#WeAreN Campaign Gains Momentum, Brings Attention to Persecuted Christians in Iraq
Protests highlighting the plight of Iraqi Christians are being held in many parts of the world, thanks at least partly to the #WeAreN campaign that has drawn attention to the unprecedented persecution by highlighting Arabic letter "N," which the ISIS militants placed on the homes of Christians in Mosul.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, tweeted, "#WeAreN and we stand in solidarity with the persecuted Iraqi Christians," adding a link to an article in National Review on the campaign's success, and urging his followers, "RT if you do too!"
The article notes that the #WeAreN campaign has helped fuel protests across the United States and all over the world in favor of Christians forced to flee their homes in Mosul and other parts of Iraq, which is now under the control of the Sunni militants of the ISIS.
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Western leaders have been urged to put an end to the genocide through demonstration in France, Denmark, Germany, England, Sweden, Australia, Canada and many cities in the U.S., even as supporters globally have either changed their Twitter photo to an image of the Arabic letter ن or "N," which stands for "Nazarene" or "Christian" in Arabic.
About 2,500 Assyrian Americans rallied Sunday in Detroit, Michigan, where nearly 120,000 Assyrians live, AINA reported. The demonstrators held red wooden crosses and wore T-shirts saying, "Stop killing Iraqi Christians."
About 4,000 Assyrians in Chicago, Illinois, and more than 1,000 in San Francisco, California, held similar rallies Friday.
About 150 protesters marched through the streets of downtown Detroit, Michigan, on Aug. 1, according to Catholic News Agency. They shouted slogans such as "Obama, Obama, where are you? Iraqi Christians need you!" and "Stop the violence in Iraq!"
Also on Aug. 1, nearly 1,000 more gathered at Mother of God Chaldean Catholic Church in Southfield, Michigan, for a prayer vigil led by Chaldean Bishop Francis Kalabat.
In France, Lyons' Cardinal Philippe Barbarin led a church delegation to Kurdistan late last month to "express their solidarity in flesh and blood" with Iraqi Christians, according to The Tablet.
In Paris, two senior ministers offered asylum to Iraq's Christians, and 100 members of parliament joined demonstrators against ISIS in the last week of July, according to Rudaw.
Protests also took place outside of the British Parliament in London, it reports. In Australia, the National Council of Churches called on the government to put pressure on the UN Security Council to alleviate the suffering of Iraqi Christians.
The Church of England also earlier changed its profile to the Arabic letter for "N," writing: "We are changing our picture to stand with those showing solidarity for those Christians being persecuted in Mosul #WeAreN."
ISIS, also known as the Islamic State, is an offshoot of al-Qaeda, and has made significant military gains in Iraq in recent months. It has asked minorities to flee, convert to Islam, or be killed.
Mark Arabo, national spokesman for Iraqi Christians and Chaldean-American businessman, said last week that the "evil" being carried out by ISIS militants now includes shocking beheadings of children.
"They are systematically beheading children, and mothers and fathers. The world hasn't seen an evil like this for a generation. There's actually a park in Mosul that they've actually beheaded children and put their heads on a stick," Arabo told CNN.
"And they have them in the park. This is crimes against humanity. The whole world should come together. This is much broader than a community or faith. This is crimes against humanity and they are doing the most horrendous, the most heart-breaking things you can think of," he added.
