Pope Francis welcomed President Trump to the Vatican on Wednesday. Credit Pool photo by Evan Vucci
ishtartv.com - thehill.com
By
Carl Anderson, opinion contributor - 05/23/17
Whether
Christians in Iraq and Syria survive in any meaningful way may be decided this
week — when Pope Francis meets with President Trump.
A
number of commentators have pointed to such a discussion as one that could
prove fruitful and build on the common ground these two men share, but there is
something else too: timing.
Unless
the U.S. government and the Church work together to come up with a meaningful,
collaborative solution for these beleaguered communities, they could vanish
within a few years. Reports increasingly indicate that the fragility of the
community in Iraq is now such that it may well be reaching a tipping point —
from which it will be unable to recover.
The
meeting between the pope and the president, is, quite simply, the last best
chance Christians have for survival, and an enormous opportunity for a lasting
legacy for both leaders.
Neither
the pope nor the president has any interest in being someone under whose tenure
Christianity disappeared in these Middle Eastern countries. Both have been
outspoken about the persecution, and have been clear that ISIS committed
genocide by targeting people for their faith.
And
they are the only two men on earth who can create a real solution.
The
majority of Christians in Iraq are Catholic and most of those still in the
country are under the care of the Catholic Church.
At
the same time, the United States is a major source of humanitarian aid,
military assistance and influence on the Iraqi government in Baghdad and the
Kurdistan Regional government.
Should
Francis and Trump find a way to work together on this, such cooperation would
not be unprecedented.
Some
will immediately see parallels to the work of President
Reagan and Pope John Paul II in effectively working together to oppose
Soviet Communism. Others may consider the way that the U.S. government worked
with local church groups to save Middle Eastern Christianity during the
genocide that accompanied the First World War — a century ago.
Whatever
historical antecedent one chooses, the truth is that there is ample precedent,
ample motive and ample need for cooperation on this issue.
To
survive, Christians — and the other religious minorities targeted for genocide
by ISIS — need three things:
Short
term humanitarian assistance (food, clothing, shelter, medical care, etc.)
Reconstruction
aid so they can move home.
Security
(including equal rights for religious minorities).
Second-class
citizenship based on religion must end and security must include both equal
rights and the right to equal citizenship for religious minorities, including
Christians.
Only
the United States government has the influence and leverage to ensure that
these things happen. The president understands well that America needs to use
its leverage to get the best possible deals in our relationships with foreign
governments.
With
the military and other financial aid we have given and continue to give Iraq,
we are in a strong position to demand that Iraq live up to its obligations
to all its citizens and to its obligations under the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, to which Iraq is a signatory. That declaration
includes a list of rights most Americans would take for granted, but that Iraqi
Christians cannot currently expect.
The
same is true of our leverage with the Kurdistan regional government. No one is
in a better position than the United States to effectively lay out what is and
is not acceptable.
But
American government actions will only be successful if it works with the Church
— the one entity actually dedicated to the survival of its people.
For
years, these vulnerable communities too often received no direct aid from the
United States or the United Nations. Even when U.S. government aid money has
been allocated specifically to them, reports indicate that issues with the
distribution system have often prevented them from receiving it. This cannot
continue.
As
we did in World War I, after the Holocaust and in Darfur, it is time for our
government to assist minority communities in a way that actually helps them,
and to do so through religious and community leaders — not those outside these
small communities whose concern for their survival is often less substantial.
If
Francis and Trump can come up with a basic plan to help Christians in the
Middle East to survive, it will indeed be a history making — and legacy
defining — moment for both of them.
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