The Green Party today called on the international community to do more to protect the rights — and lives — of Christians and other minorities in the deteriorating situation in the Middle East.
Dr Derek Wall, International Coordinator of the Green Party of England and Wales, declared:
'It is often forgotten, despite persecution of some groups, that the Middle East has for centuries seen the largely peaceful coexistence of many religious communities; pluralism and tolerance have been strong. The current crisis, coming from the emergence of ISIS, threatens all citizens in the region. With so many groups under threat, including women and LGBT citizens, those of all religions and none are suffering from the advance of a fundamentalist network of hate.'
'Entire communities, including, Christians, Yazidis, Kurds and Shias, are being murdered or forcibly converted. The Iraqi invasion of 2003 unleashed a spiral of misery and multi-sided hostility, and while the Green Party rejects US bombing campaigns or other forms of military intervention, we call for the international community to protect the varied communities under assault in the region.'
‘The West bears much responsibility for promoting this tragic state of affairs; bombing ISIS, which will see innocent civilians killed and land ruined further, which will only make their attackers yet more emboldened — this cannot be the answer. Green’s call for urgent efforts to protect groups facing persecution and believe they should be granted refugee status in the UK. We also call on the major players in the region to ensure that the tradition of a multi-confessional Middle East survives.’