Rally to Save Mideast Christians Draws Support from Vatican, Holocaust Survivor, Politicians
Hundreds of people ranging from Italian high officials to holocaust survivors to Christian leaders rallied this week for the survival of Christians in the Middle East.
The "Save the Christians" rally on Wednesday was in response to the droves of thousands of Christians that have been forced from their homeland due to persecution.
In particular, the Iraq war has caused more than 1.8 million to flee the country since the 2003 U.S.-led offensive. Moreover, nearly half of the refugees leaving Iraq are Christians even though they compose only about three percent of Iraq's 26 million people.
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"We cannot remain silent before a tragedy that affects millions of people," said Magdi Allam, the rally's organizer and Italy's leading Islamic commentator, according to The Associated Press. "The systematic persecution of Christians in the Middle East is a human rights violation."
Wednesday's demonstration drew top Italian officials, including former Premier Silvio Berlusconi, as well as Jewish officials such as Abraham Foxman, U.S director of the Anti-Defamation League, according to AP.
"I stand here tonight as an American Jew and as a survivor of the Holocaust to say to you that 'never again' was a pledge that the Jewish people learned with great pain and sadness," he said. "But 'never again' is not limited to Jewish pain and suffering. 'Never again' is an imperative whether they're Jewish, Muslims or Christians.
"I pledge to you that our voices will be heard whenever Christians are discriminated against," he said.
The rally was also endorsed by several top Vatican officials as Pope Benedict XVI has recently become more outspoken about his concern for Mideast Christians.
During a meeting with U.S. President Bush on June 9, the pope expressed his concern for Mideast Christians, condemning the killing and kidnapping of priests and the thousands of Christians forced to flee the region.
"In today's Iraq, all we have is hope," said Pascale Warda, former Iraqi minister and Assyrian Christian, during a press conference last October.
"For the Assyrian Christians, this hope is rapidly dying. The targeting of our people is something that the world cannot ignore and the governments of the world cannot deny."
A recent report by Minority Rights Group International listed Iraq as the second most dangerous place in the world for minorities to live in, highlighting in particular the plight of minority Christians and women.
The United Nations estimates that as many as 2.7 million Iraqis could flee the country by the end of 2007 if actions are not taken to curb the exodus.
