Helping persecuted Christians

Richard A. Sokerka

Secular media outlets give little coverage to the ongoing genocide taking place right now in the world where most of the victims are Christians.

But “Persecuted and Forgotten? A Report on Christians Oppressed for their Faith, 2015-17,” a study released by Aid to the Church in Need, shows that persecutions continue to rise.

“In 12 of the 13 countries reviewed,” the report notes, “the situation for Christians was worse in overall terms in the period 2015-17 than within the preceding two years.” Genocide has been recorded in Syria, Iraq, and northern Nigeria, either by ISIS or affiliates, such as Boko Haram, and is in line with the stated goal of Islamic extremists to “eradicate Christians, and other minorities.” The only hope of recovery for Christian groups facing extinction, the report finds, is “the defeat of ISIS and other Islamists in major strongholds of the Middle East.”

With ISIS now on the run, it is more important than ever to get help to these Christians. And that help is coming, according to Vice President Mike Pence. The United States will provide assistance directly to faith-based and private groups, rather than funneling U.S. funds through the United Nations, where they are often misdirected or misused. The Vice President pointed out, while “radical Islamic terrorists” continue to wage a campaign of genocide against Christians throughout the Middle East, the UN has been woefully ineffective in providing help to Christian victims. A number of faith-based groups with proven track records stand ready to help, the Vice President said, but “the United Nations too often denies their funding requests.”

Persecuted Christians in the Middle East have waited in vain for the world community to help them. Now, as Vice President Pence said, “those days are over.”

This action by the Trump Administration will not only give hope to these Christians, but also it is another instance of this administration standing up for religious freedom.