Recognizing Islam as one of the great religions of the world.

IV 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 544 Recognizing Islam as one of the great religions of the world. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AUGUST 30, 2019 Mr. GREEN of Texas (for himself, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Ms. TLAIB, and Ms. OMAR) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs RESOLUTION Recognizing Islam as one of the great religions of the world. Whereas the word ‘‘Islam’’ means ‘‘submission to the will of God’’ and ‘‘peace’’; Whereas the primary scripture of Islam is the Quran; Whereas Muslims consider the Quran in its original Arabic to be the book of divine guidance; Whereas, although its roots go back further, scholars typi- cally date the revelation of Islam to the seventh century; Whereas Islam is the second largest religion in the world after Christianity; Whereas Islam is the fastest growing religion of the world; Whereas it is estimated that there are approximately 1,800,000,000 Muslims worldwide; VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:41 Aug 30, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR544.IH HR544 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HRES 544 IH Whereas Islam contains in itself the essential principles of all earlier religions; Whereas Islam is a strongly monotheistic religion with the worship of one God as its central theme; Whereas Islam is a complete system of strong moral convic- tions that promote peace, equality, and social justice; Whereas Islam encourages service to humanity; Whereas Islam teaches abstaining from worldly desires in favor of spiritual achievements; Whereas Islam instills a genuine love of God; Whereas the fundamental Muslim practices are known as the Five Pillars of Islam; Whereas the five pillars are shahadah (declaration of faith), salat (daily prayers), zakat (giving of alms), sawm (fast- ing in Ramadan), and Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca); Whereas the five daily prayers remove any barriers between believers praying in congregations and helps one refrain from committing sins; Whereas the obligatory charity purifies a person from selfish- ness and encourages empathy to the poor; Whereas fasting in Ramadan promotes self-restraint and spiritual renewal for Muslims worldwide; Whereas the pilgrimage to Mecca serves as a unifying force in Islam by bringing followers of diverse background to- gether in religious celebration; Whereas Muslims consider Islam to be a way of life; and Whereas carrying out these obligations provides the frame- work of a Muslim’s life, and weaves their everyday activi- VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:41 Aug 30, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR544.IH HR544 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HRES 544 IH ties and their beliefs into a single cloth of religious devo- tion: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That in order to demonstrate solidarity with 1 and support for members of the community of Islam in 2 the United States and throughout the world, the House 3 of Representatives recognizes the Islamic faith as one of 4 the great religions of the world. 5 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:41 Aug 30, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR544.IH HR544 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS