HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE IN SYRIA; Congressional Record Vol. 157, No. 78

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HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE IN SYRIA

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from

Minnesota (Mr. Ellison) for 5 minutes.

Mr. ELLISON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to stand shoulder to shoulder

with the legitimate aims of Syrian people in their quest for freedom

and democracy.

Ever since the Syrian people rose up to demand their rights and

dignity from the Assad regime, they have faced brutal repression. Their

nonviolent protest movement has been met with repressive force, and

this has been a disgrace on the world scene.

The human rights abuses of the Assad regime are unthinkable, and they

are historic and generational. It is torturing its own people at this

time, including even children.

I was shocked and outraged by the story of Hamza al-Khatib. He was a

13-year-old boy who was killed and tortured and his body was returned

to his family on May 25 with clear signs of torture and brutality. He

had a broken hand; his genitals were cut off and severed. This young

man, only 13 years old, will never see his family again because he has

gone on.

But what happened to him the Syrian people can't forget, and his

example has inspired people to stand up for democracy. Over the past 3

months, a familiar pattern has emerged. People organize public

demonstrations to demand their God-given rights. Inevitably, the

government forces overreact and kill peaceful protesters. Funerals for

the deceased garner even larger demonstrations, which are then

repressed ever more brutally by the government.

The emergency situation in Syria today reached a new level when tanks

rolled into Daraa. Since that time, hundreds of peaceful demonstrators

have been killed. Just this morning, this very morning, Syrian forces

killed 15 people when they shelled the town of Rastan. Fifty-eight

people have been killed there in the past 3 days alone. Over a thousand

have been killed since democracy protests began.

Mr. Speaker, it's truly unfortunate that the Assad regime missed the

historic opportunity that it had right before it to set a new pattern

in the Arab Spring, a pattern that above all respects human rights.

Instead, it chose to become an enemy of its own people.

By murdering its own people and violating their fundamental right to

security and liberty, the Assad regime has lost any and all legitimacy

to govern. Legitimacy is gained through the consent of the governed,

not brutal repressive crackdowns, jailings, and torturing.

While we don't know yet how events will ultimately unfold in Syria, I

want to commend the activism of Syrian Americans. Syrian Americans are

doing everything they can to support their friends and their families.

For example, just last week the Syrian American Council organized a day

of action to support freedom and democracy in Syria. Some 400-plus

Syrian Americans came all across the country to come to Washington,

D.C., to lobby their Representatives in Congress, to demonstrate at the

Syrian Embassy, and to organize committees to plan future initiatives.

That's how democracy works, Mr. Speaker; people coming together with

their common concerns to peaceably petition their government. That's

what makes America great, and that's what sets us apart from places

like Syria under the Assad regime. Syria could be a great bastion of

liberty, but not with this illegitimate regime.

I stand with the patriotic Americans in steadfast opposition to the

grotesque human rights abuses of the Assad regime and once and for all

call upon it to respect the rights, dignity, and democratic aspirations

of its people. The world will not forget Hamza al-Khatib, Mr. Speaker.

We won't forget the legitimate yearnings for liberty and justice from

the people of Syria or anywhere in the world.

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