Good to see that this initiative wasn’t decried as “Islamophobic.”
“Smith Bill to Help Christian Genocide Victims in Iraq and Syria,” Shore News Network, November 28, 2018:
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Rep. Chris Smith’s (R-NJ) legislation to provide humanitarian relief to genocide victims in Iraq and Syria, and hold ISIS perpetrators accountable—HR 390, the Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act of 2018—passed the House on Tuesday night and now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law, after over two years in the making.
“When genocide or other atrocity crimes are perpetrated, the United States should direct humanitarian, stabilization, and recovery aid to enable these people to survive–especially when they are minorities whose existence as a people is at-risk,” Smith stated on the House Floor before the vote. “HR 390 would ensure our actions match our words.” (Click here to read excerpts of Rep. Smith’s Floor remarks.)
Less than 200,000 Christians remain in Iraq, down from 1.4 million in 2002 and 500,000 in 2013, before ISIS swept through the region on its genocidal campaign. Many of the remaining Christians in Iraq are displaced, mostly in Erbil in the Kurdistan region, and need assistance to return to their homes and stay in Iraq. After the ISIS invasion, 60,000 Yazidis fled to Europe, and of the 550,000 Yazidis still in Iraq, 280,000 remain displaced and only 20 percent have been able to return to their historic homeland of Sinjar, according to the Yazdi organization Yazda. Those displaced will also need assistance to return to their homes.
Smith introduced the legislation in 2016 and again in 2017, with lead Democratic cosponsor Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA). “Tens of thousands of religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria were targeted for genocide by ISIS between 2014 and 2017,” Rep. Eshoo said. “As survivors return to their homes and begin rebuilding their communities, the United States government must make it a priority to help families in need of assistance now, while ensuring the perpetrators of these crimes against humanity are held accountable. H.R. 390 will aid in these efforts and send a powerful message to these communities that we haven’t forgotten them. I thank Chairman Smith for his passionate leadership on this issue and I look forward to the President swiftly signing this legislation into law.”
Among other key provisions, H.R. 390 authorizes and directs the Administration to:
- Fund entities, including faith-based ones, that are providing humanitarian, stabilization, and recovery aid on-the-ground to genocide survivors from religious and ethnic minorities;
- Assess and address the humanitarian vulnerabilities, needs, and triggers that might force these survivors to flee;
- Identify warning signs of deadly violence against religious and ethnic minority communities in Iraq or Syria that have been victims of genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes;
- Support entities conducting criminal investigation into ISIS perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Iraq – including collecting and preserving evidence that links specific perpetrators to specific atrocity crimes and is usable in a range of courts; and
- Encourage foreign governments to add identifying information about suspected ISIS perpetrators to their security databases and security screening and to apprehend and prosecute perpetrators….
Mac-101 says
So who voted against this? Give us names!
Andy says
God Raises Up Kings or Nations and Removes Them
https://www.wake-up.org/morality/god-raises-up-kings-or-nations-and-removes-them-larry-w-wilson.html
GreekEmpress says
I just googled it to see how they voted and it was a voice vote, so no record was made.
Hard to believe anybody could vote against the bill, but I’m sure there were some that did.
Mac-101 says
Voice votes should be illegal. We have a right to know how our Representatives voted! You know some scumbags voted against it!
elee says
If the anonymity of the voice vote allowed one wavering Representative to vote for this bill without worrying about terrorists finding his or her family, then I”m in favor of anonymous voice votes. IMHO and all, no one has to agree.
Mac-101 says
Surely it would have passed with a recorded vote. If not then this is even a bigger scandal!
Harold North says
It’s all good except the “funding” portion–there’s nothing in the US Constitution about using taxes to provide ANY kind of “aid” to ANYONE, no matter how “good” the “cause” may be. This is a misappropriation of taxes, and could just as easily be skewed the other way by the opposition.
If Congress wanted to make a REAL difference, they could start by banning Muslim immigration, and prioritizing immigration of these Christian and Yazidi victims, and then shutting down the mosques in the US that use their zakat to fund Jihad, in accordance with Sharia–which would be all of them…
Meturaf says
Dam straight. No doubt the same people who vote to silence criticism of Islam. Bout time the Christian victims of Islam are being acknowledged but we need more.
Anjuli Pandavar says
Yes! Good! It’s been a long wait. Hungary expressed a similar wish not so long ago. There may be scope for collaboration. May this be the start of an intervention that will spread to wherever Islam imperils people.
Guy Forester says
Without seeing the exact and complete wording of this legislation, here is my opinion:
1. It is a little late, but perhaps we can actually help those that have suffered the most from the absolutely reckless and foolish involvement of the US in internal muslim v muslim conflicts. All we did was empower the worst of them to attack those least able to defend themselves.
2. I hope that the wording is not overly vague and does not end up bringing in more of those attacking these minorities.
3. We have wasted thousands of soldiers lives, trillions of dollars, and decades of time trying to intervene in countries where most of the populace does not value freedom of thought, freedom of religion, or personal liberty as we do. There are those there that would like to leave those hell holes and wish to adopt our way of life. I know quite a few of those that have come here to become American. Remember, you cannot force people to love liberty and to live as we have.
GreekEmpress says
YAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!
(About time—)
cornelius says
Can anyone locate a vote total? I’d like to know which Congressmen/women voted AGAINST this legislation?
gravenimage says
US House passes legislation to aid Christian and Yazidi genocide victims in Iraq and Syria
…………………
Excellent to hear!