Lawmakers Urged to Support Legislation That Guarantees Relief Funds for Christian Refugees From the Middle East
The Knights of Columbus (KC) has called on legislators to rally behind the passage of the Iraq and Syria Genocide Emergency Relief and Accountability Act which seeks to allow faith-based organizations providing humanitarian assistance to civilian populations of Iraq and Syria to access U.S. government funding in their work.
Sponsored by Rep. Christopher Smith (R-N.J.), House Resolution 390 would also ensure that American aid dollars will go toward providing "emergency relief to victims of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Iraq and Syria, to provide accountability for perpetrators of these crimes."
KC has expressed alarm over the dwindling number of Christians in the Middle East. From a high of 1.5 million in 2003, there are only 200,000 Christians left in Iraq. In Erbil alone, home to the largest Christian population in that country, at least 12,000 families have been displaced.
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KC CEO Carl Anderson warned that unless the American people helps, Christians could face extinction in Iraq. The chance for a pluralism and tolerance of minorities will be increasingly lost in that country if they disappear. He urged the U.S. government to act quickly if Christianity is to survive in the Middle East.
KC wants all forms of assistance to be poured in helping Christians in Iraq to prevent the dwindling of their population to unsustainable levels. It launched a Christian Refugee Relief Fund and aims to raise $1 million as the Catholic organization will match whatever amount raised by July 1.
"As never before in 2,000 years, the future of Christianity in Iraq now hangs in the balance, and whether it survives will depend in great measure on whether or not we are able to provide the essentials that our people need in the short term, and whether or not they receive help with reconstruction and assurances of security in the longer term," Erbil Archbishop Bashar Warda warned.
