Linda Sánchez Urges Turkey to Protect Religious Freedom (Nov 18 2011)

Washington, DC- CongresswomanLinda Sánchez (D-Calif.) released the following statement today to announce herco-sponsorship of House Resolution 306,"Urging the Republic of Turkey to Safeguard its Christian Heritage and toReturn Confiscated Church Properties":

"The freedom to worship and practice your religious faith isa right that should be protected and available to all. That is why I am proudto join fellow colleagues in calling on the Turkish government to rightprevious injustices and return confiscated religious sites to their rightfulowners.

"These sites hold special cultural and religioussignificance for the groups who lost them. As a signatory to the Declaration ofHuman Rights to provide religious rights, I hope that Turkey will return thesesites to the appropriate parties so that they can be restored and preserved forfuture generations."

House Resolution 306 calls on the Turkish government toreturn confiscated Christian churches, schools, monasteries, hospitals,monuments, relics, holy sites and other religious properties to their rightfulowners for preservation and restoration.

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