The need to stop the escalation in the persecution of Christian communities in the Middle East

Motion for a resolution | Doc. 13627 | 07 October 2014

Signatories:

Ms Elena CENTEMERO, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Pedro AGRAMUNT, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Viorel Riceard BADEA, Romania, EPP/CD ; Ms Deborah BERGAMINI, Italy, EPP/CD ; Ms Sílvia Eloïsa BONET PEROT, Andorra, SOC ; Mr Paolo CORSINI, Italy, SOC ; Mr Jonny CROSIO, Italy, NR ; Ms Pascale CROZON, France, SOC ; Mr Franz Leonhard EßL, Austria, EPP/CD ; Ms Doris FIALA, Switzerland, ALDE ; Mr Giuseppe GALATI, Italy, EPP/CD ; Ms Adele GAMBARO, Italy, ALDE ; Mr Francesco Maria GIRO, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Margus HANSON, Estonia, ALDE ; Mr Michele NICOLETTI, Italy, SOC ; Ms Marietta de POURBAIX-LUNDIN, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Ms Carmen QUINTANILLA, Spain, EPP/CD ; Ms Elisabeth SCHNEIDER-SCHNEITER, Switzerland, EPP/CD ; Mr Spyridon TALIADOUROS, Greece, EPP/CD ; Ms Anne-Mari VIROLAINEN, Finland, EPP/CD ; Mr Eric VORUZ, Switzerland, SOC ; Ms Gisela WURM, Austria, SOC

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

The emergence of the “Islamic State” and of the ideology of Islamist absolutism implies a strategy of eradication of any Christian presence. Extermination and slavery have become a well-established practice.

In Iraq and Syria, religious freedom is denied, forced conversions and crucifixions are widespread, Christians’ houses are marked with the N of the Nazarene, foreshadowing murder or exile.

On 21 January 2011, the Committee of Ministers unanimously adopted a declaration on the attacks against Christian communities and the need to protect the religious freedom of all believers; it strongly condemned these acts as well as all forms of incitement to religious violence, and emphasized the inalienable right of freedom of religion.

On 27 January 2011, the Parliamentary Assembly adopted Recommendation 1957 (2011) condemning violence against Christians in the Middle East, in which it is underlined that the disappearance of Christian communities would be catastrophic for Islam itself, since it would mean the victory of fundamentalism.

Today, the situation is more serious and commitments undertaken have been ignored. We therefore need a renewed awareness and the identification of effective tools to prevent the violent end of Christian minorities.