On March 18, the House unanimously approved, 417-0, a resolution (H. Con. Res. 26) condemning the punishment of execution by stoning as “a gross violation of human rights.” Sponsored by Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN), H. Con. Res. 26 requests that the President “formally communicate” the resolution to governments that impose stoning executions and also calls for the President to direct the Secretary of State to “work with the international community toward the repeal of stoning laws and adherence to international standards of human rights.”
Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ) pointed out, “Although this heinous practice is disproportionately used against the female population of these countries, it is also used against men and also used to suppress political dissent and the activities of religious minorities.” He added that this resolution “can help deter the application of extreme Sharia law and execution by stoning in emerging nations.”
In noting the importance of H. Con. Res. 26, Rep. McCollum said that the resolution “will send a message to the most remote corners of the globe that the sentence of stoning, particularly when used as a tool of gender persecution to control women and girls, is far beneath any minimum standard of human rights recognized by this House, by the people of the United States and by the world community.”
