[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 52 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 52
Recognizing religious freedom as a fundamental right, expressing
support for international religious freedom as a cornerstone of United
States foreign policy, and expressing concern over increased threats to
and attacks on religious freedom around the world.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 4, 2025
Mr. Lankford (for himself, Mr. Coons, Mr. Tillis, and Mr. Kaine)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing religious freedom as a fundamental right, expressing
support for international religious freedom as a cornerstone of United
States foreign policy, and expressing concern over increased threats to
and attacks on religious freedom around the world.
Whereas freedom of religion is a fundamental right;
Whereas the First Amendment of the Constitution stipulates that ``Congress shall
make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof'';
Whereas, in pushing for religious freedom in the Commonwealth of Virginia, James
Madison argued that the right to freedom of religion ``is precedent,
both in order of time and in degree of obligation, to the claims of
Civil Society'';
Whereas freedom of religion is a foundational element of democracy, human
rights, and the rule of law in the United States and abroad, as well as
a guiding principle for United States foreign policy;
Whereas Article 18 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights
states ``Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and
religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief,
and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or
private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice,
worship, and observance'';
Whereas the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
stipulates that ``freedom of religion or belief is an expansive right
that includes the freedoms of thought, conscience, expression,
association, and assembly'';
Whereas the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6401 et seq.)
recognizes religious freedom as a ``universal human right'';
Whereas the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6401 et seq.)
requires the President to annually designate as a ``country of
particular concern'' each country the government of which has engaged in
or tolerated ``particularly severe'' religious freedom violations,
including--
(1) systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations such as torture;
(2) cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment;
(3) prolonged detention without charges; and
(4) forced disappearances;
Whereas, on December 29, 2023, the State Department designated Burma, the
People's Republic of China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia,
Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan as countries of particular concern;
Whereas the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act (Public Law 114-
281;130 Stat. 1426) requires the President to annually designate
countries with severe religious freedom violations that do not reach the
threshold of ``systematic, ongoing, and egregious'' violations to a
``Special Watch List'';
Whereas, on December 29, 2023, the State Department designated Algeria,
Azerbaijan, the Central African Republic, Comoros, and Vietnam as
Special Watch List countries;
Whereas, to enhance accountability for global human rights violations, including
violations of religious freedom, President Joseph R. Biden signed the
permanent authorization of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights
Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 2656 note) into law on April 8, 2022;
Whereas the Senate passed a resolution calling for the global repeal of
blasphemy, heresy, and apostasy laws in 2020 (Senate Resolution 458,
116th Congress, agreed to December 19, 2020);
Whereas, in 2023 and 2024, threats to religious freedom worsened around the
world, including incidents targeting the exercise of religion in public
or private, participation in religious advocacy, conversion from one
religion to another, engagement in religious practices broadly, and
those choosing to have no faith at all;
Whereas there were thousands of incidents wherein religious freedom was violated
in 2023, including--
(1) the targeting of 2,228 individuals by 27 countries and entities;
(2) the imprisonment of 1,491 individuals;
(3) the ongoing imprisonment of 1,311 individuals; and
(4) the death of 9 individuals while in custody;
Whereas, as of 2024, there are 96 countries with legislation criminalizing
blasphemy used to enforce arbitrary limitations on religious freedom of
expression;
Whereas the Department of State has determined that religious minorities
continue to be victims of genocides that relate to matters of religious
freedom, including in--
(1) Burma, where security forces have committed crimes against humanity
and genocide against Rohingya Muslims since 2017, including the systematic
killing, torture, and confinement of Rohingyas to small, overcrowded camps
without freedom of movement or access to adequate food, health care, and
education; and
(2) China, where since 2017 the Chinese government has committed crimes
against humanity and genocide against Uyghurs, including by--
G (A) imprisoning more than 1,000,000 Uyghurs in ``re-education
camps'';
G (B) subjecting Uyghur women to forced sterilizations and
abortions;
G (C) deliberately separating Uyghur families;
G (D) instituting government surveillance through intrusive homestay
programs; and
G (E) eliminating the Uyghur language from educational materials;
Whereas religious minorities face harassment, intimidation, violence, and
imprisonment from state and non-state actors around the world, including
in--
(1) Afghanistan, where the Taliban has rigorously enforced its harsh
interpretation of Shari'a law that violates the freedom of religion or
belief of religious minorities, including Christians, Ahmadiyya Muslims,
Baha'is, and nonbelievers who face imprisonment or death if discovered;
(2) Burma, where in addition to violence targeted at religious
minorities, strict laws in favor of the Buddhist majority regulate
religious conversion, marriages, and births of non-Buddhists such as
Muslims and Christians;
(3) China, where the government utilizes targeted surveillance to
monitor, harass, and detain Christians, Tibetan Buddhists, Falun Gong
practitioners, Uyghur Muslims, and other religious minorities for
exercising their beliefs;
(4) Cuba, where the government subjects religious leaders and groups
that are unregistered through its Office of Religious Affairs to detention,
interrogation, imprisonment, and confiscation of property;
(5) India, where laws promoting religiously discriminatory policies,
including laws that target religious conversion, interfaith relationships,
the wearing of hijabs, and cow slaughter, have been implemented at the
national, state, and local levels and negatively impact the livelihoods of
Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, and Adivasis;
(6) Iran, where the government disproportionately subjects members of
religious minorities such as Baha'is, Christians, Gonabadi Dervishes, and
Sunni Muslims to amputations, floggings, detention, harassment,
surveillance, executions, and exile;
(7) Nicaragua, where the government arbitrarily detains and exiles
religious clerics and leaders who advocate for the rights of religious
minorities and criticize the government's persecution of the Roman Catholic
Church;
(8) Nigeria, where the government's enforcement of blasphemy laws
embedded in Nigeria's criminal and Shari'a codes results in the arbitrary
detainment and imprisonment of those who express their religious identity;
(9) North Korea, where any religion contrary to the ruling ideology
known as Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism is deemed an existential threat to the
state;
(10) Pakistan, where religious minorities face killings, lynchings, mob
violence, forced conversions, and sexual violence for their religious
identities;
(11) Russia, where laws on terrorism and extremism are used to target
religious minorities such as Jehovah's Witnesses, Muslims, and members of
the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church for their beliefs;
(12) Tajikistan, where the government represses the display of public
religiosity by individuals of all faiths and institutes strict restrictions
against Muslims, including a ban on beards and hijabs;
(13) Turkmenistan, where the government controls all aspects of
religious life and expression, monitors religious practice, and punishes
nonconformity through administrative harassment, imprisonment, and torture;
and
(14) Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine, where the Russian military has
reportedly perpetrated at least 43 cases of targeted persecution of the
clergy and more than 109 acts pressuring churches and religious figures
representing Orthodox Christians, Ukrainian Greek-Catholics, Roman
Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, and Jehovah's Witnesses since the launch
of its full-scale invasion in February 2022;
Whereas violent extremists and non-state actors continue to capitalize upon
violence and instability in countries to perpetrate serious human rights
violations against religious minorities, including in--
(1) Latin America, where criminal gangs and paramilitary groups
threaten and displace indigenous communities, destroy places of worship,
and forcibly require conversion or renunciation of ancestral practices;
(2) Nigeria, where violent, non-state militant groups such as Boko
Haram target Christians, as well as persons engaged in ``un-Islamic''
activities, including Muslim critics and elders;
(3) the Sahel region of Africa, where violent extremist organizations
threaten violence against Christians who do not convert to Islam;
(4) Syria, where violent extremist organizations restrict the religious
freedom of non-confirming Sunni Muslims and threaten the property, safety,
and existence of religious minority groups such as Alawites, Christians,
and Druze; and
(5) Yemen, where the Houthi rebels harass, defame, and incite hatred
against vulnerable faith communities including the Christians, Baha'is,
Jews, and non-religious persons who continue to be forced to flee to the
south of the country or leave Yemen entirely; and
Whereas religious sites continue to be damaged or destroyed, especially in areas
of conflict, including in--
(1) Burma, where the military junta has destroyed approximately 200
houses of worship and religious sites such as Buddhist monasteries,
churches, and mosques, and has occupied religious compounds for use as
military bases;
(2) China, where the government has destroyed mosques, shrines,
gravesites, and other religious and cultural sites throughout Xinjiang and
the country;
(3) Ethiopia, where ongoing violence between the government and non-
state actors has led to drone strikes and attacks on church compounds such
as the Full Gospel Church in the Oromiya region in which 8 people were
killed;
(4) India, where places of worship such as Christian churches and
Muslim madrasas continue to be destroyed, especially those in predominantly
Christian and Muslim neighborhoods;
(5) Nigeria, where violent, non-state groups, such as Boko Haram,
attack population centers and religious targets, including churches and
mosques;
(6) Sudan, where members of the Rapid Support Forces attacked a Coptic
Christian monastery and raided the Sudanese Episcopal Church in Khartoum,
using both as bases for military operations; and
(7) Ukraine, where over 600 religious buildings have been damaged or
destroyed since Russia's full-scale invasion of the country began in
February 2022: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) recognizes religious freedom as a fundamental human
right;
(2) recognizes the critical importance of religious freedom
in--
(A) supporting democracy, good governance, and the
rule of law;
(B) encouraging pluralism and robust political
participation; and
(C) fostering global stability and peace;
(3) expresses grave concern over threats to religious
freedom around the world, such as through harassment, violence,
and imprisonment;
(4) condemns all efforts to suppress religious freedom,
including through the criminalization of--
(A) religious exercise in public or private;
(B) the choice to have no faith;
(C) conversion from one religion to another;
(D) advocacy for religious freedom;
(E) sharing and spreading religious messages and
educational materials; and
(F) construction and maintenance of religious holy
sites;
(5) supports the invaluable work of religious freedom
advocates in fighting for greater religious freedom around the
world; and
(6) urges the Department of State to--
(A) continue robust bilateral and multilateral
engagement with allies and partners on religious
freedom;
(B) maintain and expand support for human rights
activists, journalists, and civil society leaders
working to protect religious freedom in countries of
particular concern and Special Watch List countries;
(C) leverage all diplomatic and sanctions tools
available to the United States Government to hold
religious freedom violators accountable for their
actions, including those authorized by the
International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C.
6401 et seq.);
(D) continue to impose sanctions on those
responsible for violations of religious freedom
pursuant to the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Act (22
U.S.C. 2656 note);
(E) consider human rights abuses and religious
freedom violations in prioritizing partners for free
trade agreements; and
(F) promote religious freedom as an utmost priority
for the United States in implementation of United
States foreign policy.
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