Text of House Resolution 227
Denouncing 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.
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