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 prudent action to
4protect Iraqi Christians and other religious minorities from
5persecution from 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;

1and

2WHEREAS, Upon taking control over northwestern Iraq and
3Syria, ISIL issued a warning to Christians living under its
4jurisdiction to convert to Islam, to pay a burdensome religious
5tax or to be executed; and

6WHEREAS, Over 1,000,000 people have been displaced by
7violence in Iraq and reports have surfaced of targeted
8harassment, persecution and killings of Iraqi religious
9minorities by the Islamic State with little to no protection
10from the Government of Iraq and other security forces; and

11WHEREAS, Reports indicate that Islamic State militants have
12been marking homes of Christians with the Arabic letter "N," for
13"Nazara" (Christian), beheading children and crucifying
14captives. ISIL's actions are a crime against humanity and
15nothing more than genocide or ethnic cleansing against religious
16minority groups; and

17WHEREAS, The Iraqi constitution provides for religious
18freedom by stating:

19(1) "no law may be enacted that contradicts the
20principles of democracy";

21(2) "no law may be enacted that contradicts the rights
22and basic freedoms stipulated in this Constitution"; and

23(3) "[This Constitution] guarantees the full religious
24rights to freedom of religious belief and practice of all
25individuals such as Christians, Yazidis, and Mandean
26Sabeans";

27and

28WHEREAS, President Barack Obama recently declared on
29Religious Freedom Day, "Foremost among the rights Americans hold
30sacred is the freedom to worship as we choose ... [W]e also

1remember that religious liberty is not just an American right;
2it is a universal human right to be protected here at home and
3across the globe. This freedom is an essential part of human
4dignity, and without it our world cannot know lasting peace";
5and

6WHEREAS, The atrocities being committed against Christians
7and other ethnic and religious minority communities in Iraq are
8unconscionable and represent a crime against humanity; therefore
9be it

10RESOLVED, That the Senate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
11urge the President and the Congress of the United States to
12publicly denounce the crimes against humanity occurring in Iraq
13and to take <-every step possible prudent action to protect Iraqi
14Christians and other religious minorities from persecution from
15the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant; and

16RESOLVED, That the President and Congress urge the Government
17of Iraq to take immediate steps to protect the safety and
18constitutional rights of all Iraqi citizens; and

19RESOLVED, That the President and Congress work with the
20Government of Iraq to bring Islamic State militants to justice
21before an international forum for war crimes and crimes against
22humanity; be it further

23RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
24the President of the United States, to the presiding officers of
25each house of Congress and to each member of Congress from
26Pennsylvania.