Why U.S. Christian Groups are Prioritizing Muslim Refugees over Christian Ones

on November 16, 2015

They are from some of the oldest Christian communities in the world, from lands where Abraham, Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah walked, and where Jonah called the people of Ninevah to repentance. But today these Christians have been targeted for death, sexual slavery, displacement, cultural eradication and forced conversion by ISIS. The U.S. government’s response has been woefully inadequate — neither helping them defend themselves and stay, nor providing them asylum to leave. And now, to add insult to injury, they are casualties of the agencies contracted to resettle refugees in America.

Many of these persecuted Christians understandably hope to escape to the United States where there are already sizeable Iraqi and Syrian Christian communities. But they have been largely excluded, with the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) even admitting outright to officials at The Barnabas Fund, a Christian relief agency, “There is no way that Christians will be supported because of their religious affiliation.”

Read the rest of Faith’s article on The Stream.

  1. Comment by MJ on November 16, 2015 at 11:00 pm

    Faith, we are all deeply saddened by the plight of Christians in the Middle East, and agree that the US is uniquely positioned to help in this crisis. Exceptional circumstances do require an exceptional response. I think you wrongly characterize the American VOLAGS though. They do not “profit” from their work with refugees. They are reimbursed for the considerable expense of resettlement. Air fare from the refugee camp, a motel bill or two, food, clothing, some job training, a few months rent in their new apartment – it all adds up quickly. Once the resettled refugee begins working, though, they begin to pay taxes just like you and me. So your suggestion that the VOLAGS are “profiting” at the expense of the US taxpayer is misguided. And the expense of settling a Christian refugee would be no less than the expense of settling a Muslim.

  2. Comment by faithmcdonnell on November 17, 2015 at 10:58 am

    Hi MJ. I tried to respond to this last night but for some reason, the response didn’t stick. I will address again later. Thank you for writing, though, and expressing sadness at the plight of the Christians, as well, in the Middle East, which has something the President has failed to do.

  3. Comment by Dan on November 17, 2015 at 4:47 pm

    Well now, if a complete cost/benefit analysis were to include the probability that Christian refugees are or would become “radicalized” and act out, then I submit that in the long run it is cheaper to resettle Christians than Muslims. Just sayin’.

  4. Comment by Kamilla Ludwig on December 12, 2015 at 8:45 am

    Hi Faith,

    You mention the USCCB here. But I wonder where Aid to the Church in Need fits in? Do you have any information on their involvement (or not) in refugee resettlement programs?

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