Khalid Al Mousily / Reuters
ishtartv.com
- huffingtonpost.com
08/22/2017
When
announcing the release of the 2016 International Religious Freedom Report, U.S.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson made a major statement that went mostly
unnoticed. Tillerson declared that the United States officially
believes the Islamic State of Syria and Iraq (ISIS) terrorist group has
committed genocide against religious minorities. This was gratifying for many
religious freedom watchers (like me), as it was part of a years’ long campaign
to help Middle Eastern religious minorities.
Yet,
this statement — while encouraging — is only a half-step. In order to truly
combat the effects of the Islamic State on Christians, Yazidis, Shia Muslims
and others, the United States must move beyond simply declaring a genocide. A
series of multilateral initiatives related to this declaration could counter
IS’s brutality. Religious freedom advocates shouldn’t start cheering until this
occurs.
There
is a good reason to be concerned about religious minorities in the Middle East.
When ISIS swept through Iraq and Syria it not only conquered territory, but
committed horrific crimes against the population it controlled. ISIS gave Christians a choice between exile or forced conversion,
destroying many ancient Christian communities. ISIS enslaved and killed the Yazidi population, devastating this small but equally
ancient group. It also persecuted Shia Muslims in areas it controlled. Sunni Muslims were treated horribly too, and endured brutal
punishments for breaking ISIS’ strict laws. That being said, ISIS’ violence
against religious minorities seemed an attempt to destroy these groups’
presence in the Middle East, thus constituting genocide. This is in no way
meant to minimize the suffering of Sunni Muslims, but it is useful to emphasize
the specific nature of religious minorities’ plight.
Why
did the Trump administration — which has so far downplayed human rights
issues — even discuss ISIS’ genocide? This was actually the result of a
years-long campaign by religious freedom advocates.
Before
the 2016 elections, several organizations called on Congress and the Obama
Administration to declare ISIS’ acts a genocide. The International Religious
Freedom roundtable — an informal gathering of organizations and individuals
— sent an open letter to President Obama in February 2016 encouraging
him to declare a genocide. Signatories ranged from the Hudson Institute to
American Christians groups to representatives of Iraqi Yazidis and Christians
(I was part of the roundtable , although as an observer while I worked
with the Pew Research Center). Hillary Clinton also weighed in, calling ISIS’ actions a genocide in December
2015. Other groups gathered reporting on ISIS’ actions to document its genocidal
violence against religious minorities.
These
efforts seemed successful. On March 16, 2016, Secretary of State John
Kerry claimed that ISIS was committing genocide against religious minorities.
This followed a similar resolution by the U.S. House of Representatives that
passed 393 to 0. Additionally, the Obama administration was reportedly discussing how to prosecute ISIS for war
crimes.
It
was uncertain whether this progress would continue under President Trump, who
has not emphasized the protection of human rights. For example, in a May 2017
speech in Saudi Arabia, Trump stated “America will not seek to impose our way of life on
others,” hinting that he would pursue little human rights advocacy. Alongside
these concerns, a July 2017 report claimed State Department lawyers were trying
to “roll back” Kerry’s genocide declaration. The State
Department has since announced these reports were false but they indicate continuing anxiety over this issue.
Relief
at the Trump administration’s continuation of Obama’s policies should be
limited, however. Simply declaring ISIS’s violence genocide will not return
Christians, Yazidis and others to their former communities. And it will most
likely not be enough to prevent future violence against Middle Eastern
religious communities.
There
are two clear initiatives the Trump administration could undertake that would
be effective against ISIS’s genocide, however.
The
first is prosecuting ISIS for war crimes. The Trump administration could easily
pick up and continue Obama’s efforts. Moreover, the State Department could readily
find international partners. Nadia Murad, an anti-ISIS activist, has been pushing for
international action on IS’s war crimes. And the United Nations has launched an
inquiry into IS’s crimes with the cooperation of the Iraqi government. War
crimes prosecutions are complicated, and not a perfect solution. But they could
set a precedent against future such atrocities.
The
second is helping to resettle and restore Christian and Yazidi communities in
Iraq and Syria. Even if ISIS is militarily defeated, its impact on the
pluralism of the Middle East will persist. The communities of religious
minorities have been devastated and will struggle to return to their former
homes. Given the United States’ military presence and close ties to regional
states, it would be possible to coordinate international aid efforts to assist
in this resettlement. This could involve food and medical supplies, technical
assistance to rebuild homes, and interfaith dialogue to restore relations
across sectarian lines.
These
all would require intensive multilateral diplomacy, however. Given the Trump
administration’s apparent hostility to multilateralism and hesitation to fully
staff the State Department, religious freedom advocates should be worried. It
is hard to imagine the Trump administration working closely with the United
Nations to investigate war crimes, or negotiating a massive aid program with
Middle Eastern states to help returning religious minorities. Indeed, it is
very likely the Trump administration will pursue a campaign against ISIS
composed only of military force. This has a high possibility of defeating ISIS.
But it would do little to help restore the religious pluralism of the Middle
East.
Those
who have been calling for the United States to treat ISIS’ actions as a
genocide should be heartened by Tillerson’s statement. But they should not let
this be the end of their efforts. Religious freedom advocates should continue
to pressure the Trump Administration to act on its declaration of ISIS’
genocide. Until the United States calls on the international community to
prosecute ISIS for war crimes and help to restore religious minority
communities, ISIS’ genocide will never truly end.
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