HRES 554 — Affirming the nature and importance of the support of the United States for the religious and ethnic minority survivors of genocide in Iraq.

554 IntroducedEngrossed in House (IH)](EH)] <DOC> 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H.

RES.Res.

554 AffirmingIn the natureHouse and importance of theRepresentatives, supportU. of the United States for the religious and ethnic minority survivors of genocide in Iraq.

_______________________________________________________________________S., INNovember THE20, HOUSE2024. OF REPRESENTATIVES June 23, 2023 Ms.

SlotkinWhereas (fornational, herself,ethnic, Mr.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;

Moolenaar,Whereas Mrs.these same religious and ethnic minorities have made and continue to make invaluable contributions to the prosperity and well-being of societies across the Middle East and the world, including in the United States;

McClain,Whereas, Mr.according to the 2017 Report on International Religious Freedom, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (``ISIS'') is responsible for carrying out a ``campaign of violence against members of all faiths, in particular non-Sunnis'';

Bergman,Whereas Ms.ethnic and religious minorities were subjected to innumerable atrocities by ISIS, including forced religious conversion, kidnapping, slavery, human trafficking, unlawful forced displacement, ethnic cleansing, torture, sexual violence, and sex trafficking, among other crimes;

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 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,religious stabilization, and recoveryethnic needsminorities of individuals who are or were nationals and residents of Iraq or Syria, and of communities in and from those countries, is directed towardtowards those individualsmost andin 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 minorityminorities 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;

and Whereas the restoration and economicstabilization revitalization of these regions,regions aswill wellprovide 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,flourish: advances Iraq's stability and the security interests of the international community;

andNow, Whereastherefore, localbe self-determinationit andResolved, securityThat protection for the communitiesHouse of theseRepresentatives-- regions,(1) includingcommits Mosul,to Baaj,protecting Sinjar, and theupholding Ninevehinternationally Plain,recognized withinhuman therights framework of themembers Federal Republic of Iraqreligious would restore and preserveethnic theminority fundamentalcommunities; human rights, including property rights, of the Indigenous peoples of these regions:

Now,(2) therefore,supports be it Resolved, That the Houserestoration of Representatives--security, (1)stability, protects and upholdseconomic thatopportunity theof, fundamentalas humanwell rightas andthe dignitysafe, ofdignified, theand religiousvoluntary andreturn ethnicof, minorityinternally communitiesdisplaced ofpersons, Iraqincluding shouldthose beoriginally afrom policythe priorityterritories of theMosul, UnitedBaaj, StatesSinjar, and the internationalNineveh community;Plain;

(2)(3) supports the restoration of security,religious stability, and economiccultural opportunityheritage of,sites asin wellIraq, asincluding, thechurches, safe, dignified, and voluntaryother returnreligious ofsites, the displaced Indigenous peoples to the territories of Mosul, Baaj, Sinjar, and thecommunity Ninevehbuildings Plain, and other ancestral homelands of minority religious and ethnic communities,minority andcommunities shouldin bethese aregions; policy priority of United States and the international community;

(3) supports the restoration of homes, schools, churches and other(4) religioussupports sites,equal and communityinclusive buildingsrepresentation offor religious and ethnic minority communitiesgroups in theseIraq regionsin shouldline receivewith aarticle specific125 andof enduringthe budgetConstitution allocationof byIraq and encourages the IraqiSecretary Government,of asState wellto aspromote continuedopportunities supportfor fromaffected internationalminority aidgroups donors;to further that objective.

(4)Attest: 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'';

andClerk. (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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