,,iv  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,h4 ,,res4 #acf  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of
 ,,representatives  ,march #ba1 #bjac   
,mrs4 ,carolyn ,b4 ,maloney of ,new     
,york 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,bilirakis1    
,mr4 ,van ,hollen1 ,mr4 ,frelinghuysen1 
,mr4 ,grimm1 ,mr4 ,garrett1 ,mr4        
,sherman1 and ,ms4 ,loretta ,sanchez of 
,california7 submitted the following    
resolution2 which was referred to the   
,committee on ,foreign ,affairs         
,,resolution  ,urging ,turkey to respect
 the rights and religious freedoms of   
the ,ecumenical ,patriarchate4  ,whereas
 the ,ecumenical ,patriarchate is the   
spiritual home of the world's oldest and
 second largest ,christian ,church2     
,whereas within the #b1jjj-year-old     
,sacred ,see of the ,ecumenical         
,patriarchate1 the ,new ,testament was  
codified and the ,nicene ,creed was     
created2 ,whereas ,ecumenical ,patriarch
 ,bartholomew is one of the world's     
preeminent spiritual leaders and        
peacemakers representing over #cjj      

million ,orthodox ,christians worldwide2
 ,whereas the disappearance of the ,see 
would mean the end of a crucial link    
between the ,christian and the ,muslim  
world since the continuing presence of  
the ,ecumenical ,patriarchate in ,turkey
 is a living testimony of religious     
co-existence since #adec2 ,whereas the  
,ecumenical ,patriarchate has a record  
of reaching out and working for peace   
and reconciliation amongst all faiths   
and has fostered dialogue among         
,christians1 ,jews1 and ,muslims2       
,whereas the ,ecumenical ,patriarchate  
co-sponsored the ,peace and ,tolerance  
,conference in ,istanbul which issued   
the ,bosphorus ,declaration that stated1
 8,a crime committed in the name of     
religion is a crime against religion402 
,whereas the ,ecumenical ,patriarch     
,bartholomew stated in ,brussels in     
#bjjd1 ,the ,ecumenical ,patriarchate is
 a supranational ecclesiastical         
institution ''' which demonstrates      
religious tolerance as a beautiful      

reality4 ,for we bear respect toward all
 of our humans1 irrespective of their   
faith4 ,without any trace of fanaticism 
or discrimination on account of         
differences of religion1 we coexist     
peacefully and in a spirit that honors  
each and every human being42 ,whereas   
the ,ecumenical ,patriarch ,bartholomew 
has called for the admission of ,turkey 
into the ,european ,union because1 '''  
it may provide a concrete example and a 
powerful symbol of mutually beneficial  
cooperation between the western and     
,islamic worlds and put an end to the   
talk of the clash of civilizations4     
,this in turn would be a true           
strengthening of ,europe and the        
,european ideals that converge with the 
values of the #8pilgrims of the book'   
spoken of by the current ,prime         
,minister of ,turkey42 ,whereas in #aiic
 the ,european ,union defined the       
membership criteria for accession to the
 ,european ,union at the ,copenhagen    
,european ,council1 obligating candidate

 countries to have achieved certain     
levels of reform1 including stability of
 institutions guaranteeing democracy1   
the rule of law1 and human rights1 and  
respect for and protection of           
minorities2 ,whereas under the terms of 
the draft ,european ,union              
,constitution1 current1 and prospective 
member states should have the goal of   
eliminating discrimination based on sex1
 race1 color1 ethnic or social origin1  
genetic features1 language1 religion or 
belief1 political or any other opinion1 
membership of a national minority1      
property1 birth1 disability1 age1 or    
sexual orientation2 ,whereas the        
,turkish ,constitution secures religious
 rights for all ,turkish citizens2      
,whereas the ,government of ,turkey has 
failed to recognize the ,ecumenical     
,patriarchate's international status2   
,whereas the ,government of ,turkey has 
limited to ,turkish nationals the       
candidates available to the ,holy ,synod
 of the ,greek ,orthodox ,church for    

selection as the ,ecumenical            
,patriarchate and reneged on its        
agreement to reopen the ,theological    
,school at ,halki1 thus impeding        
training for the ,orthodox clergy in    
,turkey2 ,whereas the ,government of    
,turkey has confiscated #ge percent of  
the ,ecumenical ,patriarchate properties
 and has placed a #db-percent           
retroactive tax on the ,balukli         
,hospital of ,istanbul which is operated
 by the ,ecumenical ,patriarchate2 and  
,whereas the ,european ,council has     
agreed to open accession negotiations   
with ,turkey1 conditional upon the      
continuation by ,turkey of reform       
processes to increase protection and    
support for human rights and civil      
liberties3 ,now1 therefore1 be it  ,that
 the ,house of ,representatives--  7#a7 
based on the goals set forth in the     
draft of the ,european ,union           
,constitution1 calls on ,turkey to      
eliminate all forms of discrimination1  
particularly those based on race or     

religion1 and immediately--  7,a7 grant 
the ,ecumenical ,patriarchate           
appropriate international recognition   
and ecclesiastic succession2  7,b7 grant
 the ,ecumenical ,patriarchate the right
 to train clergy of all nationalities1  
not just ,turkish nationals2 and  7,c7  
respect human rights and property rights
 of the ,ecumenical ,patriarchate2  7#b7
 calls on ,turkey to pledge to uphold   
and safeguard religious and human rights
 without compromise2  7#c7 encourages   
,turkey to continue the achievement of  
processes and programs to modernize and 
democratize its own society2  7#d7 calls
 on ,turkey to respect international    
law1 ,european ,union laws1 and the     
basic tenets of human rights2 and  7#e7 
expresses its view that ,turkey must    
prove that it is ready to meet the      
criteria set forth by the ,copenhagen   
,european ,council prior to its         
accession into the ,european ,union4