Members of Congress Urge White House Assist Persecuted Christians

Kudos to U.S. Representatives Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE), Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA), and Jeff Denham (R-CA) for meeting with the National Security team at The White House this week, Wednesday, June 17, to urge assistance for persecuted Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East.

After the meeting, with Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes, and other staff of the National Security Council, the members issued a statement expressing their concern for all of those in Iraq, Syria, and elsewhere being targeted by ISIS and other Islamic jihadist groups, and revealing the suggestions that they had given to the NSC on how to best protect and assist all of these vulnerable populations.

The members suggested to the White House staff a three-pillared approach to assistance, including humanitarian aid, special refugee status in the U.S. for persecuted individuals and their families who want to leave, and direct military assistance for Christian and other militias who want to fight against ISIS.

Describing the need for humanitarian aid, Fortenberry, Eshoo, and Denham said:

Christianity in the Middle East is shattered. ISIL’s genocidal campaign of religious cleansing has placed horrific pressure on the region’s ancient Christian communities and other faith minorities. Christians have a claim as much as anyone to live in their ancestral homelands. The United States can come to their aid by providing humanitarian assistance, special refugee status for victims, and empowering them to defend themselves.

Victims of religious persecution are in desperate need of humanitarian aid in the face of extremist and violent acts from groups like ISIL. USAID partners have reached only 24 percent of displaced populations residing outside of camps with non-food humanitarian assistance. A countless number of victims are slipping through the cracks, and the United States must bolster this effort.

It is particularly important that the trio urged “special refugee status in the U.S.” for the persecuted Christians and others, declaring:

Persecuted peoples who wish to leave should have access to a priority refugee status process with the State Department. The current multi-year wait period is simply too long for religious minorities under constant threat of death, torture and starvation.

The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) has been reluctant to classify Christians as a special refugee class because of persecution, while at the same time facilitating the immigration to the United States of persons with very disturbing connections to Islamist movements such as ISIS, Al Nusra, and Al Shabab.

The members found the National Security team open towards their third suggestion for helping the persecuted minorities, saying:

We were also pleased that Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes and staff for the National Security Council shared a desire for developing a pathway to grant certain local security forces—including Christian groups—a status similar to that of National Guard units, enabling them to provide better protective zones for their communities while supporting a national security mission.

Congressman Denham, member from the 10th Congressional District of California, is the co-chair of the House Assyrian Caucus. He recently put out a compelling video about the persecution of Assyrian Christians.

Congresswoman Eshoo, member from the 18th Congressional District of California, was the co-founder, with then U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf  (retired), of the House Caucus for Religious Minorities in the Middle East. She still co-chairs that caucus.

Congressman Fortenberry, member from the 1st Congressional District of Nebraska, is the other co-chair of the House Caucus for Religious Minorities in the Middle East. Extra kudos to Fortenberry for also being the co-chair of the House Sudan Caucus, stepping in and meeting the need that was created by Congressman Wolf’s retirement.

The plight of Christians and other religious minorities being persecuted by violence has touched people around the globe, and particularly brought conviction to fellow Christians who feel helpless in the face of such evil but want to do what they can for their persecuted brothers and sisters in the Middle East. Every effort made by our political leaders, such as this initiative towards The White House by Representatives Fortenberry, Eshoo, and Denham should be encouraged and supported in every way possible. Challenge your own members of Congress — House and Senate — to push The White House towards providing this kind of hope for the persecuted minorities of the Middle East, by supporting these suggestions by Fortenberry, Eshoo, and Denham.