Jihadist carrying flag of Islamic State terrorist group
Iraqi Christians from around the world staged rallies this weekend pleading for help against the encroachment of Islamic Jihadists with hundreds gathering in the streets outside the White House chanting, “Obama, Obama, where are you? Iraqi Christians call for you!”
Breitbart is reporting that Iraqi Christians held demonstrations on Saturday in several cities, including Washington DC, Paris, The Hague, Cologne, and London, in an effort to call attention to the assault on Christians being waged in Iraq by the jihadist terrorist group, Islamic State (IS), formerly known as Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Thus far, IS has forced Christians out of many cities, including the country’s second largest city of Mosul. Jihadists have also destroyed the tomb of Jonah, ransacked centuries old monasteries and churches, and sent monks along with scores of Christians into the street with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
“Iraq’s Christians are being ignored by the United States, the United Nations, and the human rights organizations,” Assyrian Bishop Mar Paulus Benjamin told Breitbart’s Katie Gorka. “For us, America is a symbol of freedom and protection of human rights. I think of America in World War II, when America came to the rescue of Europe. Then, the enemy was the Nazis. Today it is ISIS. The names are different, but the religious cleansing is the same.”
The bishop came to Washington from Chicago along with his parishioners who were willing to make the 12 bus ride in order to get their voices heard.
Gorka was also surprised to find Muslims in the crowd, all of whom were fully supportive of the Christians and angry at what the IS was doing to their fellow countrymen.
“What I see today in the world is not the Islam I grew up with,” said a Muslim named Yasir. “I had many Christian friends growing up. I attended the Jesuit College in Baghdad. I am here today to show my support for my Christian friends.”
The demonstrators expressed their frustration with the lack of action by the global community, and especially by the United States because it had advance notice of the impending jihadist threat and yet did nothing about it.
As Gorka reports, Deputy Assistant Secretary Brett McGurk revealed as much during his testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing on July 24.
“In testimony that was uncharacteristically frank for this administration, McGurk acknowledged that both the U.S. and the Iraqis were well aware of the rising threat beforehand but were unable to muster the forces needed to counter it,” Gorka reports.
During his testimony, McGurk said they were aware of the threat Christians were facing from the jihadists and expressed his deep sadness over how many of this ancient community were being forced out of their homes.
However, as Gorka concludes, “whether this expression of concern will result in any kind of direct action that will help to protect Christians and allow them to return to their homes remains to be seen.”
Click here to sign a petition demanding that the Administration do more to protect Iraqi Christians.
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