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Pamela Geller: AFDI/SION 2011 Warnings Unheeded, Christian Communities Annihilated in Syria, Iraq

Jun 11, 2017 1:33 pm By Pamela Geller

At the end of 2011, my organization and our international partners in Europe called upon the United Nations and the international human rights community to act quickly and decisively to save the Christians of Syria, who are being increasingly threatened and victimized by Islamic supremacists. It’s not as if anyone could say that it was not known or that is was unknowable. We knew. Everybody knew. 

Stop Islamization of Nations (SION) issued a press release at that time, noting “with sorrow the one hundred dead in Syria in the recent and ongoing series of kidnappings and murders of Christians.” I said,  “We deplore the manifest lack of respect for human life and the dignity of the human person. We call upon the United Nations Security Council and UN Commission on Human Rights to schedule an immediate meeting to discuss how to protect the Christians of Syria.”

I added: “We call upon Muslim groups in the U.S. and the Middle East to condemn these killings in word and deed, instituting programs in mosques and Islamic schools to teach Muslims that the lives of non-Muslims must be respected as equal in dignity and value to those of Muslims. We call upon the centers of Islamic authority and education to repudiate the specifications in Islamic law that set the value of a non-Muslim’s life as less than that of a Muslim, and call upon the international human rights community to focus on those inherently discriminatory laws as a human rights abuse.”

Of course, nothing was done. Muslim supremacist groups sat by quietly (perhaps gloating) as Muslim supremacist armies slaughter Christians and religious minorities en masse. The magnitude of the wholesale slaughter was unimaginable.

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We continued to call, protest, write to the Obama administration. We brought in leaders from the Yezidi, Chaldean, Coptic Christians communities. To no avail.

And here we are five years later. Christian communities have been decimated by 50-80% in Syria, Iraq since 2011.

The response by the left? They are working furiously to bring the perpetrators to our shores under the guise of “war refugees.” Let me assure you, the real war refugees are already dead.

“Report: Christian Communities Decimated by 50-80% in Syria, Iraq, Since 2011,” by Thomas D. Williams, Breitbart, June 9, 2017:

According to a new report, more than half the Christians living in Syria and Iraq have been killed or fled the country since 2011, mostly because of targeted persecution from the Islamic State terror group.

Exactly three years ago, the Islamic State took control of the Iraqi City of Mosul, beginning a particularly harsh period of persecution of the beleaguered Christian community living in the area.

The report, titled “Understanding Recent Movements of Christians from Syria and Iraq,” said that since 2011 Christians living in much of the Middle East had experienced an “overall loss of hope for a safe and secure future,” which has driven the majority to flee their homeland in search of safety for themselves and their families.

The dossier, produced by three groups—Open Doors, Served, and Middle East Concerns—also points out that for the many Christians who have resettled elsewhere, there are “few incentives” to return to their countries of origin. Several respondents stated that “the Middle East is no longer a home for Christians.”

Although exact figures are unavailable, it is estimated that currently there are only 200,000-250,000 Christians remaining in Iraq, a decline of more than 100,000 in the last three years and a massive drop from the 1.4-2 million Christians in the 1990s. Many of the Christians remaining in Iraq are displaced internally.

In Syria, estimates suggest that prior to 2011, approximately 8-10 percent of the Syrian population was Christian, meaning some 1.7-2.2 million people. Currently, estimates of the Christian population in Syria range from 1.4 million all the way down to 800,000, meaning that somewhere between 300,000 and 1.4 million have left the country.

Reports from the province of Al-Hasakeh, home to a historic Christian population, state that over half the population has left (around 75,000 people), although some of these may have relocated within Syria itself. Many choose internal displacement over emigration due to the financial cost of leaving the country, which can be prohibitive.

The factors for leaving offered by interviewees included the violence of conflict, the near complete destruction of some historically Christian towns, the emigration of others and consequent loss of community, the rate of inflation and loss of employment opportunities, and the lack of educational opportunities.

While direct violence, such as the movements of ISIS in both Iraq and Syria, was the “tipping point” for displacement, the report states, the ultimate decision to leave the countries was depicted as an “accumulation of factors over time.”

Registration as refugees is reportedly not as common among Christians as among Muslims, due to fear of reprisals within camps, family and church networks in other countries, and a sense of pride that keeps them from registering.

While many nations have opened their doors to Christian refugees fleeing conflict in the Middle East, few have offered support to enable Christians to remain in their homeland.

A notable exception to this tendency is Hungary, which last fall became the first country in the world to establish a government department dedicated specifically to addressing the persecution of Christians in the Middle East and Europe.

“Christianity is the most persecuted religion in the world,” Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Péter Szijjártó, told Breitbart News in an exclusive interview earlier this year. “Four out of every five people killed for their faith are Christians, yet for some reason this fact has not been duly recognized or addressed,” he said.

To date, the Hungarian government has donated 5 million euros to aid persecuted Christians in the Middle East, Szijjártó said. “We don’t really understand why people don’t speak out about the fate of the Christian communities in the Middle East where they suffer intense persecution, discrimination, and threats to their lives,” he said….

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Filed Under: American Freedom Defense Initiative, Iraq, Muslim persecution of Christians, Syria Tagged With: Middle East Concerns, Open Doors, Served


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Comments

  1. somehistory says

    Jun 11, 2017 at 2:20 pm

    Szijjártó said. “We don’t really understand why people don’t speak out about the fate of the Christian communities in the Middle East where they suffer intense persecution, discrimination, and threats to their lives,”

    Jesus gave the answer a couple of centuries ago: “On this account, the world hates you, on account of my name.” “You will be persecuted for my name.” “You will be hailed before kings and governors for my sake.” “The world has hated me first.” “Because you are no part of the world, the world hates you.”(Gospel according to John)

    • Dennis says

      Jun 12, 2017 at 2:32 am

      But your quote doesnt explain why western bible chtistians are doing nothing to help these truely persecuted communities.

      • Kay says

        Jun 12, 2017 at 8:29 am

        Many support Open Doors and other organizations. Many write their representatives and the President. Many pray.

        What would you suggest they do?

      • patriotliz says

        Jun 12, 2017 at 9:17 am

        The #fakepope Francis thinks “all” religions have violent members. What a waste of a Pope. He is the equivalent of a “Holocaust Denier” when it comes to Christian genocide by Muslims. (…but he’s a champion for the hoax of “climate change” by humans, esp. by those evil free market capitalist countries). Fake Pope is just another “useful infidel.”

      • somehistory says

        Jun 12, 2017 at 6:19 pm

        I wasn’t trying to explain that. I was explaining with Bible verses why the world does not care due to an actual “hatred” of Christianity and Christ.. Those who are really a”part of the world” hate Christians.

        I’ve seen your comments before and I won’t waste my time explaining with further Bible verses the answer to your comment. If you sincerely want to know, research the Bible for yourself.

  2. Lazarus says

    Jun 11, 2017 at 3:50 pm

    We’re all like lambs to the slaughter and just as helpless when our “owners”, so called political benefactors, are so clueless and heartless. Many thanks to Pam Geller, Michelle Malkin and Robert Spencer for their insight and willingness to speak out. Brannon Howse, Sharam Hadrian, Usama Dakdok are joining the cry, too. Many, many Americans see the writing on the wall and are fed up with Islam in general, and particularly their masquerading as a religion. Islam is a conquering political ideology hiding behind the skirts of religious rights. I am elderly and may not be around for the street fighting, but if we still want our country someone will have to fight them for it. Christ is allowing us to make our own decisions on how and when to fight the Muslims for our Christian heritage. Frankly I’m read now.

  3. Ace-of-Clubs says

    Jun 11, 2017 at 4:00 pm

    Once again it looks like Hungary are taking the lead in trying to help genuine Christian and other minority refugees, just as they have been careful not to allow in Muslims, along with Poland and Slovakia and Czech Republic. Sounds like these four countries have good patriotic leaders, unlike what we are stuck with in the rest of Europe. I would be happy if we could take in persecuted Christians and Yazidis etc, but these poor folks appear to be the ones who are stuck in Syria and Iraq. An estimated 60% of those who flooded into Europe over the last few years are said to be economic migrants rather than genuine refugees, the majority are Muslim and male…that’s a recipe for disaster and we already see the consequences.

    • Berengaria says

      Jun 11, 2017 at 6:35 pm

      May I add my Thanks to Hungarian Government for supporting the dwindling Christian Population in the Barbarous Middle East.
      I am in the USA, but arriving “fake immigrants” are almost all of the Muslim Ilk. No Christians or White people are acceptable as first rate Immigrant Material. SAD, because I have not seen anything but WHINING DEMANDS & HATRED FOR THE USA FROM MUSLIM INVADERS!

  4. mortimer says

    Jun 11, 2017 at 5:19 pm

    Western LEFTARDED elites hope to see the extinction of Christians. The LEFTARDS ride the Islamic tiger to extinguish European civilization with the help of LEFTARDED churchmen like the LEFTARD POPE.

    There is however a CURE for LEFTARDATION: reading the Islamic Trilogy (the Sira, Koran and hadiths) along with the modern JIHAD MANUALS. That CURES LEFTARDATION completely.

  5. newUser says

    Jun 11, 2017 at 5:47 pm

    To tell the truth I have noticed that the few practicing Christians that post comments here are treated badly some times. Called names. Commenters are much nicer to a Muslim guy whose posts are full of hatred. it must be a world wide trend to be nice to Muslims and mean to Christians. Many are affected. After all Christians are supposed to pray for those who offend them while Muslims cut heads. Most people will chose the safe option. No surprise here. Christians are misunderstood here as well. Just noticed.

    • somehistory says

      Jun 11, 2017 at 6:06 pm

      Welcome, newUser. And thank you for your frank comment.

      • newUser says

        Jun 11, 2017 at 6:53 pm

        I noticed that a person called Christian Blood often gets some heat. Then that Ibrahim guy gets better treatment. This is all.

        • somehistory says

          Jun 11, 2017 at 6:56 pm

          I see.

        • Kay says

          Jun 12, 2017 at 8:20 am

          Just putting “Christian” in one’s name doesn’t make one a Christian.

        • somehistory says

          Jun 12, 2017 at 6:23 pm

          Kay,
          You are so very correct. Jesus didn’t have the *name* Christ, but is Christ, which is the same as Messiah and means “Anointed One.” (Anointed by God).
          Most people who claim Christianity don’t put the word in their names, either.

  6. Kay says

    Jun 12, 2017 at 8:25 am

    Pamela Geller,
    First thank you for all your efforts for persecuted Christians and for freedom.

    Second, what more can we do?
    (I used to think our government just didn’t know, but clearly you have been speaking up and in a well-organized way for quite some time.)

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