Armenia joins statement on supporting Christians of the Middle East

15:10, 14.03.2015

Armenia has joined the statement “Supporting the Human Rights of
Christians and Other Communities, particularly in the Middle East”
that was adopted at UNHRC session in Geneva on Friday.

The Holy See, together with the Russian Federation and Lebanon, has
drawn up a declaration in support of Christians and members of other
communities in the Middle East who continue to suffer from serious
human rights violations

The statement reads:

“The Middle East is living in a situation of instability and conflict
that recently have been aggravated. The consequences are disastrous
for the entire population of the region. The existence of many
religious communities is seriously threatened. Christians are now
especially affected. These days even their survival is in question.

Efforts to build a better future for all are frustrated. We witness a
situation where violence, religious and ethnic hatred, fundamentalist
radicalism, extremism, intolerance, exclusion, destruction of the
social fabric of whole societies and communities are becoming the
features of a non-viable political and social model, endangering the
very existence of many communities, the Christian community in
particular.

Millions of people have been either displaced or forced to leave their
ancestral lands. Those who stay in conflict zones or areas controlled
by terrorist groups live under the permanent threat of human rights
violations, repression and abuses. Both communities and individuals
fall victim to barbaric acts of violence: they are deprived of homes,
driven from their native lands, sold into slavery, killed, beheaded
and burnt alive. Dozens of Christian churches and ancient shrines of
all religions have been destroyed. The situation of Christians in the
Middle East, a land on which they are living for centuries and have
the right to remain, raises deep concerns. There are more and more
reasons to fear seriously for the future of the Christian communities
that have more than two thousand years of existence in this region,
where Christianity has its full place, and began its long history. The
positive contributions of Christians in the different countries and
societies of the Middle East are well known and creative.

We are confident that Governments, all civic and religious leaders in
the Middle East, will join us in addressing this alarming situation by
building together a culture of peaceful coexistence. In our globalized
world, pluralism is enrichment. The presence and the contributions of
ethnic and religious communities reflect an ancient diversity and a
common heritage. A future without the different communities in the
Middle East will run a high risk of new forms of violence, exclusion,
and the absence of peace and development.

We call upon the international community to support the deeply rooted
historical presence of all ethnic and religious communities in the
Middle East. Here world religions appeared, including Christianity.
Now, they live a serious existential threat from the so-called
“Islamic State” (Daesh) and Al-Qaida, and affiliated terrorist groups,
which disrupts the life of all these communities, and creates the risk
of complete disappearance for the Christians. This support will help
the countries of the region to rebuild healthy plural societies and
sound political systems, ensuring human rights and fundamental
freedoms for all. Therefore we ask all States to reaffirm their
commitment to respect the rights of everyone, in particular the right
to freedom of religion, which is enshrined in the fundamental
international human rights instruments.”