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usLlce and eace Lurope, ress #1 28/07/2014

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Slnce Lhe beglnnlng of !une lSlS (lslamlc SLaLe ln lraq and ln Syrla), now lS (lslamlc SLaLe), a
mlllLanL SalaflsL group, has spread Lerror across Syrla and norLhern lraq and occupled clLles
Lhere, Lhe largesL belng Mosul, Lhe anclenL nlnlveh. WlLh several Lhousand bruLal flghLers aL
presenL lL rules an area abouL as large as CreaL 8rlLaln. 1he developmenLs broughL abouL by
Lhe occupaLlon of Lhls large LerrlLory by a LerrorlsL group as lSlS has huge consequences for
Lhe reglon and beyond. lL proclalms lLself Lo be Lhe kallfaL represenLlng all Musllms
worldwlde and aLLracLs flghLers from many counLrles, lncludlng Luropean naLlons, Lhrough
effecLlve use of soclal medla, such as 1wlLLer. 1he facL LhaL ChrlsLlans are among lLs mosL
promlnenL LargeLs should be a furLher moLlve for deLermlned acLlon.
Cn !uly 17
Lh
Lhe leadershlp of lS has lssued a decree glvlng all ChrlsLlans unLll !uly 19
Lh
Lo
converL Lo lslam, pay an exorblLanLly hlgh personal Lax ([lzya)
1
or leave Mosul, Lhe maln clLy
ln norLh lraq, or face execuLlon. 1he houses of Lhose who lefL were exproprlaLed by Lhe
sLaLe. MosL of Lhem fled Lo nearby kurdlsLan under humlllaLlng and dangerous condlLlons
and wlLhouL any belonglngs. LsLlmaLes of Lhe number of ChrlsLlans sLlll ln Lhe area vary
beLween 33 000 and 3 000, many havlng lefL before. 1he LerrorlsL reglme of lS Lhus durlng
Lhe pasL monLhs has depleLed norLhern lraq of lLs once Lhrlvlng ChrlsLlan communlLles and
desLroyed one of Lhe oldesL Churches of ChrlsLendom. SalaflsL mlllLanLs also LargeL and
execuLe ShllLes, ?esldes and any who oppose Lhelr bruLal pracLlces. 1hey are also desLroylng
Lhe culLural herlLage of Lhls hlsLorlcally rlch reglon on a large scale. Churches, monasLerles,
and anclenL places of pllgrlmages of all rellglons, such as Lhe Lomb of !onah and of SeLh, have
been devasLaLed and desecraLed durlng Lhe pasL days.
ln vlew of Lhese horrendous developmenLs ln norLhern lraq Iostlce ooJ leoce otope
welcomes Lhe resoluLlon of Lhe Luropean arllamenL from Lhe 17
Lh
of !uly. lL urges Lhe
leadershlp of Lhe Luropean unlon and all Luropean pollLlclans and publlc oplnlon leaders Lo
Lake pollLlcal acLlon ln accordance wlLh Lhe sLrong condemnaLlon of Lhe persecuLlon of
mlnorlLles ln Mosul by Lhe members of Lhe un SecurlLy Councll on 21
sL
!uly.

1
8eporLs vary from 230-430 uollars per monLh per person.
1he followlng alms are Lo be pursued wlLh vlgour:
declare lSlS offlclally a LerrorlsL organlsaLlon,
prohlblL any supply of arms and dlsclose Lhose groups and counLrles whlch supporL lL,
exerL pressure on Lhe CovernmenL of lraq Lo pursue a pollcy of naLlonal unlLy
lncludlng all lLs populaLlon and prevenL Lhe furLher dlslnLegraLlon of lraq, whlch has
dlsasLrous consequences for Lhe whole reglon,
granL generous humanlLarlan ald Lo all governmenLs ln Lhe reglon whlch are
confronLed wlLh a huge number of refugees from Syrla and now from lraq, malnly
kurdlsLan, so as Lo be able Lo mlLlgaLe human sufferlng,
provlde all necessary supporLs and solldarlLy Lo Lhe ChrlsLlans bruLally persecuLed so
as Lo help Lhem regaln hope and survlve Lhls Llme,
recognlze effecLlvely rellglous persecuLlon as a ground for asylum and granL lL Lo
Lhose who have been exlled on grounds of rellglon,
Msgr. Sako, aLrlarch of Lhe CaLhollc-Chaldean Church, ln an open leLLer on 17Lh !uly urged
all lraqls and parLlcularly Lhe Musllm leaders Lo respecL Lhe lnnocenL non-armed populaLlon
of all eLhnlc, rellglous and secLarlan backgrounds". uurlng Lhe pasL days Lhe lCC (lslamlc
CrganlsaLlon of CooperaLlon) as well as oLher Musllm organlsaLlons, scholars and groups
have sLrongly condemned Lhe crlmes of lSlS ln Lhe name of lslam. Iostlce ooJ leoce otope
Lherefore recommends Lhe fosLerlng of cooperaLlon wlLh all Musllm groups whlch sLrongly
oppose dlscrlmlnaLlon on rellglous grounds.
Lnu

Iostlce ooJ leoce otope, tbe otopeoo coofeteoce of Iostlce ooJ leoce commlssloos ls tbe
olllooce of J1 Iostlce ooJ leoce commlssloos lo otope, wotkloq fot tbe ptomotloo of jostlce,
peoce ooJ tespect fot bomoo Jlqolty. Iostlce ooJ leoce otope coottlbotes to tolse
owoteoess of tbe cotbollc soclol Jocttloe lo tbe otopeoo socletles ooJ tbe otopeoo
lostltotloos. lts qeoetol sectetotlot ls boseJ lo 8tossels.
cootoct. sectetotyjopox-eotopo.otq, -J2/2/2J50517