Senate Resolution 436-Urging the Federation of Internationale De Football Association to Prevent Persons or Groups Representing the Islamic Republic..
SENATE RESOLUTION 436--URGING THE FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION TO PREVENT PERSONS OR GROUPS REPRESENTING THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN FROM PARTICIPATING IN SANCTIONED SOCCER MATCHES
Mr. MCCAIN (for himself, Mr. LUGAR, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mr. ENSIGN, Mr. MENENDEZ, and Mr. MARTINEZ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:
S. Res. 436
Whereas, since 1984, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been identified by the Department of State as an active sponsor of terrorism;
Whereas an Iran capable of deploying nuclear weapons constitutes a threat to international peace and security;
Whereas, in July 2003, the Iranian Ministry of Defense confirmed the results of a successful test of an intermediate range ballistic missile that is capable of striking Israel;
Whereas, since February 2003, Iran has--
(1) consistently misled the United Nations, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the European Union, and the United States about the scope of its nuclear activities; and
(2) taken steps to produce weapons-grade uranium;
Whereas top officials of Iran have repeatedly threatened the United States, including--
(1) Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who stated in June 2004 that ``[t]he world of Islam has been mobilized against America for the past 25 years. The peoples call, `death to America'. Who used to say death to America? Who, besides the Islamic Republic and the Iranian people, used to say this? Today, everyone says this.'';
(2) members of the parliament of Iran who, on October 2004, shouted ``Death to America'' as that body unanimously approved legislation requiring the Government to resume uranium enrichment; and
(3) President Ahmadinejad, who stated on October 2005 that ``God willing, with the force of God behind it, we shall soon experience a world without the United States and Zionism'', and referred to a world without the United States as ``a possible goal and slogan'';
Whereas the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in an October 26, 2005, address at the World Without Zionism conference in Tehran, declared that--
(1) Israel is ``a disgraceful blot [on] the face of the Islamic world'';
(2) Israel ``must be wiped off the map''; and
(3) ``anybody who recognizes Israel will burn in the fire of the Islamic nation's fury'';
Whereas President Ahmadinejad also stated on December 8, 2006, that ``If the Europeans are honest they should give some of their provinces in Europe.......to the Zionists, and the Zionists can establish their state in Europe'';
Whereas Iran supports and provides funds to terrorist groups that are determined to destroy the State of Israel;
Whereas an estimated 6,000,000 Jews were killed in the Nazi Holocaust;
Whereas President Ahmadinejad has denied the existence of the Holocaust on numerous occasions, including--
(1) on December 8, 2005, when at an Islamic conference in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, he declared that ``Some European countries insist on saying that Hitler killed millions of innocent Jews in furnaces.......although we don't accept this claim''; and
(2) on December 14, 2005, when on Iranian television, he remarked that ``They have invented a myth that Jews were massacred and place this above God, religions and the prophets'';
Whereas it is a crime in the Federal Republic of Germany to deny the existence of the Holocaust;
Whereas on June 9, 2006, the Federation Internationale de Football Association (referred to in this preamble as ``FIFA'') World Cup soccer tournament is scheduled to begin in the Federal Republic of Germany;
Whereas the Islamic Republic of Iran is a member of FIFA, and the Iranian national team is scheduled to play its opening match on June 11, 2006, in Nuremberg, Germany, which was the site of war crimes tribunals that tried Nazi leaders for atrocities and genocide against Jews during the Holocaust;
Whereas the International Olympic Committee barred the Republic of South Africa from the Olympics until 1992, when the country repealed all of its apartheid laws during the previous year;
Whereas, in October 1964, FIFA suspended the national soccer team of South Africa from international competition until the Government of South Africa ended its policy of apartheid in 1991;
Whereas, on May 30, 1992, in a resolution imposing diplomatic and economic sanctions on Yugoslavia, the United Nations Security Council called on member states of the United Nations to ``take the necessary steps to prevent the participation in sporting events on their territory of persons or groups representing Yugoslavia.'';
Whereas, in 1992, the Union of European Football Associations banned Yugoslavia from participating in the European soccer championships and prevented it from participating in the 1994 World Cup qualifying matches; and
Whereas Article 3 of the ``Regulations Governing the Application of the FIFA Statutes'' states that ``Discrimination of any kind against a country, private person or groups of people on account of ethnic origin, gender, language, religion, politics or any other reason is strictly prohibited and punishable by suspension or expulsion.'': Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) condemns the terrible statements issued by the Iranian president and demands that he repudiate them;
(2) calls on the United Nations Security Council and all countries to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons;
(3) strongly urges the Federation Internationale de Football Association (referred to in this resolution as ``FIFA'') to ban persons or groups representing the Islamic Republic of Iran from sanctioned international sporting competition, including the 2006 FIFA World Cup, until such time that Iran--
(A) rescinds its position disavowing the Holocaust;
(B) repudiates its calls for the eradication of the State of Israel;
(C) ends its support for terrorism; and
(D) ceases its pursuit of nuclear weapons; and
(4) calls on all FIFA members to support such actions within the appropriate FIFA governing bodies.
http://thomas.loc.gov/