IJCIC Statement on Religious Persecution

The members of the International Jewish Committee on Inter-religious Consultations (IJCIC), the umbrella organization representing the international Jewish community in interfaith dialogue, deplore the world silence on the plight of persecuted Christians in many regions of the world. In the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere, atrocities are committed against Christians, including murders, physical attacks, evictions, and the burning of churches, by religious extremists and fundamentalists. These attacks constitute a wave of terror against Christians that must be condemned and stopped by the international community.
“As international leaders gather this week for the United Nations General Assembly, presidents, prime ministers, foreign ministers, and other high level officials of the member states of the UN will discuss the myriad pressing issues of the day. The persecution of Christians must be an item high on the agenda for discussion and action. As Jews, we have learned from the horrors of the Holocaust the evil that results from religious persecution and have shared our concern and expressed our solidarity with our dialogue partners in the Catholic, Protestant, and Christian Orthodox Churches. IJCIC is appalled that such persecution, slaughter, attacks, and evictions against Christians are being perpetrated today, and are met with silence and indifference,” said Betty Ehrenberg, Chair, IJCIC.
Religious extremism and the violence perpetrated in the name of religion cannot be met with silence and complacency. People of all nationalities and faiths are brothers and sisters in values, morality and ethics and must respond actively to this wave of terror with words and deeds. We urge the international community, whose leadership is now gathered at the UN, to raise their voices in protest to these crimes of terror and to act immediately to put an end to this evil campaign.
IJCIC, the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations, is the official partner in interfaith dialogue representing the international Jewish community in dialogue with the Vatican, the Christian Orthodox Church, the World Council of Churches, the Muslim community, and others. Members include the American Jewish Committee, Anti-Defamation League, B’nai B’rith International, Central Conference of American Rabbis, Orthodox Union, Rabbinical Assembly, Israel Jewish Council on Interreligious Relations, Rabbinical Council of America, Union for Reform Judaism, United Synagogue for Conservative Judaism, and the World Jewish Congress.
The executive staff of CJCUC, Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Riskin, David Nekrutman and Rabbi Dr. Eugene Korn, are part of the Israel Jewish Council on Interreligious Relations.