American Hellenic Institute

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H.R.306 - Contact Your Representative Today!

TO: AHI Chapter Presidents, Congressional Contact Team Leaders, Members & Friends
FROM: Nick Larigakis, AHI President
DATE: Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Re: CONTACT YOUR U.S. REPRESENTATIVE TO SUPPORT RESOLUTION URGING TURKEY TO SAFEGUARD CHRISTIAN HERITAGE, RETURN CHURCH PROPERTY

BACKGROUND

On June 15, 2011 U.S. House Foreign Affairs Ranking Member Congressman Howard L. Berman and Congressman Edward R. Royce introduced H.Res.306 “urging Turkey to safeguard its Christian heritage and to return confiscated church properties.”

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has identifies the Republic of Turkey as a leading violator of religious freedom, placing its Christian minorities in an especially vulnerable position. Although Turkey regard itself as a secular democracy, the restrictions placed upon its religious minorities, especially Christians, deny freedom of religious expression and practice of faith. Further by expropriation of church properties and refusing to grant full legal status to a number of Christian groups, Turkey has failed to fulfill its international obligation as a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which calls for “freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.”

This resolution (H.Res.306) calls upon the government of Turkey to end religious discrimination, cease all restrictions on gatherings for religious prayer and education, and return illegally confiscate church property.

H.Res.306 contains similar language to legislation introduced by U.S. Representatives Ed Royce (R-CA) and Howard Berman (D-CA) that the House Foreign Affairs Committee passed on July 20, 2011 by an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 43 to 1.

STATUS

H.Res.306 is scheduled to see action on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives TODAY, December 13, 2011.

ACTION

We urge you to contact your U.S. representative and ask him/her to support H.Res.306 which urges on Turkey to safeguard Christian heritage and return confiscated Christian Church properties

Ask to speak with the Legislative Director or Foreign Affairs Legislative Assistant.

RESOURCE: FIND YOUR U.S. REPRESENTATIVE

As a resource, your U.S. representative can be found by visiting www.house.gov and entering your zip code in the upper right-hand corner.

CONTACT BY TELEPHONE

Contact your members of Congress by telephone by dialing the U.S. Capitol switchboard at 202.224-3121.

CONTACT BY EMAIL/INTERNET

To write your representative, visit https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml to find your representative

NOTE: Please send a copy of your correspondence, or provide notice of a phone call made, to Demetra Astaloglou at demetra@ahiworld.org.

QUESTIONS?

For further information or questions, please contact AHI, (202) 785-8430, or email demetra@ahiworld.org.

THANK YOU!