BILL ANALYSIS �
SJR 17
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( Without Reference to File )
SENATE THIRD READING
SJR 17 (Anderson)
As Amended August 6, 2014
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE :34-0
SUMMARY : Declares that there is an urgent need to protect
religious minorities from persecution from the Sunni Islamist
insurgent and terrorist group the Islamic State in Iraq and
Syria (ISIS) as it expands its control over areas in
northwestern Iraq. Specifically, this resolution :
1)Makes the following findings:
a) Iraq is currently embroiled in a political and religious
insurrection stemming from an Islamic State in Iraq and
Syria (ISIS)-led offensive that began in the Anbar province
and has spread to key locations such as Mosul, Tikrit, and
Samarra and continues to engulf the region in violence and
instability;
b) ISIS is a transnational Sunni insurgency whose
ideological and organizational roots lie in both al Qaeda
in Iraq and the Syria-based Jabhat al Nursa and has a
stated mission of establishing an Islamic state and a
caliphate across the Levant through violence towards
Shiites, non-Muslims, and unsupportive Sunnis;
c) Iraq's population is approximately 31,300,000 with 97%
of that population identifying themselves as Muslim while
the approximately 3% of religious minorities groups consist
of Christians, Yezidis, Sabean Mandaeans, Bahais, Shabaks,
Kakais, and Jews;
d) The Iraqi Christian population is estimated to be
between 400,000 and 850,000 with two-thirds being Chaldean,
one-fifth Assyrian, and the remainder consisting of
Syriacs, Protestants, Armenians, and Anglicans;
e) The Iraqi Constitution provides for religious freedom by
stating all of the following:
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i) No law may be enacted that contradicts the
principles of democracy;
ii) No law may be enacted that contradicts the rights
and basic freedoms stipulated in this Constitution;
iii) [This Constitution] guarantees the full religious
rights to freedom of religious belief and practice of all
individuals such as Christians, Yazidis, and Mandean
Sabeans;
f) Over 500,000 people have been displaced by the current
ongoing violence in Iraq while reports have surfaced of
targeted harassment, persecution, and killings of Iraqi
religious minorities by ISIS with little to no protection
from the Iraqi government or other security forces;
g) ISIS recently issued a decree to all religious
minorities stating: "We offer them three choices: Islam;
the dhimma contract - involving payment of jizya; if they
refuse this they will have nothing but the sword,";
h) The fall of Mosul has sparked terror among the Christian
population because for the first time in 1,600 years there
was no mass held in the city;
i) Over 50% of Iraq's Christian population has fled since
the fall of Saddam Hussein, and 1.1 million people of
diverse religious backgrounds remain internally displaced
while the government under Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki
has not upheld its commitment to protect the rights of
religious minorities; and
j) Eighty-four thousand nine hundred two Iraqis resettled
in the United States between 2007 and 2013 and over 300,000
Chaldean and Assyrians currently reside throughout the
country; especially in California.
2)Resolves the following:
a) That the Legislature of the State of California, on
behalf of its citizens, declares that there is an urgent
need to protect religious minorities from persecution from
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the Sunni Islamist insurgent and terrorist group the
Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) as it expands its
control over areas in northwestern Iraq;
b) That the California Legislature calls on the United
States Department of State to work with the Kurdistan
Regional Government, the Iraqi central government,
neighboring countries, the diaspora community in the United
States, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,
Chaldean representative leaders in the United States, and
other key stakeholders to help secure safe havens for those
claiming amnesty from Iraq;
c) That the Legislature urges the Congress of the United
States to pass HR 663, which also urges the United States
to act swiftly on behalf of religious minorities that are
under the constant threat of persecution; and
d) That the Legislature urges President Barack Obama's
administration to expedite visa processing for Iraq's
minority groups and to lift the quota cap for
Iraqi-Christians in order to streamline the process of
accepting refugees.
FISCAL EFFECT : None
COMMENTS : This resolution was recently gutted and amended.
With some notable exceptions, this measure is virtually
identical to a recently-introduced Congressional resolution, HR
663, which has not received a hearing. However, this measure
omits the following recital from HR 663:
Whereas President Barack Obama recently declared on
Religious Freedom Day, "Foremost among the rights
Americans hold sacred is the freedom to worship as we
choose? we also remember that religious liberty is not
just an American right; it is a universal human right
to be protected here at home and across the globe.
This freedom is an essential part of human dignity,
and without it our world cannot know lasting peace.
This measure also differs from HR 663 in one additional respect:
HR 663 calls for securing safe havens for those claiming
amnesty in Iraq, while this measure seeks safe havens for those
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claiming amnesty from Iraq. While this may appear to be a minor
difference in wording, it appears to carry a substantially
different meaning.
This resolution does not address the treatment of women or LGBT
Iraqis and Syrians who are among those who have reportedly also
been the subject of mistreatment by the ISIS group, issues that
some may deem important in the context of the resolution.
Analysis Prepared by : Kevin G. Baker / JUD. / (916) 319-2334
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