,h4 ,,res4 #djg  ,9 ! ,h\se (           
,repres5tatives1 ,u4 ,s41  ,decemb] #ab1
 #bjag  ,,resolution  ,:]eas !          
,int]national ,religi\s ,fre$om ,act (  
#aiih 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #fdja et seq47 f\nd
 t religi\s p]secution is n conf9$ to a 
p>ticul> region or regime & reaffirm$ ! 
commitm5t ( ! ,unit$ ,/ates t religi\s  
fre$om1 :i* is ! fre$om ( ?\ght &       
consci5ce & ! "r to practice !i/ic &    
non-!i/ic beliefs1 is ! "r ( e          
individual & %\ld nev] be arbitr>ily    
abridg$ by any gov]nm5t2 ,:]eas !       
p]secution ( ,*ri/ians is a global      
problem1 occurr+ 9 c\ntries across      
,asia1 ,africa1 ! ,middle ,ea/1 & !     
,am]icas2 ,:]eas ,*ri/ians face         
p]secution n only f ,islamic extremi/   
gr\ps1 l ! ,islamic ,/ate & ,boko ,h>am1
 b also f o!r religi\s extremi/ gr\ps & 
f (ficials at all levels ( gov]nm5t2    
,:]eas ! ,middle ,ea/ has be5 a home to 
,*ri/ians s9ce ! fir/ c5tury ,a4,d41 b !
 ,*ri/ian population 9 ! ,middle ,ea/   
has significantly decreas$ ov] ! pa/ few

 decades z a result ( p]secution1       
displacem5t1 & g5ocide2 ,:]eas su*      
p]secution ranges f social h>assm5t &   
discrim9ation to physical viol5ce1      
imprisonm5t1 torture1 enslavem5t1 rape1 
& dea?2 ,:]eas ,*ri/ians 9 ,syria &     
,iraq h fac$ assault1 torture1          
imprisonm5t1 enslavem5t1 & execution 9 a
 g5ocidal campaign by ! ,islamic ,/ate2 
,:]eas accord+ to #bjag reports f       
int]national non-gov]nm5tal             
organizations1 ! ,*ri/ian population 9  
,iraq decreas$ f #a1djj1jjj p 9 #bjjc to
 j #bge1jjj p 9 #bjaf1 z a result (     
displacem5t & g5ocide caus$ by religi\s 
extremism2 ,:]eas ,*ri/ian holy sites 9 
,syria h be5 de/roy$ by ! ,islamic      
,/ate2 ,:]eas 9 #bjaf1 approximately    
#bjj ,*ri/ians 9 ,iran 7 arre/$1 :ile   
o!rs h be5 beat51 tortur$1 subject$ to  
feign$ public executions1 & ev5 s5t5c$  
to dea? = _! fai?1 & at lea/ #ij rema9 9
 illegal det5tion2 ,:]eas 9 ,saudi      
,arabia1 ,*ri/ians z well z o!r religi\s
 m9orities face imprisonm5t1 torture1 & 

deportation & mu/ practice _! fai? 9    
secrecy because _! h\ses ( wor%ip are n 
all[$2 ,:]eas on ,april #i1 #bjag1 ,palm
 ,sunday1 #dd p 7 kill$ 9 bomb attacks  
by ! ,islamic ,/ate on ,coptic *ur*es 9 
,egypt2 ,:]eas ! ,islamic ,/ate has also
 claim$ responsibility = ! attack on a  
bus on ,may #bf1 #bjag1 9 :i* #bi       
,coptic ,*ri/ians 7 kill$ :ile travel+  
to a mona/]y 9 ,m9ya1 ,egypt2 ,:]eas    
s9ce ! fall ( ! ,gaddafi regime1 ,libya 
has s]v$ z a hav5 = militant ,islami/   
extremi/ gr\ps1 l ! ,islamic ,/ate1 :i* 
has result$ 9 m viol5t =ms ( ,*ri/ian   
p]secution2 ,:]eas ! ,islamic ,/ate     
claim$ responsibility = ! kill+ ( #ea   
,coptic ,*ri/ians 9 ,libya 9 ,febru>y & 
,m>* ( #bjae2 ,:]eas ,*ri/ian migrants f
 nor!rn ,africa travel+ ?r\gh ,libya on 
_! way to ,europe h be5 abduct$1        
traffick$1 & =c$ to conv]t to ,islam at 
! h&s ( ! ,islamic ,/ate2 ,:]eas 9      
,afghani/an !re are reports t conv]ts to
 ,*ri/ianity h be5 murd]$ or s5t to     
m5tal hospitals2 ,:]eas ,*ri/ians 9     

,paki/an face accusations ( blasphemy1  
puni%able by dea?1 & convictions &      
s5t5ces = blasphemy are giv5 despite    
little or no evid5ce2 ,:]eas accord+ to 
,op5 ,doors ,,usa1 approximately #fjj   
,*ri/ian *ur*es 7 attack$ 9 ,paki/an 9  
#bjaf2 ,:]eas bo? ,*ri/ians & ,muslims 9
 ,nig]ia h be5 massacr$ by ,islamic     
extremi/ gr\ps l ,boko ,h>am2 ,:]eas    
,*ri/ian conv]ts 9 ,somalia (t5 face    
public execution2 ,:]eas 9 #bjag1 a mob 
( #ajj m5 attack$ a ,*ri/ian *ur* 9     
,ug&a1 beat+ & rap+ memb]s ( !          
congregation2 ,:]eas 9 ,may #bjag1 a    
,*ri/ian gov]nor 9 ,indonesia 0 f\nd    
guilty ( blasphemy & s5t5c$ to #b ye>s 9
 prison1 9 :at 0 widely se5 z a *all5ge 
to religi\s pluralism 9 ,indonesia2     
,:]eas communi/ regimes h a /rong hi/ory
 ( oppress+ & p]secut+ ,*ri/ians z well 
z o!r religi\s m9orities2 ,:]eas s9ce   
#bjac1 9 ! ,zhejiang ,prov9ce ( ,*9a1   
crosses h be5 remov$ f ov] #a1ejj *ur*es
 z "p ( t prov9ce's anti-cross campaign2
 ,:]eas 9 ,*9a1 memb]s ( ,*ri/ian       

*ur*es1 z well z o!r religi\s m9orities1
 t are n regi/]$ ) ! gov]nm5t face      
increas$ p]secution f ! ,*9ese /ate1    
includ+ ! risk ( imprisonm5t & torture2 
,:]eas 9 ,nor? ,korea1 ! practice (     
,*ri/ianity is prohibit$ & if caught1   
,*ri/ians are s5t to =c$ labor camps2   
,:]eas 9 ,novemb] #bjaf1 ,vietnam adopt$
 a new ,law on ,belief & ,religion t    
falls dramatically %ort ( int]nationally
 accept$ /&>ds = human rights & curtails
 ! "r to religi\s fre$om = ov] #h       
million ,*ri/ians 9 t c\ntry2 ,:]eas 9  
,mexico & ,colombia1 ,*ri/ian *ur*      
lead]s h be5 assault$1 ?reat5$1 & 9 "s  
cases kill$ by transnational crim9al    
organizations & p>amilit>y arm$ gr\ps   
attempt+ to intimidate & sil5ce !m2     
,:]eas religi\s discrim9ation1 includ+ !
 p]secution ( ,*ri/ians1 is a global    
human rights problem2 & ,:]eas ! "r to  
religi\s fre$om is a univ]sal "r        
recogniz$ by ! ,univ]sal ,decl>ation (  
,human ,rights3 ,n[1 !re=e1 be x  ,t !  
,h\se ( ,repres5tatives-- 7#a7 condemns 

all violations ( religi\s fre$om &      
affirms t religi\s fre$om is a          
fundam5tal "r ( e individual t %\ld nev]
 be arbitr>ily abridg$ by any gov]nm5t2 
7#b7 condemns ! p]secution ( ,*ri/ians  
ar\nd ! _w2  7#c7 calls on discrim9atory
 c\ntries to cease _! p]secution (      
,*ri/ians & religi\s m9orities & combat 
religi\s p]secution c>ri$ out by        
extremi/ non-/ate actors2 &  7#d7 urges 
! ,presid5t & ! heads ( ! gov]nm5ts (   
all c\ntries ar\nd ! _w to uphold ! "r  
to religi\s fre$om & condemn ! global   
p]secution ( ,*ri/ians & o!r religi\s   
m9orities4  ,cl]k4