‘Either we speak up against what is happening, either we make this cause our own, or our silence tells the perpetrators they can continue to act with impunity. Our silence tells the victims that no one is there to help them. Our silence encourages others to act in this way in the future.’ – Paul Coleman, Executive Director
In Syria alone, the number of Christians has dropped from over 2 million to under a million, and from 1.4 million to under 260,000 in Iraq in just a few years. The Yazidis in the region of Kurdistan have been almost entirely wiped out. Atrocities include assassinations of church leaders, torture, mass murders, kidnapping, sexual enslavement and systematic rape of Christian and Yazidi girls, and the destruction of churches, monasteries, and cemeteries.
As a result, ADF International diligently worked with national governments and major international institutions for the recognition that the suffering of Christians and other minorities was indeed genocide. This work included hosting events at key institutions to bring together the key players that could enact change, raising awareness of the issue with key journalists and key outlets, and engaging with politicians in several countries, providing them with the evidence and the arguments to make formal declarations of genocide in their parliaments. Our team travelled to Iraq and collected evidence to show governments the truth of the suffering of Christians.
In 2016, several important institutions did recognize genocide. This included the United States State Department, the United Kingdom House of Commons, and the European Parliament, among others.
On 21 September 2017, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution supporting Iraq in prosecuting members of ISIS/Daesh for crimes committed against religious minorities in the region.
Never Again presents a comprehensive analysis of the law on genocide. Drawing on evidence of genocide since 1948 and eyewitness accounts of ISIS/Daesh atrocities, Never Again demonstrates that the system designed to safeguard the vulnerable offers only illusory protection. With the rise of non-State actors, its capacity to oppose the most egregious violations of human rights is frighteningly limited.
The summer of 2014 marked the beginning of a dark time for Christians in Iraq. That June, the Islamic State (ISIS) launched a major military offensive against the northern part of the country. Their jihad swept across the region so rapidly that state security forces were quickly overwhelmed. The government, paralyzed, offered little help to minorities—including Christians—who stood in the path of the oncoming violence.
ADF International
Faith-based legal advocacy organization that protects fundamental freedoms and promotes the inherent dignity of all people.
