“Christianity in the Middle East is shattered,” Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, Nebraska Republican, told the IDC [In Defense of Christians] conference on Sept. 9. “The ancient faith tradition lies beaten, broken and dying. Yet Christians in Iraq and Syria are hanging on in the face of the Islamic State’s barbarous onslaught. This is genocide.”
Yes. And as the Islamic State itself tells the world, it is the direct result of devout Muslims following the commands in the Qur’an, imitating Muhammad’s example as extolled in the ahadith and the Sira, and applying the doctrines of Islamic jurisprudence. Islam itself is the direct cause of the first genocide of the 21st century.
“Pressure Grows to Declare War Against Christians a Genocide,” By Douglas Burton, Washington Times via AINA, September 23, 2015:
Human rights activists see it. Foreign leaders see it. And more than 80 members of the U.S. Congress see it. Together, they are pressuring the leader of the free world to declare there is a Christian genocide going on in the Middle East.
Their campaign — which was discussed at a Capitol Hill conference earlier this month hosted by the two-year-old In Defense of Christians nonprofit — has an influential ally on its side.
Pope Francis, making his first visit to the United States on Wednesday, has noted the number of Christians being martyred today exceeds the number martyred during the days of the Roman Empire.
In fact, the sheer numbers of Christians murdered and tortured every year in a dozen countries in the developing world is only getting worse, thanks to the relentless campaign of the ISIS and al-Qaeda terror groups.
For example, in 2014, 2,000 Christians were murdered in Iraq alone, which is the number cited by historian Edward Gibbon as the total number of Christian martyrs in the first three centuries of Christianity.
In Iraq, where Christian churches were planted 1,800 years ago, Christianity has been wiped out except for 200,000 refugees sheltering in Kurdistan and a few in Baghdad. Their language, Aramaic; their homeland, the Nineveh Plain; and their calamity are Biblical in scale. Hundreds have been publicly tortured and executed in Mosul while women and children have suffered severe levels of sexual violence since the Islamic State took control in 2014.
“Christianity in the Middle East is shattered,” Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, Nebraska Republican, told the IDC conference on Sept. 9. “The ancient faith tradition lies beaten, broken and dying. Yet Christians in Iraq and Syria are hanging on in the face of the Islamic State’s barbarous onslaught. This is genocide.”
A year after Congress authorized a special envoy to expedite the humanitarian relief of persecuted minorities in Iraq, the Obama administration has finally chosen a person to fill the spot. Knox Thames has been named the State Department’s special adviser for religious minorities in the Near East (NEA) and South and Central Asia (SCA). His appointment was announced Sept. 16 by Ambassador David Saperstein, ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom. The Christian refugees in Irbil hope that Mr. Thames hits the ground running.
“The appointment represents a positive step toward strengthening the U.S. response to religious persecution in the Middle East,” says Delia Kashat, who works for the Nineveh Council of America, a newly established office that raises awareness on the plight of threatened Iraqi minorities, including the Yazidis.
“History is repeating itself,” she says of the latest crisis that reminds many refugees of the massacre of 3,000 Assyrian Christians in August 1933 and the Armenian genocide of 1915 that also claimed the lives of many Assyrian Christians.
“Having suffered multiple genocides over time, the true natives of Iraq and Syria serve as the equilibrium and peacemakers of the country,” she says. Since the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, Assyrian and Chaldean Christians in all provinces have suffered kidnappings, torture and brutal attacks, and massive exodus has followed the ascendance of the Islamic State.
Ms. Kashat grew up in the Detroit metro area, home to around 150,000 Chaldean Christian immigrants, but her parents were born in the Nineveh Plain and fled Iraq in 1973. “They came to this country because this is where is they could freely live and practice their faith,” she says.
Whether they call themselves Assyrian or Chaldean, Catholic or Orthodox, Iraqi Christians belong to a common ethnicity and claim descent from the ancient peoples who established Assyria 4,500 years ago.
Currently there are 14 Christian parties seeking seats in the Kurdish regional parliament, and each is tied to a particular church, according to Louay Mikhael, a Chaldean Christian rom Dohuk, who arrived in Silver Spring, Maryland, with his wife and child only in April.
Mr. Mikhael represents the Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Popular Council of the Kurdish Regional Government (CSA Popular Council), which will open its lobbying office in Washington in the coming weeks. Both Ms. Kashat and Mr. Mikhael are working in Washington to raise awareness on the issues affecting ethnic-religious minority populations.
After the surge of the Islamic State in the summer of 2014 approximately 130,000 people — virtually the entire population of Christians remaining in the Nineveh Plain near Mosul — have either fled the country or taken shelter in Kurdish cities.
“On Aug. 6 when ISIS attacked Qaroquosh, approximately 55 miles from Irbil, we had 60,000 people arriving in one day,” said Rev. Douglas Bezi, the Chaldean Catholic priest who manages a refugee center in the Christian suburb of Ainkawa.
The city of Irbil and its suburbs have nearly 100,000 Chaldean Catholic refugees sheltering in rented apartments, unfinished buildings or steel shipping containers. “When they arrived, I divided them into two groups, those who wanted to return in one group and those who wanted to leave the country,” Father Bezi said. “But after a year, no one wants to return to the Nineveh Plain. More than 60 percent of my people are traumatized, and wake up every day demoralized.”
Iraqi Christian advocates are united in their priorities for the United States: They want direct humanitarian assistance and international condemnation of the abuses these vulnerable groups face.
A Congressional resolution introduced Sept. 9 by Mr. Fortenberry and Rep. Anna Eshoo, California Democrat, calls on signers of the United Nations’ Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, signed in 1948, to be “reminded of their legal obligations” under the agreement.
It also says those who have forced the migration of religious communities from their ancestral homelands — especially the Nineveh Plain, the historic home of Yazidis — be “tracked, sanctioned, arrested, prosecuted and punished.”
“Christianity is running the risk of becoming extinct in the region it was born. What is happening to the Christian community in Iraq will happen to all of Christianity in the Middle East if we don’t take action,” Ms. Kashat said.
Douglas Burton, a former U.S. State Department official in Kirkuk, Iraq, is a former opinion editor of Insight on the News.
Jay Boo says
The Obama regime is responsible for encouraging this.
Obama is a war criminal.
Don McKellar says
Not just encouraging it. They’ve given LOTS of support by overthrowing the people who kept the mad dog Islamic supremacists on a leash, and supplied through ridiculously transparent “fumbles” enormous supplies of arms and ammunition. Aiding and abetting it at every turn. The Islamic State and all the rest of them couldn’t hope for a more jihad-friendly president.
Bamaguje says
It would spoil the fraudulent narrative of Obama and his Islam appeasing leftist ilk that Islam is a “religion of peace”, and “ISIS has nothing to do with Islam.”
“Islamophobia” would be further exposed for the scam it is… because there’s real reason to hate Islam.
Peggy says
Realistically, what choice is there?
Who will be Republican candidate and what his/her views are going to be on protecting Christians and not importing Muslims?
I can’t see much changing. I pray that I am wrong but the next presidential candidate has to go through extreme changes to reverse disasterous policies in place.
Will he?
Blitz2b says
Obama wants to hear the sweet sound of the “adhan” (Muslim call to prayer) replacing church bells not only in the middle East but right here in America as well.
This will probably happen sooner rather than later if the chronic lying she-serpent is elected to office.
The left wingnuts have no qualms surrendering our western civilization and it’s freedoms to appease the armies of Mohammed.
Obama is probably too preoccupied with trying to get his hundreds of thousands of freeloading Muslim breeders from Islamic cesspools to the US, to be bothered by any declaration that will directly or indirectly put a negative spotlight on Islam.
Who will truly make America great again? That is the burning question of the day.
Paul says
We’ve gone from the frying pan to the fire with Western leaders.
They’re becoming more and more brazen and overtly psychopathic.
We had Tony B.Liar and his “weapons of mass destruction”. As if
Iraqi (and now Syrian) blood on his hands wasn’t enough, he mass
imported millions of Muhammadans into the UK during his accursed
tenure in power and well and truly sowed the seeds for much more
bloodshed in the future. Now we have Obamohammaden, the war criminal,
as you rightly say, and Jerk-el inviting hundreds of thousands of jihadi
psychopaths into Germany, who don’t even try to hide their intentions!
Either we replace our political leaders after mass riots and demonstrations,
or we descend into civil wars much sooner than anyone anticipated.
Looks like the latter will be the case.
American says
“Christianity is running the risk of becoming extinct in the region it was born. What is happening to the Christian community in Iraq will happen to all of Christianity in the Middle East if we don’t take action,” Ms. Kashat said.
No, it will happen to the entire world if we don’t take action soon.
Jay Boo says
Untrue
Christianity will never become extinct.
That is merely wishful thinking of fools.
Islam always turns upon itself because of its vile nature.
He Reigns
IQ al Rassooli says
Dear Jay Boo
I have learned over the last thirty years of studying history & religions it is utterly fatal to speak of NEVER
The Jews after their holocaust also use NEVER but the events that are transpiring in the Middle East as we speak are almost a REPEAT of the years in Europe before WWII: Appeasement of Tyranny (Nazi Germany), Cowardice, Denial of Facts & Reality leading to the death of 55 million people
The current appeasement of Islam & Muslims will lead to WWIII with tens if not hundreds of millions dead. After all, the major news media both in the USA & Europe are NOT telling the TRUTH or revealing the FACTS about Islam, Muslims & Sharia aided and abetted by mostly clueless and Quran ignorant politicians, clergy & academicians bordering on Criminal Negligence
As more and more so called ‘immigrants’ {90% from Muslim countries (NOT Syria) especially young males} are allowed by the Western insanely stupid leaders to INVADE European countries, the Writing is on the Wall for all those who want to read them that Christian Europe will fall to Islam through Demography, Terror, Financial collapse and Social upheavals IF most of the European people will not stand up against this Muslim CONQUEST immediately just like Prime Minister Orban of Hungary is doing (the only SANE political leader in Europe at the moment).
IQ al Rassooli
Kafir & Proud!
Karen says
Very compelling…..history may be repeating itself, just as you say……a few more parallels:
– a regime (ISIS) with supremacist notions, trying to restore its ‘historical’ borders.
– another regime (Iran) being brought to it’s supposedly rightful place at the table by clueless Western leaders, after a long period of shunning and sanctions.
– emboldened thugs targeting religious minorities for misery or death, all with government approval.
sinantara says
according to the left genocide is no problem as long as there is no racism involved. where as racism is anything a white western christian person say and does which is offensive to a person of color or a Muslim. genocide of christians doesn’t fall into this categocy.
Jay Boo says
Meanwhile NPR is completely ignoring Muslim violent persecution of Christians while whining non-stop that some Europeans are giving Muslim invaders suspicious glances.
Jay Boo says
When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to that yourselves.” Matthew 27:24
Muslims wash their dirty hands before prayers.
Obama must buy a lot of soap.
mortimer says
A Muslims sins disappear magically as soon as he does the ritual washings.
Jay Boo says
Yes, the same magic that ventriloquist Muhammad used when his sock puppet named Allah magically ordered Muhammad to commit adultery with his daughter-in-law to which Muhammad reluctantly replied “Well OK, but only because you insisted”
To think that Muslims still kiss the carpet to such camel crap today.
mortimer says
How about, Pope Francis? Where do you stand on the genocide of the Assyrian Christians?
For? Or against?
Jay Boo says
That is another sorry can of worms.
This is about Obama
Let’s not get sidetracked from Obama’s massive culpability.
A least the Pope says its a problem which is much more than Obama will even admit.
as stated in the artcle:
“Pope Francis, making his first visit to the United States on Wednesday, has noted the number of Christians being martyred today exceeds the number martyred during the days of the Roman Empire.”
Obama is a war criminal.
pdxnag says
But to acknowledge the Islam inspired genocide of Christians and other non-Muslims generally would be to truthfully acknowledge that Islam itself is something that must be denied recognition as good or lawful anywhere on the planet. It is the embodiment of evil. Its adherents even deemed it necessary to exempt themselves from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by passing the substitute Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam. Whatever Islam is, religion or political ideology of uber-totalitarianism, it deserves no protection.
Raja says
You have made my day…. Great comment
Dan says
Has anyone noticed the Pope is AWOL on the Muslim genocide against Christians?
Don Foss says
Obama will be silent. Top speak up on this would offend Muslims, and he could never think of doing that.
Angemon says
Good luck with that – you’re going to need it, considering the current situation.
Raja says
After Dr. Carson some more voices of SANITY. Suddenly some sense of action from US
Although vast majority of Muslims might be blissfully ignorant of the evils of Islam, Islam has been responsible for mountains of severed heads THROUGHOUT history. What we are witnessing today is bombings and strewing of body of parts across roads etc. Islamist have encouraged and influenced killings e.g. Twin Tower blast, holocaust to name a few.
abad says
Christianity will never become extinct.
Unlike Muhammad and Allah, Christ is ALIVE.
Hallelujah!
Judi says
This is akin to the 1930’s in Europe. The world stood by whilst millions of Jews were being slaughtered on an industrial scale. Unfortunately history is repeating itself in the Middle East with the Christians.
DiMu says
Obama IS the Messiah so he can only applaud the destruction of his rival!
Mac The Knife says
Obama is Pro-Islam, Pro-Iran, and Pro-Christian Genocide, and therefore a firm supporter of terrorism throughout the world. With our gift of 150 Billion Dollars to Iran, we, the USA is now also a firm supporter of Islamic Terrorism. Which means don’t knock Obama, we are all guilty, especially the existing Republican Senators and Republican Congressional Representative, who allowed this to Happen. We are no longer in need of the US Congress or the US Senate. In my opinion, they no longer exist. Go Trump!!!
Rev. Bill Romansky says
After ordering the genocide of Christians as well as declaring Sharia Law, why would anyone expect Mahdi Barry to rescind his order?
Western Canadian says
Since he would not and does not disapprove of such a thing, he will not now or ever call it genocide.
Fritz Kohlhaas says
The sociopath in the White House will do NOTHING!