Armenian Assembly Addresses Christians At-Risk in the Middle East

ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: November 5, 2018

Contact: Danielle Saroyan

Telephone: (202) 393-3434

Web: www.aaainc.org

 

ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY ADDRESSES CHRISTIANS AT-RISK IN THE MIDDLE EAST

 

Experts Panel
Speaks of Ongoing Persecution

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Armenian American
leaders and activists from across the country gathered earlier this Fall in the
nation's capital for the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) 2018 National
Advocacy Conference & Gala in a unified effort to strengthen congressional
support for United States-Armenia relations and to raise concerns in the House
and Senate. As part of its Advocacy Conference, the Assembly organized a full
panel of experts sharing their insights of the realities of the persecuted
Christians in the Middle East.

 

The conference attendees heard from National Council of Churches
(NCC) President and General Secretary Jim Winkler, General Board of Church and
Society of The United Methodist Church Director Rev. Dr. Susan Henry-Crowe, and
The Religious Freedom Institute (RFI) Executive Director Kent Hill, and asked
questions about what can be done on Capitol Hill to help this minority
community. The panel was moderated by Armenian Church of America (Eastern
Diocese) Diocesan Legate Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, former NCC President and
member of President Barrack Obama's Advisory Committee on Faith Based Initiatives.

 

"I think this is an excellent contribution to this assembly
to know about the suffering of Christians in the Middle East – the forgotten
minorities," Archbishop Vicken said.

 

RFI Executive Director Hill started the discussion by describing
his experience traveling to Armenia while representing the U.S. Government and
USAID, and expressed his admiration at seeing some of the oldest churches in
Christian history.

 

He then continued with daunting facts about the current Christian
population in the Middle East, and shared with the audience findings and
statistics that he prepared for congressional testimony this past June.
"Of the three million Christians who are estimated to have been living in
Iraq and Syria in 2003, 75-80% of them have been forced to abandon their homes
because of sectarian violence, civil war, the rise of the brutal Islamic State.
Of the 1.5 million Christians in Iraq in 2003, perhaps only 200,000 remain, and
many of them are IDPs (internally displaced persons)," he said.

 

"Despite repeated Administration promises and Congressional
pleas to respond quickly to be of assistance to the IDPs in the quest to return
home, this simply did not happen, though I am pleased to report that in recent
months there seems to be a commitment to do more in the future than has been
done in the past," Hill added. "It is not too late to make a
difference. We are capable of moving much more quickly than we have been
moving, but that will never happen if we are not persuaded that this is really
a priority."

 

Hill is part of an Advisory Committee to USAID mandated by
Congress, comprised of faith-based organizations. He ensured the conference
attendees that, according to Congress, more money will go to help the
minorities.

 

Rev. Dr. Crowe explained that she has "traveled to several
Middle Eastern regions throughout the years" and has "seen some of
the disastrous results of economic, political, and nationalistic aims. And,
very often, it does in fact affect religious minorities and indigenous
peoples."

 

After speaking about updates in the region, she pressed the
participants to take the next step to help the Christian minorities.
"Being with the people and hearing the stories of what their lives are
like on the ground are very, very important. So, I urge you to continue to go
and see, and then to go back to your homes and tell the stories of the
Christians in the Middle East," Rev. Dr. Crowe concluded.

 

The NCC President, who recently traveled to the region, encouraged
everyone in the audience to engage in public policy advocacy and fight for the
Christian population. "Life is harder and harder for Christians throughout
the Middle East, and Christians in the United States must stand and act with
solidarity on their behalf," NCC President Winkler said.

 

"We believe that Christians in the United States must be made
more aware of the dire situation of our brothers and sisters in Christ in the
Middle East and that education about their situation must be our priority for
action," he continued. "We believe that Christians of the United
States must engage in public policy advocacy – such as what you are doing –
that supports the well-being of our church members of the Middle East. This
includes constructive remedies for the extremist violence and responses to
human rights violations throughout the region."

 

The Armenian Assembly has regularly testified about the need to
protect Christian and other minority communities at risk in the Middle East and
has supported legislation such as House Resolution 390, the bipartisan Iraq and
Syria Genocide Emergency Relief and Accountability Act of 2017, spearheaded by
Helsinki Commission Co-Chair Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Religious Minorities
in the Middle East Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA).

 

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the
largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding
and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3)
tax-exempt membership organization.

 

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NR#: 2018-048

 

Photo Caption 1: Archbishop Vicken Aykazian introducing panel
speakers on Christians At-Risk in the Middle East during the Armenian Assembly
of America's 2018 National Advocacy Conference

 

Photo Caption 2: The Religious Freedom Institute Executive
Director Kent Hill at the Armenian Assembly's 2018 National Advocacy Conference

 

Photo Caption 3: General Board of Church and Society of The United
Methodist Church Director Rev. Dr. Susan Henry-Crowe at the Armenian Assembly's
2018 National Advocacy Conference

 

Photo Caption 4: National Council of Churches NCC President and
General Secretary Jim Winkler at the Armenian Assembly's 2018 National Advocacy
Conference

 

Available
online: http://bit.ly/2qviaxb