Orthodox and Catholic Christian Leaders to UN "International Community Must Eradicate ISIS"

Teresa Neumann : Sep 2, 2014
Lauretta Brown – RSS/CNS News

"Countries must stop supporting and arming terrorists. Arabs must exert pressure on the financiers of these groups. We must stop extremist organizations and Arab countries must not remain silent against ISIS." -Statement released by leaders at Lebanon meeting with UN officials, Western diplomats

Editor's Note: Even as a second American journalist has reportedly been beheaded by the terror group ISIS, we know that no matter how great the darkness, it cannot extinguish God's light. But we must pray! -Aimee Herd, BCN.

(Beirut, Lebanon)—Eastern Orthodox and Catholic patriarchs and leaders issued a statement last week after meeting with diplomats from American, Great Britain, Russia and France, as well as UN representatives, to discuss the current ISIS crisis. (Photo via CNS News)

In part, their statement read:

"The Christians of Iraq have been detained by the Islamic State of Iraq (ISIS) and are being driven out of their houses. [Originally] there were 120,000 in Erbil; now there are 60,000. But what is painful is the absence of a stance [against] Islamic authorities.

The international community is responsible for ISIS' grown and for terrorism and the Arabs must exert pressure on the financiers of these groups. We must stop extremist organizations, and Arab countries cannot remain silent against ISIS.

We call for issuing a fatwa that forbids attacks against others. The international community must act and eradicate ISIS. This is required from the United Nations and the UN Security Council. This disaster requires also the international community and the European Union cooperate with the Iraqi cabinet and authorities in Kurdistan to free the Nineveh province and assure the refugees' safe return to Mosul."

Following the meeting, Cardinal Beshara al-Rai, said, "Seeing the heads and hands [of Christians and other minorities] being chopped off by ISIS while the international community led by the US is watching idly makes us question the usefulness of the United Nations, the Security Council and the International Criminal Court. The international community has an obligation to protect the people and their rights."