Bill Text: MI HR0099 | 2017-2018 | 99th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: A resolution to condemn hate crimes and any other form of bias, discrimination, or other action targeting people based on race, religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation, and to urge the United States Congress to condemn and take action to investigate and prosecute acts of discrimination and violence.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-05-17 - Referred To Committee On Law And Justice [HR0099 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2017-HR0099-Introduced.html
Rep. Hammoud offered the following resolution:
House Resolution No. 99.
A resolution to condemn hate crimes and any other form of bias, discrimination, or other action targeting people based on race, religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation, and to urge the United States Congress to condemn and take action to investigate and prosecute acts of discrimination and violence.
Whereas, American Muslims and other religious, racial, and ethnic groups have been an integral part of this nation since it was founded. These populations serve their communities and country in countless ways and are contributing members of society who care deeply about our country and are concerned about the rise in hateful rhetoric by some political leaders and media outlets; and
Whereas, Religious, racial, and ethnic minorities and members of the LGBTQ community are the target of hate crimes and threats based only on their minority or sexual orientation status. In 2015, among single-bias incidents in the United States, 59.2 percent of victims were targeted due to racial, ethnic, or ancestry bias, and among those victims, 52.2 percent were victims of crimes motivated by their offenders' anti-Black or anti-African American bias, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Between November 23 and December 2, 2016, 15 Islamic centers and mosques received identical letters that described Muslims as "children of Satan" and a "vile and filthy people." More than 100 bomb threats against Jewish community centers, Jewish day schools, and other Jewish organizations and institutions in more than 38 states have been reported in 2017; and
Whereas, American Muslims have recently experienced alarming acts of violence, intimidation, and discrimination. In North Carolina, newlyweds Deah Barakat and Yusor Abu-Salah, and her sister Razan Abu Salah, were shot and killed in their living rooms. Muslims have also been fatally stabbed on their way home, like 60-year old Nazma Khanam in Queens, New York; and
Whereas, Hate crimes targeting religious, racial, and ethnic minorities and LGBTQ communities have dramatically increased across the United States. According to the FBI, in 2016, anti-Muslim hate crimes surged 67% from the previous year, reaching a level of violence not seen since the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks. The troubling trend of anti-Muslim incidents and attacks have been matched by sharp increases in hate crimes against immigrants, African Americans, and Jewish people and against individuals because of their sexual orientation; and
Whereas, From burning of mosques to bomb threats at Jewish community centers and schools to anti-African American acts of bias, these destructive acts cross all lines without regard to the young or the old. These acts of hatred and violence cannot be tolerated; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we condemn hate crimes and any other form of bias, discrimination, or other action targeting people based on race, religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation; and be it further
Resolved, That we call on federal law enforcement officials working with state and local officials to expeditiously investigate all credible reports of hate crimes, incidents, and threats against minorities and LGBTQ communities in the United States; and be it further
Resolved, That we call on the Department of Justice and the FBI to fully investigate the increase in hate crimes across the United States, hold perpetrators accountable, and bring them to justice; and be it further
Resolved, That we support the development of an interagency taskforce, led by the United States Attorney General, that brings together the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, Education, and State, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, to detect and deter hate crimes in order to protect minority and LGBTQ communities; and be it further
Resolved, That we encourage the Trump administration to offer victim assistance, grant opportunities, and other forms of federal assistance that may be available to enhance security measures and improve preparedness for religious institutions, places of worship, and other institutions that have been targeted across the United States; and be it further
Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Attorney General of the United States, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.
