– The American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA), a leading association for the nation’s three million American citizens of Greek heritage, and countless Philhellenes, commends U.S. Reps. Ed Royce (R-40-CA), member, U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Howard Berman (D-28-CA), ranking member, U.S.
House Committee on Foreign Affairs, for having introduced H.Res.306 – a religious freedom measure calling upon Turkey to return Greek, Armenian, Assyrian, and other Christian churches, announced Supreme President Nicholas A. Karacostas.
“We welcome news that members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee are set to consider a related amendment offered by the resolution’s authors to the State Department Authorization on Wednesday, July 20, 2011,” said Karacostas.
H.Res.306 specifically calls upon Turkey to honor its international obligations to return stolen Christian churches, stop religious discrimination, and fully respect the rights of Greeks, Armenians, Assyrians, Pontians, Syriacs and others to practice their ancient faith in freedom.
“This resolution stands in the proud American tradition of championing religious freedom around the world,” added Karacostas.
“If adopted, this measure will further reinforce our nation’s commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and also build upon the passage by Congress of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 and many other pieces of legislation promoting religious freedom abroad.”
H.Res.306 is, in particular, very much in the spirit of H.Res.1631, a resolution calling for the protection of religious sites and artifacts from and in Turkish-occupied Cyprus that was introduced last year by U.S. Reps. Gus Bilirakis (R-9-FL) and Carolyn Maloney (D-14-NY).
The U.S. House adopted the resolution in September 2010, an action which AHEPA applauded.
Moreover, H.Res.306 calls upon Turkey to end restrictions on Christian clerical training, appointments, and succession, which speaks directly to illegal closure of the Halki Theological Seminary and the unfair, illegal, and burdensome succession-related restrictions Turkey continues to place upon the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
AHEPA is pleased that H.Res.306 enjoys strong bipartisan support, having been co-sponsored by the Republican and Democratic co-chairs of the Hellenic, Armenian, and Human Rights caucuses.
