European Parliament Adopts Resolution: ISIS commits Genocide against Minorities of Iraq and Syria
- Post 04 February 2016
The European Parliament just voted in favor of the Joint Motion for the Resolution “on the systematic mass murder of religious minorities by the so-called ‘ISIS/Daesh’.” The WCA and other ISIS victims around the world warmly welcome the outcome of the vote. See also this important letter the WCA sent yesterday and this morning to the Members of the European Parliament. When ISIS emptied the Aramean people from the Nineveh plains in north Iraq, on 6/7 August 2014, the WCA published this press release and sent this letter to the UN Security Council that includes five recommendations.
The European Parliament just voted in favor of the Joint Motion for the Resolution “on the systematic mass murder of religious minorities by the so-called ‘ISIS/Daesh’” (2016/2529(RSP)), following its debate on 20 January 2016. The World Council of Arameans (Syriacs) and other ISIS victims around the world warmly welcome the outcome of the vote.
The European Parliament has shown that it closely follows the plight of the vulnerable ethno-religious minorities in the Middle East and that it is sincerely concerned about their dim future. In addition to the human rights abuses and the crimes against humanity, it also denounced “in the strongest terms the destruction of religious and cultural sites and artefacts” by ISIS. Thus, the European Parliament has shown moral leadership and courage. It has also given the forgotten minorities hope and a voice.
With the adoption of this Resolution in Strasbourg, France, the European Parliament has also given a clear and strong message to the rest of the international community, including the governments and parliaments of the 28 EU Member States, the institutions of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, the UN General Assembly, the UN Security Council and the UN Human Rights Council.
The Resolution calls upon each of these international institutions and power-holders to act without further delay in order to put an end to the ongoing genocide by ISIS and to find an urgent solution to the disappearing minority groups of the Middle East. The WCA President, Johny Messo, commented:
“Today’s recognition by the European Parliament is the first serious step towards justice and security. It has heard the never-ending appeals made by the vulnerable ethno-religious minority groups of Iraq and Syria, such as the Aramean Christians and Yezidis, who were among the first victims of genocide by ISIS and who still struggle for survival. Encouraged by this Resolution, we will continue our struggle for justice, recognition and the threatened existence of our people by the rest of the world community, spearheaded by the United Nations Security Council.”
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The World Council of Arameans (Syriacs) is a worldwide umbrella organization and a United Nations NGO that represents the voice of the indigenous Aramean people of Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Lebanon. Since 2014, this Semitic people and its cultural heritage also fell victim to the ongoing acts of genocide committed by ISIS. However, many systematic mass murders by other Militant Islamic groups before ISIS emerged on the scene went underreported by the mainstream media.
Until the conflicted erupted in 2011, the Christians constituted 10% (2,3 million) of Syria’s national population. Hundreds of thousands of Arameans have already fled their war-torn homeland. The same holds true for Iraq, where the 1.4 million Aramean Christians in 2003 have dwindled down to a few hundred thousand in 2016.
The Arameans have retained their 3,000-year old Aramaic mother tongue, which is widely known as the language of Jesus, and they are indigenous to Syria, Turkey, Iraq and Lebanon. However, in none of these countries they are officially recognized as a distinct people and they continue to struggle for recognition and survival. Therefore, your voice and support are much needed: www.SupportWCA.com.
