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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The United States was built upon the premise and
3promise of religious tolerance, a principle enshrined in the
4First Amendment guarantee of free exercise of religion; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The State of Illinois has historically welcomed
6newcomers from all nations and of all faith traditions, and has
7historically benefited from the diversity these newcomers
8bring; and
 
9    WHEREAS, The most recent federal election campaign
10featured rhetoric and discussion of policy proposals hostile to
11certain nationality and religious groups, including
12specifically a possible registry of Muslim Americans; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Reported attacks on Muslim, Arab, and South Asian
14Americans and other incidents of discrimination, including in
15housing, education, and employment, have increased sharply
16during the past two years and in particular since the 2016
17elections; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Muslim youths in particular face barriers to
19safely expressing their religion in school, with young Muslim
20women being bullied for wearing the hijab or niqab; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Muslim, Arab, and South Asian Americans have
2endured discriminatory policies such as the National Security
3Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS), which targeted men
4from 24 predominantly Muslim countries in the immediate
5aftermath of the 9-11 attacks; and
 
6    WHEREAS, The current federal administration has issued two
7executive orders attempting to impose restrictions on
8individuals from seven (later six) Muslim majority countries
9seeking to enter the United States, restrictions that federal
10courts have enjoined in due to their discriminatory intent; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Initiatives such as NSEERS, the travel
12restrictions, and a potential Muslim registry recall past
13discriminatory initiatives such as the internment of 120,000
14Americans of Japanese descent during World War II, for which
15our nation has formally apologized; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Our State should continue to welcome all
17nationality and religious groups and should stand in opposition
18to any attempts to discriminate against Arab and Muslim
19Americans or any other group based on national origin or
20religion; therefore, be it
 
21    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
22HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE

 

 

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1CONCURRING HEREIN, that it is the sense of this body that no
2State or local government agency or official should expend any
3time, facilities, equipment, information, or other resources
4of the agency or official to facilitate the creation,
5publication, or maintenance of or any participation in any
6federal program with the purpose of registering or maintaining
7a database of individuals present in the United States based on
8their race, color, ancestry, national origin, or religion; and
9be it further
 
10    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
11delivered to the President and Vice-President of the United
12States, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States
13Senate, the Speaker and Minority Leaders of the United States
14House of Representatives, and all members of the Illinois
15Congressional Delegation.