Written by Don Byrd
The U.S. House of Representatives passed an amendment to the International Religious Freedom Act earlier this week adding cemetery desecration to the list of crimes by foreign countries or individuals that can result in penalties. One goal of the measure is to stem the tide of Jewish cemetery desecration.
Religion News Service has more:
Introduced in the House in February by Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., the bill was suggested to her by Jewish constituents who pointed out the frequent desecration of Jewish cemeteries abroad, especially in nations that once had significant Jewish populations.
“It would combat religiously motivated vandalism of cemeteries and also prevent developers from building over cemeteries, a new and emerging threat in places where there are no Jewish communities left to protect burial grounds,” Meng said of the bill.
The bill, H.R. 4028, passed by a voice vote and moves on to the Senate.
