1Urging the President and the Congress of the United States to
2publicly denounce the crimes against humanity occurring in
3Iraq and to take every step possible to protect Iraqi
4Christians and other religious minorities from persecution
5from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

6WHEREAS, Iraq is currently embroiled in a surge of violence
7arising from an Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)-led
8offensive that began in the Anbar province, has spread to key
9locations such as Mosul, Tikrit and Samarra and continues to
10engulf the region in violence and instability; and

11WHEREAS, On June 29, 2014, ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
12renamed the group the Islamic State and pronounced himself
13caliph of a new Islamic Caliphate encompassing the areas under
14his control; and

15WHEREAS, Mr. al-Baghdadi has a stated mission of spreading
16the Islamic State and caliphate across the region through
17violence against Shiites, non-Muslims and unsupportive Sunnis;
18and

1WHEREAS, Upon taking control over northwestern Iraq and
2Syria, ISIL issued a warning to Christians living under its
3jurisdiction to convert to Islam, to pay a burdensome religious
4tax or to be executed; and

5WHEREAS, Over 1,000,000 people have been displaced by
6violence in Iraq and reports have surfaced of targeted
7harassment, persecution and killings of Iraqi religious
8minorities by the Islamic State with little to no protection
9from the Government of Iraq and other security forces; and

10WHEREAS, Reports indicate that Islamic State militants have
11been marking homes of Christians with the Arabic letter "N," for
12"Nazara" (Christian), beheading children and crucifying
13captives. ISIL's actions are a crime against humanity and
14nothing more than genocide or ethnic cleansing against religious
15minority groups; and

16WHEREAS, The Iraqi constitution provides for religious
17freedom by stating:

18(1) "no law may be enacted that contradicts the
19principles of democracy";

20(2) "no law may be enacted that contradicts the rights
21and basic freedoms stipulated in this Constitution"; and

22(3) "[This Constitution] guarantees the full religious
23rights to freedom of religious belief and practice of all
24individuals such as Christians, Yazidis, and Mandean
25Sabeans";

26and

27WHEREAS, President Barack Obama recently declared on
28Religious Freedom Day, "Foremost among the rights Americans hold
29sacred is the freedom to worship as we choose ... [W]e also
30remember that religious liberty is not just an American right;

1it is a universal human right to be protected here at home and
2across the globe. This freedom is an essential part of human
3dignity, and without it our world cannot know lasting peace";
4and

5WHEREAS, The atrocities being committed against Christians
6and other ethnic and religious minority communities in Iraq are
7unconscionable and represent a crime against humanity; therefore
8be it

9RESOLVED, That the Senate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
10urge the President and the Congress of the United States to
11publicly denounce the crimes against humanity occurring in Iraq
12and to take every step possible to protect Iraqi Christians and
13other religious minorities from persecution from the Islamic
14State of Iraq and the Levant; and

15RESOLVED, That the President and Congress urge the Government
16of Iraq to take immediate steps to protect the safety and
17constitutional rights of all Iraqi citizens; and

18RESOLVED, That the President and Congress work with the
19Government of Iraq to bring Islamic State militants to justice
20before an international forum for war crimes and crimes against
21humanity; be it further

22RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
23the President of the United States, to the presiding officers of
24each house of Congress and to each member of Congress from
25Pennsylvania.