey of Georgia, Mr. Aderholt, Mr.
Duncan of South Carolina, Mrs. Bachmann, Mrs. Hartzler, Mr. Cotton, and
Mr. Bentivolio) submitted the following resolution; which was referred
to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee
on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Condemning the death sentence against Meriam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag, a
Sudanese Christian woman accused of apostasy.
Whereas, on May 15, 2014, a Sudanese court affirmed a sentence of death by
hanging for 27-year-old Meriam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag, a Christian woman
accused of apostasy for refusing to recant her Christian faith, and
ordered her to receive 100 lashes for adultery because under Sudan's
Shari'ah law such inter-religious marriages are illegal;
Whereas Ibrahim is being held in the Omdurman Federal Women's Prison with her
20-month-old son and newborn daughter;
Whereas the Department of State has designated Sudan as a ``Country of
Particular Concern'' under the International Religious Freedom Act of
1998 (Public Law 105-292) based on the government's systematic, ongoing,
and egregious violations of religious freedom since 1999;
Whereas the Sudanese 1991 Criminal Code allows for death sentences for apostasy,
stoning for adultery, cross-amputations for theft, prison sentences for
blasphemy, and floggings for undefined acts of ``indecency'';
Whereas, according to the United States Commission on International Religious
Freedom (USCIRF), the Government of Sudan, led by President Omar Hassan
al-Bashir, continues to engage in systematic, ongoing, and egregious
violations of religious freedom or belief, imposes a restrictive
interpretation of Shari'ah law on Muslims and non-Muslims alike and,
along with other National Congress Party leaders, President al-Bashir
has stated that Sudan's new constitution, when drafted, will be based on
its interpretation of Shari'ah;
Whereas, according to USCIRF, since South Sudan's independence from Sudan in
2011, the number and severity of harsh Shari'ah-based judicial decisions
in Sudan has increased, including sentences of amputation for theft and
sentences of stoning for adultery;
Whereas the United States Government has designated Sudan as a State Sponsor of
Terrorism since August 12, 1993, for repeatedly providing support for
acts of international terrorism;
Whereas the Sudanese 2005 Interim Constitution states that ``[t]he State shall
respect the religious rights to (a) worship or assemble in connection
with any religion or belief'';
Whereas the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which the
Government of Sudan has acceded, provides that ``everyone shall have the
right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. This right shall
include freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice,
and freedom, either individually or in community with others, and in
public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in worship,
observance, practice, and teaching.'';
Whereas the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life found that, as
of 2011, 10 percent of the 198 countries surveyed had apostasy laws
which can, and have been, used to punish both Muslims and non-Muslims in
countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Morocco, and Sudan; and
Whereas people have the right to practice their faith without fear of death or
persecution: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) condemns the charge of apostasy and adultery of Meriam
Yahia Ibrahim Ishag and her sentence of 100 lashes and the
death penalty;
(2) calls for the immediate and unconditional release of
Ibrahim, her 20-month-old son, and newborn daughter;
(3) urges the United States Department of State and the
Department of Homeland Security to prioritize granting Ibrahim
asylum or refugee status as appropriate;
(4) encourages efforts by the United States Government to
support religious freedom within Sudan, including by requiring,
before normalizing relations or lifting sanctions under the
International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-
292) and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50
U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), that the Government of Sudan abide by
international standards of freedom of religion or belief;
(5) recognizes that every individual regardless of religion
should have the opportunity to practice his or her religion
without fear of discrimination;
(6) reaffirms the commitment of the United States
Government to end religious discrimination and to pursue
policies that guarantee the basic human rights of all
individuals worldwide; and
(7) encourages the Department of State and the United
States Agency for International Development to continue their
support for initiatives worldwide that support religious
freedom.
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