CONVENTION TO FOCUS ON GENOCIDE, SURVIVAL OF CHRISTIANITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST

The three-day convention, sponsored by In Defense of Christians (IDC), a nonprofit, non-partisan organization committed to the protection and preservation of Christians in the Middle East, is gathering under the theme, “Mobilizing America for Christians in the Middle East.” IDC and its advocates from chapters across America will meet with leaders on Capitol Hill, engage the media and general public at the National Press Club, and seek to strengthen ties between American and Middle Eastern Christians. A key component will be urging members of Congress to recognize what has happened to Christians, Yazidis, and others as “genocide.”
“The eradication of entire communities in the Middle East calls for a response from the international community,” said Kirsten Evans, IDC’s Executive Director. “Acts of genocide and crimes against humanity in Iraq and Syria have been clearly documented. The response of the United States and the international community has been completely inadequate. In some cases, these atrocities are met with silence. This silence makes us all complicit.”
The convention’s events will commence at the National Press Club with a panel on genocide, featuring Congressman Frank Wolf, Katrina Lantos Swett, author Johnnie Moore, and others. There will also be an ecumenical prayer service on Capitol Hill, led by Cardinal Wuerl. On Thursday, IDC chapter leaders will meet with leaders on Capitol Hill and conclude with a Middle Eastern cultural event at the French Embassy. Friday will focus on building bridges between Middle Eastern and American Christians and building state chapters to organize and mobilize grassroots efforts. Friday will culminate in the Solidarity Dinner, which will feature remarks by Ambassador David Saperstein, Carl Anderson of the Knights of Columbus, Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Patriarch Youssef Younan, and others.