Durbin responds to religious freedom for Assyrians

Dear honorable Dick Durbin,

I am contacting you because of major distress of the Assyrian community. Mr. Durbin, Assyrian Christians in Iraq live in complete turmoil. Sadly, the Assyrians are being forced to flee the country in diaspora. For example, in Mosul, Iraq, radical Islamic groups gave the Assyrian three days to leave the country or they will be shot and killed. Already, thousands have been found dead. This is a major concern that is brushed under a dusty rug. Please, Mr. Durbin this is a plea for serious emergency help. Thank you for your time. God Bless.

Dick Durbin's Response to email in July

Dear Ms. Oshana:

Thank you for contacting me about the persecution of Assyrian Christians in Iraq . I appreciate your taking the time to write and I apologize for the delay in my response.

I share your concerns about religious persecution. As you may know, in 1998 Congress passed the International Religious Freedom Act. I supported this legislation because it takes a number of important steps toward promoting greater religious tolerance around the world.

The International Religious Freedom Act establishes an Office of International Religious Freedom within the State Department to promote religious tolerance overseas and advise the President on how to respond to violations of religious freedom. In addition, it requires the U.S. Secretary of State to annually submit a report to the President on the status of religious liberty in every foreign country. If a nation is found to have committed serious violations of religious freedoms, the President must either impose economic sanctions, negotiate an agreement to end the offending practices, or take other actions that are appropriate to the situation. The President must submit a report to Congress explaining his actions no more than 90 days after they have been taken.

International religious persecution is a serious issue that deserves U.S. attention. Throughout my service in the U.S. Congress, I have worked to make sure that America takes the lead in standing up for human rights as part of our foreign policy. I will continue to look for ways to promote religious freedom in the Middle East and throughout the world.
Thank you again for writing. Please feel free to keep in touch.