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Washington
D.C., Dec 4 2017- U.S. Vice President Mike Pence met with Chaldean Archbishop
Bashar Matti Warda of Erbil on Monday for a “substantial discussion” on the
needs of persecuted Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq.
“I
updated him on the situation facing our people and expressed our hope that
peace would soon come to Nineveh,” Warda said in a statement about the Dec. 4
meeting.
Since
2014, the Islamic State has forced thousands of Iraqi Christians to flee their
homes after telling them they must convert to Islam, pay an exorbitant tax, or
be killed. Many of these Christians have resettled in or around Erbil.
Warda
has often spoken out on behalf of persecuted Christians in the Middle East, and
was in the United States for “Solidarity in Suffering,” a Week of Awareness for
Persecuted Christians, an event that began on Nov. 26 and was co-sponsored by
the Knights of Columbus and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
In a
tweet, Pence said his meeting with Warda was an “(i)mportant dialogue...about
(President Trump’s) commitment to directly assist persecuted Christians &
religious minorities in Iraq. I’m heading to the Middle East this month to
discuss U.S. plans to accelerate funding those impacted in the region.”
Warda
said that “On behalf of our people, I expressed our gratitude for his promise
of swift assistance to our communities who suffered genocide at the hands of
ISIS.”
“I
also mentioned to the Vice President the importance of the aid and support we
have received from the Knights of Columbus in the United States, and Aid to the
Church in Need in Europe,” he added.
Pence’s
coming trip to the Middle East is part of a series of conferences he has
attended regarding the plight of Christians in the region. In October, Pence addressed
In Defense of Christians’ annual Solidarity Dinner for Christians in the Middle
East. The vice president said groups such as the Islamic State have singled
out Christians for persecution and noted that Christianity could disappear from
some parts of the Middle East.
“Let
me assure you tonight, President Trump and I see these crimes for what they are
– vile acts of persecution animated by hatred for Christians and the Gospel of
Christ,” Pence said at the time.
Warda
said that during their meeting, he gave Pence a crucifix from Karemlesh, a town
near Mosul which was “targeted and badly damaged when ISIS invaded.”
“I
also assured him of our prayers and told him that if he ever visits Iraq, he is
most welcome in Erbil.”
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