ESHOO WELCOMES APPOINTMENT OF SPECIAL ENVOY FOR RELIGIOUS MINORITIES
Dear Community Leaders, Friends, and Colleagues,
Breaking News;
It is with my great pleasure to inform you that the effort of US Congresswoman Anna Eshoo and former US Congressman Frank Wolf to urge President Obama to appoint Special Envoy For Religious Minorities has become a reality. The relentless advocacy of ICAE Institute and the many Diaspora organizations also helped in this important appointment. (see attached letter)
We are grateful to Congresswoman Eshoo and Congressman Wolf and their colleagues and to all for this great achievement. We welcome and look forward to work closely with Mr. Knox Thames , the Special Envoy for Religious Minorities.
ICAE Institute advocacy work will continue to get more support and relief to save the oppressed and persecuted Iraqi Christians and other minorities,
Thanks
best,
Joseph T. Kassab, MSC, BS, GC
Founder and President IRAQI CHRISTIANS ADVOCACY AND EMPOWERMENT INSTITUTE (ICAE) WWW.ADVOCATESTOEMPOWER.ORG office: (800) 666-6233 direct: (248) 882-1912 fax: (248) 671-9610 jkassabict@aol.com jkassab@advocatestoempower.org 5779 W MAPLE ROAD, SUITE 106, WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI 48322 “Together we build sustainable communities with innovative initiatives”
From: “Murphy, Hannah” <Hannah.Murphy@mail.house.gov> Date: September 16, 2015 at 6:27:43 PM EDT To: “Murphy, Hannah” <Hannah.Murphy@mail.house.gov> Subject: FW: ESHOO WELCOMES APPOINTMENT OF SPECIAL ENVOY FOR RELIGIOUS MINORITIES
From: Stewart, Charles Sent: Wednesday, September 16, 2015 6:24 PM To: Stewart, Charles Subject: ESHOO WELCOMES APPOINTMENT OF SPECIAL ENVOY FOR RELIGIOUS MINORITIES
OFFICE OF REPRESENTATIVE ANNA G. ESHOO (CA-18)
ESHOO WELCOMES APPOINTMENT OF SPECIAL ENVOY FOR RELIGIOUS MINORITIES
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo (D-Calif.) released the following statement on the presidential appointment of Knox Thames as the Special Envoy to Promote Religious Freedom of Religious Minorities in the Near East and South Central Asia at the U.S. Department of State:
“I welcome the long awaited appointment of Knox Thames to serve as the Special Envoy for Religious Minorities at the State Department,” said Eshoo.
“The inhuman and rapid advance of ISIS across Syria and Iraq has not only exacerbated regional turmoil with massive displacement but has also led to the persecution of hundreds of thousands civilians for their religious beliefs.
“The appointment of Mr. Thames will give a voice to the voiceless by devoting a high-level U.S official to restoring and preserving religious freedom in the Middle East as called for in my legislation passed by the 113th Congress with former Congressman Frank Wolf (R-Va.).”
Eshoo serves as Co-Chair of the Religious Minorities in the Middle East Caucus. Earlier this month, she introduced a bipartisan resolution with her Caucus Co-Chair, Congressman Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.), declaring the violence taking place against religious minorities in the Middle East a genocide.
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April 20, 2015
The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President,
We write as an informal group of organizations and individuals who are scholars, religious leaders, human rights advocates and practitioners to express our support for the bipartisan, bicameral letter sent to you last week requesting that you move swiftly to fill the vacant post of Special Envoy for Religious Minorities in the Middle East and South Central Asia.
The news headlines have been dominated recently with stories of almost unimaginable human suffering at the hands of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Religious minorities in these lands, among them the ancient Christian and Yezidi communities, have suffered grave injustices: displacement, forced conversion, kidnapping, rape and death.
The Islamic State’s murderous reach has extended beyond Iraq and Syria. In February the world was shocked by horrifying images of innocent Coptic Christians being marched to their death on a Libyan beach.
A recently released Pew Research Center report on global restrictions on religion found that Pakistan is among the countries with the highest levels. Specifically the government continues to enforce laws severely marginalizing the Ahmadiyya Muslim community including restricting their ability to vote unless they renounce their faith.
Meanwhile, on March 15, in Lahore, Pakistan, suicide bombers targeted two Christian churches setting off their explosives during Sunday services in the hopes of killings as many as possible. Fifteen perished in the attacks and more than 70 were seriously wounded.
In Iran, the regime routinely violates religious freedom, especially of religious minorities. Seven leaders of the Baha’i community have languished unjustly in prison since 2008. They are among 100 Baha’is currently in prison. Iranian-American Pastor Saeed Abedini has been jailed for two and a half years simply because of his faith.
As you know, last summer Congress passed, with broad bipartisan support, legislation to create a Special Envoy for Religious Minorities in the Middle East and South Central Asia. The breadth of support for the legislation underscores the urgency of the perils facing these communities.
In the seven months since the legislation became law discrimination, repression and outright violence against religious minorities has only escalated. We respectfully request that you swiftly fill the position. Doing so would signal to beleaguered communities in the Middle East, and beyond, that America stands with them.
Respectfully,
ORGANIZATIONS
21ST CENTURY WILBERFORCE INITIATIVE
ADVOCATES INTERNATIONAL
AHMADIYYA MUSLIM COMMUNITY USA
AMERICAN CENTER FOR LAW AND JUSTICE
AMERICAN EZIDI CENTER – DC
AMERICAN HUMANIST ASSOCIATION
AMERICANS FOR DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN BAHRAIN
CHALDEAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
CHALDEAN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY NATIONAL AFFAIRS OFFICE
COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE AND PEACE, UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS
COPTIC SOLIDARITY
FREEDOM HOUSE
IN DEFENSE OF CHRISTIANS
INSTITUTE FOR GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT
INSTITUTE ON RELIGION AND DEMOCRACY
INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
INTERNATIONAL RELIGION LIBERTY ASSOCIATION
JUBILEE CAMPAIGN USA
MISSION EURASIA
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EVANGELICALS
NINEVEH COUNCIL OF AMERICA
NORTH AMERICAN RELIGIOUS LIBERTY ASSOCIATION
OPEN DOORS USA
PEACE CATALYST INTERNATIONAL
RUSSIAN ORTHODOX AUTONOMOUS CHURCH OF AMERICA
SHIA RIGHTS WATCH
UNITED MACEDONIAN DIASPORA
UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, GENERAL BOARD OF CHURCH AND SOCIETY
UNIVERSAL MUSLIM ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
Individuals
C Naseer Ahmad
Mustafa Akhwand
Executive Director
Shia Rights Watch
Leith Anderson
President
National Association of Evangelicals
Galen Carey
Vice President for Government Relations
National Association of Evangelicals
Thomas F. Farr
Director, Religious Freedom Project
Berkley Center, Georgetown University
Robert P. George
McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence
Princeton University
Dr. Joel C. Hunter, Senior Pastor
Northland – A Church Distributed
His Excellency Francis Kalabat
Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of Saint Thomas the Apostle of Detroit
Joseph T. Kassab, MSC, BS, GC
Founder and President
Iraqi Christians Advocacy and Empowerment Institute (ICAE)
Amjad Mahmood Khan
National Director of Public Affairs
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA
Jeff King
President
International Christian Concern
Brent McBurney
President & CEO
Advocates International
Greg Mitchell
President
The Mitchell Firm
Johnnie Moore
Author
DEFYING ISIS
Russell D. Moore
President
Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
Scott Morgan
President
Red Eagle Enterprises
Wayne Rhodes
Director of Communications
General Board of Church & Society
Rev. Dr. Samuel Rodriguez
President
NHCLC/CONELA
Hispanic Evangelical Association
Nina Shea
Director
Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom
Roy Speckhardt
Executive Director
American Humanist Association
Katrina Lantos Swett
President
Lantos Foundation
Anthony Vance
Director of Public Affairs
Bahá’ís of the United States
William C. Walsh
Human Rights Attorney
Bisceglie and Walsh