Over 60 nations sign statement in support of Middle East’s Christians
March 16, 2015
The United States has joined over 60 other nations in signing a joint statement of support for the Middle East’s beleaguered Christians.
Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the Holy See’s leading diplomat at UN offices in Geneva, said that “a core group composed of the Russian Federation, Holy See, and Lebanon” drafted the statement.
Citing atrocities committed by the Islamic State, the statement noted that “there are more and more reasons to fear seriously for the future of the Christian communities that have more than two thousand years of existence in this region, where Christianity has its full place, and began its long history.”
“We ask all states to reaffirm their commitment to respect the rights of everyone, in particular the right to freedom of religion, which is enshrined in the fundamental international human rights instruments,” the statement added.
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Further information:
- Press Statement from H.E. Silvano M. Tomasi (Holy See Press Office)
- Joint Statement on "Supporting the Human Rights of Christians and Other Communities, particularly in the Middle East" (Holy See Press Office)
- States endorsing the Joint Statement (Holy See Press Office)
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