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Carey Lodge Christian
Today Journalist, 29 April 2016
The
crisis in the Middle East is the "greatest humanitarian crisis since World
War II", and the massacre of Christians, Yazidis and other religious
minorities demands international action, a UN meeting heard yesterday.
Speaking
at a panel sponsored by the Holy See's permanent observer mission to the UN in
New York on Thursday, Carl Anderson, head of the Knights of Columbus, said:
"We face the very real prospect of the extinction of many of the
communities indigenous to the region".
The
panel was part of the #WeAreN2016 conference being held this week.
'N',
or ن in Arabic, is a
symbol that has been used by ISIS to identify who is a Nazarene – a Christian.
It has been drawn on doorways and in front of houses in cities captured by
militants.
"We
have a unique opportunity to change things for the better," Anderson said,
according to the Catholic News Agency.
"Never
before has the world's attention been so focused on the suffering of these
minorities. Never has their plight been so high on the agenda of the world's
governments, the vast majority of the world's Muslims, and all people of good
will."
In
February, the European Parliament passed a motion unanimously declaring ISIS'
atrocities genocide, and the US secretary of state John Kerry declared the
jihadist group was "genocidal" in March.
In
the UK, the House of Commons also voted unanimously last week to label ISIS'
actions against Christians, Yazidis and other religious minorities as genocide.
However the Conservative government refused to support the motion.
"The
world stands at a crossroads. The rich tapestry of religious pluralism in the
region must be preserved now or it will be lost forever," Anderson said,
urging the UN to take action and refer ISIS to the International Criminal
Court.
"If
Christianity disappears in this region, so does the opportunity for pluralism
there; and the likelihood of majoritarian theocracy, or something worse, is
increased," he added.
"The
threats from such an outcome to peace, stability and security – in the region
and beyond – are substantial."
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