,,iii #aadth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #cdj ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,december #ah1 #bjae,mr4 ,cassidy 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,manchin1 ,mr4 ,rubio1 ,mr4 ,kirk1 ,mr4 ,wicker1 ,mr4 ,peters1 ,ms4 ,stabenow1 ,mr4 ,blunt1 ,ms4 ,ayotte1 ,mrs4 ,shaheen1 ,mr4 ,tillis1 ,mr4 ,inhofe1 ,mr4 ,isakson1 ,ms4 ,baldwin1 ,mr4 ,boozman1 ,mr4 ,burr1 ,ms4 ,klobuchar1 and ,mr4 ,scott7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,april #bh1 #bjaf,reported by ,mr4 ,corker1 with an amendment and an amendment to the preamble and an amendment to the title ,july #g1 #bjaf;,considered1 amended1 and agreed to with an amended preamble and an amendment to the title ,,resolution ,expressing the sense of the ,senate that the atrocities perpetrated by the ,islamic ,state of ,iraq and the ,levant 7,,isil7 against religious and ethnic minorities in ,iraq and ,syria include war crimes1 crimes against humanity1 and genocide4 ,whereas ,christians and other religious and ethnic minorities have been an integral part of the cultural fabric of the ,middle ,east for millennia2 ,whereas the ,islamic ,state in ,iraq and the ,levant 7,,isil or ,da'esh7 and associated extremists are committing egregious atrocities against ethnic and religious minorities in ,iraq and ,syria1 including ,christians 7among them ,assyrian ,chaldean ,syriac1 ,armenian1 ,evangelicals1 ,antiochian and ,greek ,orthodox1 ,maronite1 ,melkite1 and ,roman ,catholic communities71 ,yezidis1 ,turkmen1 ,shi'a1 ,shabak1 ,sabaean-,mandeans1 and ,kaka'i1 among others2 ,whereas ,,isil specifically targets these religious and ethnic minorities1 intending to kill them or force their submission1 conversion1 or expulsion2 ,whereas religious and ethnic minorities have been murdered1 subjugated1 forced to emigrate1 and subjected to grievous bodily and psychological harm1 kidnapping1 human trafficking1 torture1 and rape2 ,whereas ,,isil engages in1 and publicly argues in favor of1 the sexual enslavement of non-,muslim women1 including prepubescent girls2 ,whereas the ,united ,nations ,assistance ,mission for ,iraq 7,,unami7 and the ,united ,nations ,human ,rights ,office 7,,ohchr7 said in a ,january #bjaf report that it believes ,,isil is holding around #c1ejj slaves1 predominantly women and children1 primarily from the ,yezidi community1 but a number are also from other ethnic and religious minority communities2 ,whereas ,,isil specifically targets religious and ethnic minorities1 and has reportedly kidnapped1 forcibly displaced1 killed1 raped1 electrocuted1 and crucified members of ethnic and religious groups1 including ,christian1 ,shabak1 ,turkmen1 and ,shia of all ethnicities2 ,whereas ,,isil has deliberately destroyed and looted numerous cultural sites1 religious shrines1 places of worship1 monasteries1 and museums in order to eradicate the cultures of ethnic and religious minorities2 ,whereas these atrocities have been undertaken with the specific intent to bring about the eradication of those communities and the destruction of their cultural heritage2 ,whereas ,,isil operations have in fact driven minority religious and ethnic communities from their ancestral homelands2 ,whereas under applicable domestic and international law codified in section #bdda of title #ah1 ,united ,states ,code1 murder1 torture1 mutilation1 rape1 cruel treatment1 and hostage taking of non-combatants constitute war crimes2 ,whereas crimes against humanity1 as defined by the ,international ,military ,tribunal convened at ,nuremberg in #aide1 include murder1 extermination1 enslavement1 deportation1 and other inhumane acts committed against any civilian population1 as well as persecution on political1 racial1 or religious grounds in connection with such crimes2 ,whereas the ,united ,nations ,convention on the ,prevention and ,punishment of the ,crime of ,genocide1 signed and ratified by the ,united ,states1 defines genocide as 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 group2 ,whereas according to the ,united ,nations ,commission of ,inquiry1 in ,february #bjad1 ,,isil ordered ,christians in ,raqqa1 ,syria to either convert to ,islam1 pay jizya1 a tax specifically applied on the basis of religious belief1 and accept serious curbs on their faith1 or face execution2 ,whereas according to the ,department of ,state1 in ,august #bjad1 as ,,isil began to expand beyond ,mosul1 an estimated #dej1jjj ,yezidis1 #cjj1jjj ,turkmen1 and #abe1jjj ,christians1 as well as ,iraqi ,arabs1 ,shia ,muslims1 ,sunni ,muslims1 ,shabak and other ethnic and religious groups1 were forced from their communities2 ,whereas in areas controlled by ,,isil1 churches1 monasteries and other places of worship have effectively been shuttered and do not publicly conduct worship services2 ,whereas1 on ,august #g1 #bjad1 ,secretary of ,state ,john ,kerry declared that ,,isil's campaign of terror against the innocent1 including ,yezidi and ,christian minorities1 and its grotesque and targeted acts of violence bear all the warning signs and hallmarks of genocide3 ,whereas1 in ,august #bjad1 the ,united ,states conducted targeted airstrikes and humanitarian assistance operations to help break the siege of ,mount ,sinjar1 saving the lives of thousands of ,yezidi men1 women1 and children2 ,whereas ,his ,holiness1 ,pope ,francis1 has noted that 8entire communities1 especially--but not only--,christians and ,yezidis1 have suffered and are still suffering inhuman violence because off their ethnic and religious identity0 and stated that1 for ,christians being killed for their faith in the ,middle ,east 8a form of genocide--,i insist on the word--is taking place1 and it must end02 ,whereas a ,march #ac1 #bjae1 report by the ,office of the ,united ,nations ,high ,commissioner for ,human ,rights detailed 8acts of violence perpetrated by ,,isil against civilians because of their affiliation or perceived affiliation to an ethnic or religious group0 and stated that 8it is reasonable to conclude that some of these incidents1 considering the overall information1 may constitute genocide02 ,whereas1 on ,december #g1 #bjae1 the ,united ,states ,commission on ,international ,religious ,freedom called on the ,united ,states ,government to designate the ,christian1 ,yezidi1 ,shi'a1 ,turkmen1 and ,shabak communities of ,iraq and ,syria as victims of genocide by ,,isil and urged world leaders to condemn the genocidal actions and crimes against humanity of ,,isil that have been directed at these groups and other ethnic and religious groups2 ,whereas1 on ,february #c1 #bjaf1 the ,european ,parliament expressed the view that ,,isil 8is committing genocide against ,christians and ,yezidis1 and other religious and ethnic minorities02 and ,whereas1 on ,march #ag1 #bjaf1 ,secretary of ,state ,john ,kerry issued a declaration stating1 that in his judgement1 8,da'esh is responsible for genocide against groups in areas under its control1 including ,yezidis1 ,christians1 and ,shia ,muslims10 and is 8also responsible for crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing directed at these same groups and in some cases against ,sunni ,muslims and ,kurds and other minorities03 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that it is the sense of the ,senate that-- 7#a7 the atrocities perpetrated by the ,islamic ,state of ,iraq and the ,levant 7,,isil7 against ,christians1 ,yezidis1 ,shi'a1 and other religious and ethnic minorities in ,iraq and ,syria constitute war crimes1 crimes against humanity1 and genocide2 7#b7 all governments1 and international organizations should call ,,isil atrocities by their rightful names3 war crimes1 crimes against humanity1 and genocide2 7#c7 the member states of the ,united ,nations should coordinate urgently on measures to prevent further war crimes1 crimes against humanity1 and genocide by ,,isil in ,iraq and ,syria1 and to punish those responsible for these ongoing crimes1 including by the collection and preservation of evidence and1 if necessary1 the establishment and operation of appropriate tribunals2 7#d7 the ,hashemite ,kingdom of ,jordan1 the ,lebanese ,republic1 the ,republic of ,turkey1 and the ,kurdistan ,regional ,government in ,iraq are to be commended for1 and supported in1 their efforts to shelter and protect those fleeing the violence of ,,isil and other combatants until they can safely return to their homes in ,iraq and ,syria2 and 7#e7 the protracted ,syrian civil war and the indiscriminate violence of the ,assad regime have contributed to the growth of ,,isil and will continue to do so as long as this conflict continues4