[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 554 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 554

Affirming the nature and importance of the support of the United States 
  for the religious and ethnic minority survivors of genocide in Iraq.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 23, 2023

Ms. Slotkin (for herself, Mr. Moolenaar, Mrs. McClain, Mr. Bergman, Ms. 
Mace, Mr. Kildee, Ms. Stevens, and Mr. Allred) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Affirming the nature and importance of the support of the United States 
  for the religious and ethnic minority survivors of genocide in Iraq.

Whereas national, ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities and indigenous 
        peoples including Yezidis, Turkmen, Shabak, Sabaean-Mandeans, Kaka'i, 
        and indigenous Christians (including Chaldean, Syriac, Assyrian, 
        Armenian, and Melkite communities), among others, have been an integral 
        part of the cultural fabric and history of Iraq and the broader Middle 
        East for millennia;
Whereas these same religious and ethnic minorities communities have made 
        invaluable contributions to the prosperity and well-being of Iraq, and 
        to societies across the Middle East and the world, including in the 
        United States;
Whereas the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (``ISIS'') committed innumerable 
        atrocities against these ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq, 
        including murder, subjugation, forced conversion, kidnapping, human 
        trafficking, forced emigration or expulsion, ethnic cleansing, torture, 
        sexual enslavement, rape, and destruction of ancient artifacts and sites 
        among other crimes;
Whereas the Secretary of State declared on March 17, 2016, and on August 15, 
        2017, that ISIS is responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity, 
        and other atrocities against religious and ethnic minority groups in 
        Iraq and Syria, including Shia Muslims, Christians, and Yezidis, among 
        other religious and ethnic groups;
Whereas the Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act of 2018 
        (Public Law 115-300) affirms that it is the policy of the United States 
        to ensure that assistance for humanitarian, stabilization, and recovery 
        needs of individuals who are or were nationals and residents of Iraq or 
        Syria, and of communities in and from those countries, is directed 
        toward those individuals and communities with the greatest need, 
        including those individuals from communities of religious and ethnic 
        minorities, and communities of religious and ethnic minorities, that the 
        Secretary of State declared were targeted for genocide, crimes against 
        humanity, or war crimes, and have been identified as being at risk of 
        persecution, forced migration, genocide, crimes against humanity, or war 
        crimes;
Whereas members of these religious and ethnic minority communities in Iraq 
        continue to face daily insecurity, discrimination, and hardship;
Whereas internally displaced members of these religious and ethnic minority 
        communities continue to face significant challenges to returning to 
        their ancestral homelands, including in Mosul, Baaj, Sinjar, the Nineveh 
        Plain, and other Yezidi places, due to security concerns, economic 
        hardship, and shifting demographics;
Whereas the restoration and economic revitalization of these regions, as well as 
        the repatriation of the Indigenous communities to their ancestral homes 
        in a manner that provides an opportunity for diverse ethnic and 
        religious communities to flourish, advances Iraq's stability and the 
        security interests of the international community; and
Whereas local self-determination and security protection for the communities of 
        these regions, including Mosul, Baaj, Sinjar, and the Nineveh Plain, 
        within the framework of the Federal Republic of Iraq would restore and 
        preserve the fundamental human rights, including property rights, of the 
        Indigenous peoples of these regions: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) protects and upholds that the fundamental human right 
        and dignity of the religious and ethnic minority communities of 
        Iraq should be a policy priority of the United States and the 
        international community;
            (2) supports the restoration of security, stability, and 
        economic opportunity of, as well as the safe, dignified, and 
        voluntary return of the displaced Indigenous peoples to the 
        territories of Mosul, Baaj, Sinjar, and the Nineveh Plain, and 
        other ancestral homelands of minority religious and ethnic 
        communities, and should be a policy priority of United States 
        and the international community;
            (3) supports the restoration of homes, schools, churches 
        and other religious sites, and community buildings of religious 
        and ethnic minority communities in these regions should receive 
        a specific and enduring budget allocation by the Iraqi 
        Government, as well as continued support from international aid 
        donors;
            (4) supports the effective representation in consultation 
        with members of the Indigenous population, including internally 
        displaced members of religious and ethnic minority communities 
        is essential to restoring and upholding the rights of these 
        communities, in line with article 125 of the Constitution of 
        Iraq, which states that the Constitution ``shall guarantee the 
        administrative, political, cultural, and educational rights of 
        the various nationalities, such as Turkmen, Chaldeans, 
        Assyrians, and all other constituents, and this shall be 
        regulated by law''; and
            (5) supports greater regional integration for minority 
        groups in Iraq and encourages the Secretary of State to promote 
        opportunities for affected minority groups to achieve greater 
        administrative autonomy within the federal structure of the 
        Republic of Iraq.
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