ASIA/IRAQ - Human rights activists criticize Trump’s administration: it helps Rohingya Muslims and not Iraqi Christians

Tuesday, 26 September 2017 persecutions   oriental churches   middle east  

UNHCR

Erbil (Agenzia Fides) - The US State Department’s ability to quickly allocate funds to the Rohingya, a Muslim minority affected by violence and discrimination in Myanmar stands in sharp contrast when it comes to directing funds to Yazidis, Christians, and other religious minorities in Iraq, who have been persecuted by the jihadists of the self-proclaimed Islamic State (Daesh).
On Thursday, September 21, the US State Department announced it would provide a humanitarian aid package worth nearly $32 million to the Rohingya. The aid package came the day after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke with Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of Burma, and urged the Burmese government and military to "address deeply troubling allegations of human rights abuses and violations".
The interest of the current US administration regarding the Rohingya affair was recently criticized by individual militants and US groups engaged in campaigns to support Christians in the Middle East. However, critics say the swift action stands in sharp contrast to State's foot-dragging when it comes to directing funds to Yazidis, Christians, and other religious minorities facing genocide in Iraq. Among other things, Stephen Rasche, General Counsel of the Archdiocese of Erbil, Iraq, US collaborator of Chaldean Archbishop Bashar Warda - according to USA's "The Washington Free Beacon" - applauded the State Department's assistance to the Rohingya community in Burma. However, he remains deeply concerned that the U.S. government has still directed "little or no aid" to the Christian community, and urged US government agencies to immediately assist the "Christian, Yazidi, and other religious minority victims of genocide in Iraq". (GV) (Agenzia Fides, 26/9/2017)


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