Ed Whitfield: “I have read H. Res. 306. Certainly, there is nothing in the language of this resolution that very many people would…”

“I have read H. Res. 306. Certainly, there is nothing in the language of this resolution that very many people would oppose. It basically says that it is the sense of the House of Representatives that the Secretary of State, in all official contacts with Turkish leaders and other Turkish officials, should emphasize that Turkey should end all forms of religious discrimination. It then goes on from there. Now, this resolution, in a way, reminds me of asking one, Do you still beat your children? Because whatever one answers, one is going to be condemned. So the mere fact that the resolution is being introduced would leave an objective observer with the opinion that religious freedom is being systematically denied in Turkey. Let's just look at a few of the facts. On September 13, 2011, during a briefing on the release of the U.S. Department of State's International Religious Freedom report, Secretary Clinton praised Turkey's recent steps in enhancing religious freedom. We've also seen Turkey take serious steps in improving the climate for religious tolerance. The Turkish Government issued a decree in August that invited non-Muslims to reclaim churches and synagogues that were confiscated 75 years ago. This was the language of Secretary Clinton: I applaud Prime Minister Erdogan's very important commitment to doing so. In its 13th annual Report on International Religious Freedom, the U.S.…”