15 September 2001

Resolution Denounces Bigotry Against Arabs, Muslims, South Asians

In the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks that left more than 5,000 men, women, and children missing or dead in the United States, the House of Representatives passed a resolution September 15 condemning bigotry and violence against Arab-Americans, American Muslims, and Americans from South Asia.

House Concurrent Resolution 227 (H. Con. Res. 227) declared "in the quest to identify, bring to justice, and punish the perpetrators and sponsors of the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, that the civil rights and civil liberties of all Americans, including Arab-Americans, American Muslims, and Americans from South Asia, should be protected."

H. Con. Res. 227 went on to condemn "any acts of violence or discrimination against any Americans, including Arab-Americans, American Muslims, and Americans from South Asia."

While rescue workers worked at the Pentagon and the site of the World Trade Center to recover victims of the largest terrorist attack on American soil, the lawmakers sought to remind Americans that bigotry and violence should not be directed at fellow Americans who may be Muslims or come from Arab countries or South Asia.

Representative David Bonior (Democrat of Michigan), the House Minority Whip, introduced the resolution September 14 to the House of Representatives. Bonior, the second ranking Democrat in the House, was joined by 116 co-sponsors to the resolution including Representative Richard Armey (Republican of Texas), the House Majority Leader, the second ranking Republican in the House.

Other co-sponsors included Representative Tom Lantos (Democrat of California), and Representative Frank Wolf (Republican of Virginia), the co-chairmen of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus.

Representative James Moran (Democrat of Virginia), his 8th Congressional District includes the Pentagon, also signed the resolution.

Other backers include Democratic Representatives Gary Ackerman, Gregory Meeks, Joseph Crowley, Jerrold Nadler, and Carolyn Maloney from the New York City area, where the greatest carnage occurred.

Following is the text of House Concurrent Resolution 227:

Condemning bigotry and violence against Arab-Americans, American Muslims, and Americans from South Asia in the wake of terrorist attacks in New York City, New York, and Washington,... (Agreed to by the House)
HCON 227 ATH
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. CON. RES. 227
Condemning bigotry and violence against Arab-Americans, American Muslims, and Americans from South Asia in the wake of terrorist attacks in New York City, New York, and Washington, D.C., on September 11, 2001. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 14, 2001

Mr. BONIOR (for himself, Mr. ARMEY, Mr. GEPHARDT, Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. SENSENBRENNER, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. FROST, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. DINGELL, Mr. LAHOOD, Mr. RAHALL, Mr. SUNUNU, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. ROYCE, Mr. WEXLER, Mr. HORN, Ms. PELOSI, Mr. ISSA, Ms. SOLIS, Mr. KNOLLENBERG, Ms. LOFGREN, Mrs. MORELLA, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. CAMP, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. WOLF, Mr. RUSH, Mr. KIRK, Ms. MCKINNEY, Mr. LATOURETTE, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. PITTS, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. ENGLISH, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. ROGERS of Michigan, Mr. PALLONE, Mrs. BIGGERT, Mr. INSLEE, Mr. GREENWOOD, Mr. PASCRELL, Ms. WATERS, Mr. JOHN, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. MEEKS of New York, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Ms. MCCARTHY of Missouri, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. WU, Mr. BACA, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Ms. BERKLEY, Ms. KILPATRICK, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. BALDACCI, Mr. JEFFERSON, Mr. MOORE, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, Mr. LAFALCE, Mr. OLVER, Mr. WATT of North Carolina, Mrs. CLAYTON, Mr. GONZALEZ, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. BECERRA, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. HOYER, Mr. BARRETT, Mr. SAWYER, Mr. MATHESON, Mr. CARSON of Oklahoma, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. COYNE, Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, Mr. KIND, Mr. PHELPS, Mr. COSTELLO, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Mr. UNDERWOOD, Mr. BOUCHER, Mr. BAIRD, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. STRICKLAND, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Mr. CAPUANO, Ms. RIVERS, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Ms. WATSON, Mr. LAMPSON, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mr. HONDA, Mr. PASTOR, Mr. DELAHUNT, Ms. LEE, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mrs. CAPPS, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Mr. TOWNS, Mrs. MALONEY of New York, Mr. HOLT, and Mr. DREIER) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

September 14, 2001
Committee on the Judiciary discharged; which was considered and agreed to
Concurrent Resolution

Condemning bigotry and violence against Arab-Americans, American Muslims, and Americans from South Asia in the wake of terrorist attacks in New York City, New York, and Washington, D.C., on September 11, 2001.

Whereas all Americans are united in condemning, in the strongest possible terms, the terrorists who planned and carried out the attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001, and in pursuing all those responsible for these attacks and their sponsors until they are brought to justice and punished;

Whereas the Arab-American, South Asian-American, and American Muslim communities are a vital part of the Nation;

Whereas on September 12, 2001, in a mass for the Nation and the victims of the terrorist hijackings and attacks, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the Archbishop of Washington, D.C., reminded all Americans in prayer that `we must seek the guilty and not strike out against the innocent or we become like them who are without moral guidance or direction';

Whereas the heads of State of several Arab and predominantly Muslim countries have condemned the terrorist attacks on the United States and the senseless loss of innocent lives; and

Whereas vengeful threats and incidents of violence directed at law-abiding, patriotic Americans of Arab or South Asian descent, particularly the Sikh community, and adherents of the Islamic faith have already occurred:

Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That the Congress--

(1) declares that in the quest to identify, bring to justice, and punish the perpetrators and sponsors of the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, that the civil rights and civil liberties of all Americans, including Arab-Americans, American Muslims, and Americans from South Asia, should be protected; and

(2) condemns any acts of violence or discrimination against any Americans, including Arab-Americans, American Muslims, and Americans from South Asia.