Congressional resolutions about Islam

House resolutions of 2003 & 2005

Sponsored link.

House resolution of 2003:

On 2003-OCT-7, the House of Representatives passed a resolution condemning violence and bigotry against Americans of Muslim, Arab or South Asian background. It also acknowledged

"the many contributions of Arab Americans, Muslim Americans, South Asian Americans and Sikh Americans to the nation."

The resolution also asked that U.S. law enforcement agencies "...work vigorously to prevent discriminatory backlash crimes" against members of those groups. The resolution was introduced by Representative Darrell Issa (CA) in response to a surge of attacks against persons perceived to be Muslim, Arab or South Asian.

House resolution of 2005:

John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) proposed resolution H. Res. 288 in 2005-MAY. It opposed religious intolerance, including desecration of the Qur'an. The text reads:

"Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives condemning bigotry and religious intolerance, and recognizing that holy books of every religion should be treated with dignity and respect.

Whereas believers of all religions, including the Abrahamic faiths of Christianity, Judaism and Islam, should be treated with respect and dignity;

Whereas the word Islam comes from the Arabic root word meaning 'peace' and 'submission';

Whereas there are an estimated 7,000,000 Muslims in America, from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds, forming an integral part of the social fabric of America;

Whereas the Quran is the holy book for Muslims who recite passages from it in prayer and learn valuable lessons about peace, humanity and spirituality;

Whereas it should never be official policy of the United States Government to disparage the Quran, Islam, or any religion in any way, shape, or form;

Whereas mistreatment of prisoners and disrespect toward the holy book of any religion is unacceptable and against civilized humanity;

Whereas the infringement of an individual’s right to freedom of religion violates the Constitution and laws of the United States: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives–

(1) condemns bigotry, acts of violence, and intolerance against any religious group, including our friends, neighbors, and citizens of the Islamic faith;

(2) declares that the civil rights and civil liberties of all individuals, including those of the Islamic faith, should be protected;

(3) recognizes that the Quran, the holy book of Islam, as any other holy book of any religion, should be treated with dignity and respect; and

(4) calls upon local, State, and Federal authorities to work to prevent bias-motivated crimes and acts against all individuals, including those of the Islamic faith.

The resolution was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary on 2005-JUN-06. Although it had 21 cosponsors, the resolution did not proceed.

Reference used:

The following information source was used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlink is not necessarily still active today.

1. John Conyers, Jr., "Text of My Resolution Regarding Religious Intolerance," 2005-MAY-23, at: http://www.conyersblog.us/. Text is also available at: http://chromatism.net/

Copyright © 2003 to 2007, by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
First published on: 2003
Latest update: 2007-OCT-06
Author: B.A. Robinson