Requesting Report On Anti-American Incitement To Violence In The Middle East

Floor Speech

Requesting Report On Anti-American Incitement To Violence In The Middle East

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Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I also rise in strong support of this legislation authored by my good friend and colleague from Florida, Congressman Gus Bilirakis, and I am a proud cosponsor of this important bill.

I thank Mr. Bilirakis for his vision, and I also wish to extend my gratitude to our colleague from New York, Congressman Joe Crowley. They have been leaders on this important issue.

The bill before us, Madam Speaker, is a successor to a resolution that was passed last Congress condemning the broadcasting of incitement to violence against Americans and the United States in media based in the Middle East and calling for the designation of al-Aqsa TV as a specially designated global terrorist entity.

As we commemorate the 68th anniversary of the United States' entry into World War II, we know well the power that words have for either good or evil. Before there were factories to drive the Nazi war machine, there were hateful and violent words. Before there were bricks to build concentration camps, there were ugly, dehumanizing words. As we have witnessed, such charged rhetoric invites violent action, and such incitement creates an environment accepting of and conducive to violent Islamic extremism.

As we too sadly learned on September 11, 2001, purveyors of anti-American incitement to violence traffic not only in words but in deeds. Accordingly, this important and critical legislation before us this morning requires that the President submit a report to Congress on the activities of media outlets which engage in anti-American incitement to violence and on the satellite providers that carry out these messages of hate.

Furthermore, Mr. Bilirakis' legislation seeks to document the threat posed by the broadcasts of incitement to violence against Americans and the United States on television channels and other media which are accessible in the United States. It will highlight how the threat may increase the risk of radicalization and recruitment of Americans into extremist organizations which seek to carry out attacks against American targets and on American soil.

We cannot allow satellite providers which traffic in and profit from anti-American incitement to violence to remain in the shadows. We must join with the majority of those throughout the Middle East and right here at home who value pluralism, who value tolerance, and, in both word and deed, who reject the purveyors of anti-American incitement to violence and their enablers.

Madam Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to support this critical legislation. I thank the author of this important bill, my colleague from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), for its introduction. As well, I thank our friend from New York (Mr. Crowley).

With that, Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my friend from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis).

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