87R19397 TBO-D
By: Jetton H.R. No. 646
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and
Article One of the Texas Constitution uphold and protect the
freedom for all people to manifest, teach, practice, worship, and
observe their religion; and
WHEREAS, Violations of religious liberty are often motivated
by fear and hatred; according to a 2019 report from the Federal
Bureau of Investigation, 20.1 percent of single-bias hate crime
incidents were motivated by religious bias, and throughout that
year, 1,715 people were victims of anti-religious hate crimes; 13.2
percent of these crimes were anti-Islamic in nature, 13.2 percent
were anti-various Christian religions, 60.2 percent were
anti-Jewish, 3.5 percent were anti-Sikh, 0.4 percent were
anti-Hindu, and 0.3 percent were anti-Buddhist; and
WHEREAS, From 2006 through 2019, 29 attacks against mosques
occurred in Texas, including multiple shootings, bomb threats, and
acts of arson and vandalism; from May 2020 through March 2021, more
than 60 incidents of arson, vandalism, and other methods of
destruction occurred at Catholic Churches throughout the U.S.,
including damage to statues and windows of churches in Texas; from
2015 through 2018, 151 anti-Semitic incidents occurred in Texas,
including harassment, vandalism, and assault; and
WHEREAS, All anti-religious hate crimes are inconsistent
with our nation's founding principles, and it is imperative that
these issues be addressed; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas
Legislature hereby express support for the rights and dignity of
citizens of all faiths and strongly condemn racism, intimidation,
violence, vandalism, arson, and other crimes targeting places of
worship and their congregants; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives affirm that all
citizens should live without fear or intimidation in practice of
their faith; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urge local and
state law enforcement authorities to work to prevent and report
anti-religious hate crimes.