It’s time for the EU to go further to protect Christians

It's time the EU gave more serious consideration as to how best it can use it’s diplomatic, trade and economic muscle to protect Christians.

It’s time the EU gave more serious consideration as to how best it can use it’s diplomatic, trade and economic muscle to protect Christians

As EU foreign ministers today consider arming Kurdish forces fighting against the ISIS terrorist group in Iraq, they might well consider the plight of those Christians, especially children, caught in an unimaginably difficult situation.

ISIS forces in northern Iraq have previously issued a stark warning to Christians – pay a special tax, convert to Islam or face death. Sickeningly, however, they seem instead to have gone straight for the death sentence in unimaginably brutal ways.

Speaking recently to CNN, Mark Arabo, national spokesman for Iraqi Christians, has highlighted the extent of the brutality being inflicted, with beheadings, especially of children being seen as a favoured tactic by ISIS militants.

He has previously explained of ISIS:

“They are systematically beheading children, and mothers and fathers. The world hasn’t seen an evil like this for a generation. There’s actually a park in Mosul that they’ve actually beheaded children and put their heads on a stick.”

Furthermore, Arabo has highlighted the cruelty of militants notionally offering safety for those prepared to pay a tax for their Christian beliefs, whilst effectively discounting this altogether. He continued:

“The letter that they sent out with those three items (convert, pay a fine or die), they did ask to pay a fine but actually after they pay a fine, they (ISIS militants) are actually taking over their wives and their daughters and making them into their wives. So really it’s convert or die, face death by the sword.”

Further still, news suggests also that ISIS is now actively recruiting children to kill Christians.

The reality is that the heart-breaking suffering being felt by Christians now under the threat of death in Iraq is just a small slice of an extensive cake.

Around the world, day in and day out in countries with which we in the UK have good relations with, such as Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan, Christians are facing unimaginable persecution simply for wanting to pursue their beliefs, beliefs which give them hope.

As EU foreign ministers meet today, it is time they gave more serious consideration as to how best the EU can use it’s diplomatic, trade and economic muscle to protect Christians.

As the shadow foreign secretary. Douglas Alexander, wrote in the Telegraph a few days ago:

“The government should be doing more to speak out about the continued suffering of religious minorities, including Christians, inside Iraq. To do so would not be to support one faith over another – it would be to take a stand against oppression of our fellow human beings.”

He concluded:

“As millions unite in prayer, I hope the international community can unite in action. With the lives of thousands hanging in the balance, no one should be willing to walk by on the other side for fear of causing offence.”

11 Responses to “It’s time for the EU to go further to protect Christians”

  1. David Lindsay

    Would the Christians and the Yazidi be any better off under the Kurds?

    They are Sunni Muslims, but they strongly supported the overthrow of Ba’athism.

    That was founded by Christians, and it has always featured them in disproportionately high numbers both in Iraq and in Syria.

    Not so, the Peshmerga.

    I put this to my friend at Iraqi Christians in Need, and her, strictly personal but very well-informed and considered, reply was, “In the short term, to escape genocide. Long term, NO: they will be used as a pretext to add Nenevah (Mosul+) to Kurdistan.”

  2. Leon Wolfeson

    Israel does in fact have good relationships with the Kurds, but they keep it quiet for good reason – when they do anything for an Arab people, it tends to cause major diplomatic trouble (Iran and Syria have both used it as a pretext to campaign against a Kurdish state, for instance).

    And the reality is that the Kurds have, traditionally, been very open to freedom of worship, and that hasn’t changed – there’s a half-dozen small faiths in the area which are not suppressed. (Mandaeism, for example). There’s no reason to worry about religious suppression.

    (Political marginalisation because of Kurdish politics, in a wider Kurdistan, yes, but that’s better than the current situation)

  3. David Lindsay

    Israel does in fact have good relationships with the Kurds … an Arab people

    Can’t be that good. You literally do not know the first thing about them.

    Nor would having good relations with Israel inspire confidence in anyone to look after the region’s ancient indigenous Christians.

  4. swat

    I sse Iran as the key player in all this. They have the power to crush ISIS. Its a Regional solution. The West had best leave the ME.

  5. Leon Wolfeson

    Oh yes, I literally haven’t read what I’ve read because you pontificate so.

    And of course not, why, they must be like you. Right.

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