【明慧网2001年6月27日】美国国会参议员李查德.多宾(Richard Durbin)恭贺2001年芝加哥法轮大法法会。

女士们，先生们：

欢迎参加中部法轮大法修炼心得交流会，尽管我不能亲自参加此次大会，但我想借此机会表达我对你们为争取在中国信仰自由所作的努力的一如既往的支持。

在面对中国当局残酷的压制，法轮功学员在争取信仰，言论，及集会自由的努力中所表现出来的决心为中国的自由照亮了道路。我已致信给中国国家主席江泽民表达我对中国法轮功学员所受的压制的极大的关注。在国会106次会议上，我起草了一份决议来敦促中国政府释放所有被关押的法轮功学员，并且立即停止对中国公民在行使法律赋予他们的信仰，言论，结社自由时的骚扰，关押，身体摧残，和监禁。

国际宗教迫害一直是一个值得美国注意的严重问题。我将继续寻找改善中国法轮功学员及国际其它宗教组织的信仰自由的办法。

您真诚的

美国国会参议员
李查德.多宾

Richard J. Durbin
U.S. Sentator
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510-1304

June 24, 2001

Mid-USA Falun Dafa Association
1048 W. Argyle Street
Chicago, IL 60640

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:
Welcome to the Regional Falun Gong Experience Sharing Conference. While I cannot join you in person, I want to take this opportunity to express my strong, continued support for your efforts to promote religious freedom in China.

In the face of brutal repression by China’s authoritarian regime, Falun Gong practitioners’ determination to exercise their fundamental rights of freedom of religion, conscience, expression and assembly serves as a beacon to the cause of freedom in China. I have written to President Jiang Zemin to express my deep concern over the repression of Falun Gong followers in China. During the 106th congress, I cosponsored a measure which passed the Senate, calling on the Chinese government to release all prisoners of conscience and put an immediate end to the harassment, detention, physical abuse, and imprisonment of Chinese citizens exercising their legitimate rights to free belief, expression, and association.

International religious persecution is a serious issue that deserves continued U.S. attention. I will continue to look for ways to promote religious tolerance towards Falun Gong practitioners and members of other religious groups throughout the world.

Sincerely,

(signature)
Richard J. Durbin
U.S. Senator