,,iii #aadth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 ,,con4 ,,res4 #cc ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,march #ad1 #bjaf,mr4 ,sasse submitted the following concurrent resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,,concurrent ,,resolution ,expressing the sense of ,congress that those who commit or support atrocities against ,christians and other ethnic and religious minorities1 including ,yezidis1 ,turkmen1 ,sabea-,mandeans1 ,kaka#8e1 and ,kurds1 and who target them specifically for ethnic or religious reasons1 are committing1 and are hereby declared to be committing1 war crimes1 crimes against humanity1 and genocide4 ,whereas those who commit or support atrocities against ,christians and other ethnic and religious minorities1 including ,yezidis1 ,turkmen1 ,sabea-,mandeans1 ,kaka#8e1 and ,kurds1 and who target them specifically for ethnic or religious reasons1 intend to exterminate or to force the migration or submission of anyone who does not share their views concerning religion2 ,whereas ,christians and other ethnic and religious minorities have been an integral part of the cultural fabric of the ,middle ,east for millennia2 ,whereas ,christians and other ethnic and religious minorities have been murdered1 subjugated1 forced to emigrate1 and suffered grievous bodily and psychological harm1 including sexual enslavement and abuse1 inflicted in a deliberate and calculated manner in violation of the laws of their respective nations1 the laws of war1 laws and treaties forbidding crimes against humanity1 and the ,united ,nations ,convention on the ,prevention and ,punishment of the ,crime of ,genocide1 signed at ,paris ,december #i1 #aidh 7in this concurrent resolution referred to as the ,convention72 ,whereas these atrocities are undertaken with the specific intent to bring about the eradication and displacement of their communities and the destruction of their cultural heritage in violation of local laws1 the laws of war1 laws and treaties that punish crimes against humanity1 and the ,convention2 ,whereas local1 national1 and international laws and treaties forbidding war crimes and crimes against humanity and the ,convention condemn murder1 massacre1 forced migration1 extrajudicial punishment1 kidnapping1 slavery1 human trafficking1 torture1 rape1 and persecution of individuals because of their religion and shall be punished1 whether committed by constitutionally responsible rulers1 public officials or private individuals as provided by local laws1 international laws and agreements1 and the ,convention2 ,whereas ,article ,i of the ,convention and international and local laws confirm that genocide and crimes against humanity1 whether committed in time of peace or in time of war1 are crimes that government authorities are obligated to prevent and to punish2 ,whereas ,article ,,ii of the ,convention declares1 ,in the present ,convention1 genocide means any of the following acts committed with the intent to destroy1 in whole or in part1 a national1 ethnical1 racial or religious group1 as such3 7a7 ,killing members of the group2 7b7 ,causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group2 7c7 ,deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part2 7d7 ,imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group2 7e7 ,forcibly transferring children of the group to another group42 ,whereas ,article ,,iii of the ,convention affirms1 ,the following acts shall be punishable3 7a7 ,genocide2 7b7 ,conspiracy to commit genocide2 7c7 ,direct and public incitement to commit genocide2 7d7 ,attempt to commit genocide2 7e7 ,complicity in genocide42 ,whereas1 on ,july #aj1 #bjae1 ,pope ,francis1 ,supreme ,pontiff of the ,roman ,catholic ,church1 declared that ,middle ,eastern ,christians are facing genocide1 a reality that must be denounced and that in this third world war1 waged piecemeal1 which we are now experiencing1 a form of genocide--and ,i stress the word genocide--is taking place1 and it must end2 ,whereas a ,march #ac1 #bjae1 report of the ,united ,nations ,committee on ,human ,rights prepared at the request of the ,government of ,iraq stated that ethnic and religious groups targeted by ,,isil include ,yezidis1 ,christians1 ,turkmen1 ,sabea-,mandeans1 ,kaka#8e1 ,kurds and ,shi'a and that it is reasonable to conclude that some of the incidents in ,iraq in #bjad-bjae 4 4 4 may constitute genocide2 and ,whereas attacks on ,yezidis included the mass killing of men and boys and enslavement and forcible transfer of women and children3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that-- 7#a7 the atrocities committed against ,christians and other ethnic and religious minorities targeted specifically for religious reasons are1 and are hereby declared to be1 crimes against humanity1 and genocide2 7#b7 each of the ,contracting ,parties to the ,united ,nations ,convention on the ,prevention and ,punishment of the ,crime of ,genocide1 signed at ,paris ,december #i1 #aidh1 and other international agreements forbidding war crimes and crimes against humanity1 particularly the governments of countries and their nationals who are in any way supporting these crimes1 are reminded of their legal obligations under the ,convention and these international agreements2 7#c7 every government and multinational body should call the atrocities being committed in the name of religion by their rightful names3 crimes against humanity1 war crimes1 and genocide2 7#d7 the ,united ,nations and the ,united ,nations ,secretary-,general are called upon to assert leadership by calling the atrocities being committed in these places by their rightful names3 war crimes1 crimes against humanity1 and genocide2 7#e7 the member states of the ,united ,nations1 with an urgent appeal to the ,arab ,states that wish to uphold religious freedom1 tolerance1 and justice-- 7,a7 should join in this concurrent resolution2 7,b7 should collaborate on measures to prevent further war crimes1 crimes against humanity1 and genocide2 and 7,c7 should collaborate on the establishment and operation of domestic1 regional and international tribunals to punish those responsible for the ongoing crimes2 7#f7 the governments of the ,kurdistan ,region of ,iraq1 the ,hashemite ,kingdom of ,jordan1 the ,lebanese ,republic1 and other countries are commended for having undertaken to shelter and protect those fleeing the violence of the ,islamic ,state in ,iraq and ,syria 7,,isis or ,da'esh7 and other extremists until they can safely return to their homes in ,iraq and ,syria2 and 7#g7 all those who force the migration of religious communities from their ancestral homelands1 where they have lived and practiced their faith in safety and stability for hundreds of years--including specifically in the ,nineveh ,plain1 a historic heartland of ,christianity in ,iraq and ,mount ,sinjar1 the historic home of the ,yezidis--should be tracked1 sanctioned1 arrested1 prosecuted1 and punished in accordance with the laws of the place where their crimes were committed and under applicable international criminal statutes and conventions4