The debate in Strasbourg
Communities of believers, starting with Christians, are the target of the blind violence and the ruthless militia of ISIS. MEPs have called for a solution “on the field”, support to persecuted populations, along with a reconstruction and reconciliation plan. Mogherini: the community of Aleppo is an “example” for all
A “genocide” is under way in the Middle East. Daesh is the executioner, the victims and the persecuted – millions of people – are all the religious minorities who have been living in those lands since ancient times, between the Mediterranean, the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf. Not to mention the countless situations of persecution that occur in North Africa. The European Parliament has gathered in Strasbourg this week for its plenary session. Last night, a long debate between MEPs and the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security, Federica Mogherini, focused on “The systematic mass murder of religious minorities by ISIS.” The recognition of the “genocide” would commit the international community to intervention that can be postponed no longer.
Chosen victims”.Daesh has transformed terrorism into a tool of propaganda and death. Religion has nothing to do with it. It’s sheer violence. It’s thirst for power”.Federica Mogherini drew a dismal – albeit realistic – picture in her speech at the hemicycle of the European Parliament”.Religious and ethnic minorities are among the preferred victims of blind violence: notably Christians, as well as Muslims, Yazidis, and Kurds, Druze, Assyrians …
Every free person is a victim” of ISIS, “and that’s why we must all be united in this fight”.
There “are no geographical boundaries” to the war and terrorism “unleashed by Daesh, from Syria to Iraq, Libya and other African countries, to the terrorist attacks in European cities. Without neglecting the iconoclastic fury of those who “want to destroy the symbols of age-old religious faiths”: the destruction of the monastery in Mosul is the latest confirmation.
“To act accordingly”. The High Commissioner listed the actions taken by the EU in favour of the populations oppressed by ISIS, since “condemning such acts is not enough.” The Union intervenes with financial and humanitarian aid, in the political and diplomatic realms, as much as it can, given a confused situation of “piecemeal Third World War”, as stated by Pope Francis”.It is necessary to recognize that there is an ongoing genocide “and” act accordingly”.In these same hours the international coalition is planning concerted military response on the ground, with the determined presence of the United States. But there is need for the “unambiguous” involvement of the Arab countries and of their legitimate Countries – the High Representative has reiterated this point on many occasions -. The London Donors Conference has been tabled for February 4. For Mogherini “the example comes from the Christian community of Aleppo, that is celebrating the Jubilee of Mercy” despite their desperate situation of isolation and suffering”.
These Christians show us that life goes on, they have not lost hope. They are defending their lives together with their history and identity.”
Appeal from Baghdad. In view of the plenary debate, the Chaldean patriarch of Baghdad, Louis Raphael I Sako, sent a heartfelt appeal to the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz”.It’s time to take responsibility to keep the conflict from extending for many long years,” he said”.This is the right time to join forces and hold hands, Christians and Muslims, to stop the massacres and destructions. It’s time to establish peace and justice. In doing so we will become the promoters of a turning point in this land”. In the letter, the Chaldean patriarch denounced the “external actors” of the conflict, guilty of intervening only for “their own ambitions in the region. They have used democracy and freedom as a facade to deprive us of our natural resources, to take away peace and freedom, creating chaos and terrorism in Iraq and the Middle East”.This caused, among other things,” the failure of the education system”, “rising unemployment”, “a deteriorating economy and security”.
Intervention and reconstruction. These questions were reiterated by MEPs during the plenary. It will remain an item of debate in Strasbourg and Brussels in the coming weeks, as it will be the object of a resolution put to the vote of the European Parliament in the next session. Lars Adaktusson, Swedish MEP (EPP), said: “In Syria, Christians are persecuted every day. There, as elsewhere, a genocide is taking place that needs to be stopped. We have the historical obligation to intervene”.Josef Weidenholzer, Austrian MEP, member of the Socialists and Democrats group, said: “The culture of death of Daesh strikes against everyone indiscriminately, while women and children are the victims of the most brutal acts of violence. Religious holy places are being razed to the ground.
It is necessary to address the immediate threat, and at the same time envisage a phase of reconstruction and reconciliation
that will take decades”.Violence, suffering, rapes, torture, all forms of oppression: MEPs from the entire political spectrum, with no exception, spoke of a “genocide”. They called into question the United Nations, Western governments, as well as the responsibility of Middle Eastern states. Javier Nart, (Spain), member of the group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, said: “Today, Christians have become tiny minorities in various regions of the Middle East home to ancient, populous and vibrant communities. The presence of Christians in those lands is a bridge of dialogue for all parties and religions”, he pointed out.
