Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
ISIS and Religious Genocide in the Mideast
Nina Shea, the director of the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom, gives a devastating account of this reality at National Review Online:
The Islamist genocide — and there can be no doubt that it is genocide, despite world silence – of the Christians, Yazidis, Mandeans, and other defenseless ethno-religious minorities of Syria and Iraq continues. The killing of these peoples is deliberate and brutal and is rooted in religious hatred of the “infidel.” It is meted out in sudden violent executions, mass deportations, and the gradual, methodical destruction of their civilizations.
Washington is blind to this genocide that occurs alongside, but is separate from, a sectarian Muslim power struggle. It has failed to defend them militarily. Now it is failing to provide humanitarian help in the only manner left: resettling the survivors out of harm’s way, in countries where they will be able to rebuild their families and preserve their unique ancient cultures without fear. Rescue is the very minimum we can do to help these victims of genocide. ….
On October 1, the grim details emerged of twelve other Christians murdered, this time explicitly for refusing to renounce their faith in Jesus Christ. Christian Aid Mission of Charlottesville, Va., received eyewitness reports from relatives of the victims that, outside Aleppo on August 28, ISIS militants crucified a twelve-year old Christian boy and his Syrian missionary father, along with two other men with the ministry. “All were badly brutalized and then crucified,” the Protestant ministry director said. The boy had his fingertips cut off, in an attempt to force his father to convert to Islam. Their bodies were left hanging on the crosses for two days, under signs reading “infidels.” In a separate incident on the same day, ISIS militants publicly raped two Christian women, ages 29 and 33, in front of a crowd summoned by the jihadis, and then beheaded them, along with six men, when they refused to convert to Islam. “Villagers said some were praying in the name of Jesus, others said some were praying the Lord’s prayer, and others said some of them lifted their heads to commend their spirits to Jesus,” the ministry director, who had baptized some of the victims, said. According to the witnesses, “One of the women looked up and seemed to be almost smiling as she said, ‘Jesus!’” Their bodies were then crucified. Meanwhile, over 2,000 Yazidi women and girls remain sexually enslaved by ISIS, and some are now pregnant, while others have been forced to undergo abortions. Several reports have already described the horrors they suffer. In a new development, a young women who escaped, with the pseudonym Bazi, recently told CNN of her enslavement and repeated rapes by an American jihadi with ISIS. Said to be a former teacher in the United States, he now goes by the name of Abu Abdullah Al Amriki. …
She concludes:
This is genocide and we are morally and legally bound to help them. A military resolution to this crisis will be too late for these peoples. Catholic priest Father Douglas Bazi, the director of the renowned Mar Elias refugee encampment for Iraqi Christians in Erbil, tells me: “Help us live. Help us leave.” They need visas. The West can easily provide them, and it must.
I am not one to parrot liberals and say, “We (the government) must do something,” but in this case, we really could. I know Obama and Kerry and R2P Power will remain mute and witless.
Our military absolutely could help Fr. Bazi. I would love to see George W. Bush speak up on this issue.
Please keep these people in your prayers.
Published in Foreign Policy, General, Military
Someone in the House or Senate needs to ask President Obama how many Christians will be accepted out of the thousands of refugees that will find their way to the United States from Syria and Iraq.
For those Christians that remain in Syria and Iraq we need to offer up our prayers for their safety. We need to pray that President Obama finds courage. Persecuting the Little Sisters of the Poor is not the courage I’m looking for from this President.
The article says that Washington is blind to the Christian genocide. I think that is incorrect. I believe Washington knows exactly what is happening and just does not have any issues with it.
I’d recommend that they not wait for any official welcome and join the false refugees flooding Europe, but those migrants might be almost as dangerous.
The one time it is acceptable to break into someone else’s home (nation) uninvited is when your life is in imminent danger.
Don’t get your hopes up:
Scott,
I can’t understand what you are talking about. Yes there was that huge grey thing in your living room with the massive horn on its nose. No it wasn’t a Rhinoceros. It may have weighed a few tons, smashed right through the wall of your house and trampled your children to death but c’mon a Rhinoceros?! You’re just overreacting. Stay calm and we’ll send you a puppy to hug.
Please don’t use words like Rinoceros (Genocide) the sensitive completely self-absorbed SJW crowd will get an upset stomach.
Regards,
Jim
It seems that the US has placed up a sign that says all are welcome, well except Christians we have too many of those folk already.
What’s the best organization to donate to that helps these people? And prayers of course. These are dark, dark times.
I like Catholic Relief Services.
It really breaks my heart that we have let these Christians and Yazidis down. I can’t believe we are doing nothing about it. As much as I hate Putin meddling in the middle east, perhaps his going in will help out the situation for the regional minorities. Any refugees from these groups I welcome.
The best charity I know that is specific to the middle east Christian problem is CNEWA. I’ve donated to them.
If there was any way to selectively help refugees who are seeking Asylum based on religious persecution I would be open to it. However, there is no way I support an influx of random Middle Eastern refugees who could just as well be welcomed by Arab neighbors and some of whom could be ISIS terrorists.
My preferred solution is a military defeat of ISIS. That is the only real long term solution. Having said that, I think the ground fighting should be led by local forces with weapons that we can provide. I am not willing to send my teenage son to fight ISIS when so many (a majority) of the refugees are men.
In the meantime, it is good to see the Russians launching missiles at the various factions. Since Obama is unwilling to do anything, maybe Putin can save some of these Christians even if that is not his primary goal.
Pelayo,
There used to be exactly that kind of policy. It was a rational policy of mercy. Instead we now have an irrational policy of illusion in which we imagine ourselves to be caring for the poor of the whole world. Instead we are importing slave labor by the most dangerous means and allowing criminals to run free.
There is a way to just let the ones in who really need it. It takes the will to do it.
Regards,
Jim
A Canadian Jew started an org to rescue people from the islamic state. He’s rescued more than 100.
Agreed. But certainly our military could go in to Christian areas and escort those who want to leave out of the area. Perhaps I am naive, but I have great confidence in what our military can do.
Thanks for this info CB.
Also the Barnabas Fund has been seeking to help Christians from Syria and others in the region.
Also Samaritan’s Purse is helping. Both organizations that have stellar reputations for wise use of money, low overhead and success. I hope we can all find money to help our co-religionists and other persecuted minorities, as well as time for prayer, no matter the denomination or tradition.
Thanks
The Milt Rosenberg show has an episode where members of the Assyrian and Yazidi communities are interviewed and asked, among other things, what kind of help would be most useful to them. It’s really worth a listen.
I believe we are witnessing another repeat of the 1940’s – there is no comparison to the horror from that period, not only to Jews, but to Christians and clergy throughout Europe and Russia. Now we see the horror again – and again – the world is slow and silent while unimaginable suffering is occurring. We have become numb – there’s no hiding it this time like before – it’s blatantly out there. But little coverage and demands to stop it? So…..it will be like Planned Parenthood – where brave souls will expose and keep this story – like you are – front and center. We have a duty as human beings to do it.
We said never again and never again is returning. We will have to give an account to our lives one day before the Great Throne – to say we didn’t know? Here is what one person can do:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/holocaust-investigator-on-parallel-between-nazis-and-isis/
The Pope made a statement recently – I just saw the headline:
http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2015/10/09/pope-francis-devil-numbs-conscience-won/
If all you can do if pray, then pray constantly, support the churches on the front lines, donate, journalists can write, photographers can photograph, write to our political leaders, and keep posts like these going. This crisis is just beginning.
Thanks for those two links