hearing transcript (pdf - 690 kb) - House Foreign Affairs Committee ...

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VerDate May 01 2002 14:37 Dec 19, 2002 Jkt 082261 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 F:\WORK\IOHR\100902\82261 HINTREL1 PsN: SHIRL
AN EVALUATION OF THE ANNUAL REPORT ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2002 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS AND HUMAN RIGHTS, COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, Washington, DC. The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 2:05 p.m. in Room 2172, Rayburn <strong>House</strong> Office Building, Hon. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen [Chairwoman of the Subcommittee] presiding. Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. The Subcommittee will come to order. Thank you all very much for being here. I thank my colleagues for being here as well. Our first President, George Washington, said, I beg you will be persuaded that no one would be more zealous than myself to establish effectual barriers against the horrors of spiritual tyranny and every species of religious persecution. These words ring out across the years as if written today to remind us of our moral obligation to uphold and defend the rights of all human beings to practice their religion, religion or beliefs, free of intimidation. The reports that we are discussing today are an integral part of our U.S. efforts to fulfill this very commitment. Even as we speak, there are those who are suffering torture, imprisonment, rape, and murder, all because they seek to practice their faith: Christians and Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan, Protestants and Catholics in Cuba, Tibetan Buddhists, Christians, Falun Gong, Uyghur Muslims in China, Baha’is, Jews, Evangelical Christians, Sufi Muslims in Iran, Christians and Shias in Iraq. Although some improvements are reported to have taken place in countries such as Belarus, Bulgaria, Romania, Egypt and Yugoslavia, there are sill deplorable conditions in countries such as Sudan where the regime continued the intentional bombing of civilian targets, the forced abduction of women and children, and supported the taking of slaves with Christians or practitioners of traditional indigenous religions as their primary targets. Overall, the 2002 report reflects an unparalleled understanding of the spirit and the letter of the International Religious Freedom Act and of the need for a detailed, comprehensive assessment of the status of religious freedom. All involved in the process from beginning to end should be commended. The 2002 report also reflects an understanding of our desire for U.S. Government officials to take a more proactive role in investigating the status of religious freedom in the countries covered by the report and in using all bilat- (1) VerDate May 01 2002 14:37 Dec 19, 2002 Jkt 082261 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 F:\WORK\IOHR\100902\82261 HINTREL1 PsN: SHIRL
Page 1 and 2: AN EVALUATION OF THE ANNUAL REPORT
Page 3: C O N T E N T S WITNESSES John Hanf
Page 7 and 8: 3 of the suffering they, their fami
Page 9 and 10: 5 freedom in the context of threats
Page 11 and 12: 7 Mr. Smith. Mr. SMITH. Thank you v
Page 13 and 14: 9 PREPARED STATEMENT OF THE HONORAB
Page 15 and 16: 11 Hindu extremists. And the graphi
Page 17 and 18: 13 Ambassador HANFORD. I am going t
Page 19 and 20: 15 International Religious Freedom.
Page 21 and 22: 17 Finally, religion-based terroris
Page 23 and 24: 19 Falun Gong, especially with this
Page 25 and 26: 21 it is easier for us to sort of g
Page 27 and 28: 23 The expressions of concern have
Page 29 and 30: 25 Mr. HANFORD. In the dark of nigh
Page 31 and 32: 27 across. And, of course, there wa
Page 33 and 34: 29 would publicly condemn the killi
Page 35 and 36: 31 Andrei Sakharov Foundation, Huma
Page 37 and 38: 33 carried out in many cases. Priva
Page 39 and 40: 35 of these countries continue to c
Page 41 and 42: 37 ward all religions and their fol
Page 43 and 44: 39 The Commission agrees with Ambas
Page 45 and 46: 41 Is it systemic? Is it organized,
Page 47 and 48: 43 has lectured at the American Cen
Page 49 and 50: 45 My younger brother, Yunus Sidik,
Page 51 and 52: 47 Chinese government. This is the
Page 53 and 54: 49 In China, it is almost a crime b
Page 55 and 56:
51 I am very happy that you have pr
Page 57 and 58:
53 Brahmanical forces mask the trut
Page 59 and 60:
55 10. The Hindutva organizations a
Page 61 and 62:
57 Number six. Rabwah, the spiritua
Page 63 and 64:
59 hours ago. I have been following
Page 65 and 66:
61 firmed when their bodies were re
Page 67 and 68:
63 contradiction to the Constitutio
Page 69 and 70:
65 Human rights reports state that
Page 71 and 72:
67 and subject to closed hearings.
Page 73 and 74:
69 an outstanding job of protecting
Page 75 and 76:
71 Mr. RAJ. About this report. I am
Page 77 and 78:
73 Mr. PITTS. How has the governmen
Page 79 and 80:
75 Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Thank you. And
Page 81 and 82:
A P P E N D I X MATERIAL SUBMITTED
Page 83 and 84:
79 barring access to one’s own ch
Page 85 and 86:
81 ernment, which is led by the Hin
Page 87 and 88:
83 whether privately or publicly, w
Page 89 and 90:
85 tory acts, largely because the n
Page 91 and 92:
87 rights. The Constitution does no
Page 93 and 94:
89 Commission holds public hearings
Page 95:
91 12. In testimony provided to thi
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