NEW HAVEN, Conn., July 25, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new
commercial airing nationally during both parties' conventions picks
up on a theme considered in both party's platforms: the plight of
Christians suffering genocide in the Middle East. It seeks the public's help in
supporting them, since U.S. government and United Nations money
often do not reach these victims.
The commercial is sponsored by the Knights of Columbus and can
be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3o_wsjk4Vwo . The spot
highlights the genocide against Christians by ISIS, an issue that
has created a rare bipartisan consensus in a year that has seen
often sharp political divisions.
The U.S. State Department declared this year that Christians and
other religious minorities faced genocide at the hands of ISIS.
Both houses of Congress unanimously said the same.
Both the GOP platform and the draft Democrat platform express
concern over the plight of Christians and other religious
minorities facing genocide.
The draft Democratic platform, which will be considered this
week, states: "We are horrified by ISIS' genocide of Christians and
Yezidis and crimes against humanity against Muslims and others in
the Middle East. We will do
everything we can to protect religious minorities and the
fundamental right of freedom to worship and believe."
The GOP platform adopted last week states: "We are deeply
concerned that, in the face of genocide against them, Christian
communities in cities like Erbil are receiving no financial support
from either the U.S. government or the UN to help with displaced
persons and urban refugees. Their survival is sustained only by
private charities."
"This must change immediately," says the Republican platform.
"Defeating ISIS means more than pushing back its fighters while
abandoning its victims. It must mean aiding those who have suffered
the most — and doing so before they starve. It means supporting the
long-term survival of indigenous religious and ethnic communities,
punishing the perpetrators of crimes against humanity, and
conditioning humanitarian and military assistance to governments on
their observable commitment to human rights."
Despite the consensus that genocide is occurring, bishops in
both Iraq and Syria have stated that they get no U.S. or
U.N. financial assistance, and are totally dependent on donations
from the public and private foundations. The commercial recognizes
this, and asks the public to assist by donating to the Knights of
Columbus Christian Refugee Fund at www.ChristiansAtRisk.org
.
"The bi-partisan concern about this ongoing genocide is a
hopeful sign in a political culture that is often too divided on
important issues to solve them," said Knights of Columbus CEO
Carl Anderson. "We hope that soon
our government, other governments and the U.N. will all direct
financial resources specifically to help these genocide victims and
survivors, whose communities risk extinction."
This year, Anderson has given Congressional testimony and has
spoken at the U.N. on the need for the government and international
community to support Christians and other religious minorities in
the Middle East in several ways
from providing financial support, to helping secure equal rights
for Christians and other religious minorities, to ensuring their
long-term survival in a region that has seen their numbers dwindle
by as much as 90 percent in Iraq
alone.
The K of C has raised more than $11
million to assist Christian refugees since 2014 – focusing
especially on the Middle East.
Anderson noted that "especially given that many get no government
or U.N. funding, it is imperative that people help financially
support a future in the Middle
East that respects rights, includes fragile indigenous
minority communities, and preserves the pluralism and witness to
forgiveness that these people bring."
Further information is available at www.ChristiansAtRisk.org
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/as-party-platforms-raise-issue-of-genocide-against-christians-new-commercial-airs-300303161.html
SOURCE Knights of Columbus