In its fanatical efforts to establish a caliphate, ISIS has committed crimes against humanity by deliberately causing mass starvation and dehydration and by committing unconscionable acts of barbarism against non-combatants, including defenseless women, children and elderly people.
So begins a letter of appeal to US President Obama signed by a number of American professors and church leaders. It was translated by Danish European Mission volunteer, Heine Strømdahl, who adds this commentary to the appeal letter:
"I think the appeal is written in a loving and humble Christian spirit. It does not point fingers at different political approaches to the tragedy in Iraq, but only calls for the United States to ensure the safety of persecuted minorities in Iraq."
The appeal to Obama is this:
It is imperative that the United States and the international community act immediately and decisively to stop ISIS and prevent further attacks on religious minorities. This goal cannot be achieved without the use of military force to degrade and disable ISIS forces. President Obama was right to order airstrikes against ISIS to prevent its advance on key cities and to provide humanitarian assistance to people fleeing its attacks. However, much more needs to be done and there is no time to waste.
We - the signatories - are Democrats, Republicans and Independents. We represent different religious traditions and shades of faith. None of us glorifies war or underestimates the risks that come with the use of military force. Where non-military means of conflict resolution and human rights protection are available, we always and strongly favor them. However, there is overwhelming evidence that such means will not be able to protect the victims of the genocide that is already unfolding at the hands of ISIS. That is why Patriarch Sako of the Iraqi Chaldean Christian Church has called for military intervention.
Therefore, we call on the United States and the international community to do everything necessary to support and equip local armies fighting ISIS in Iraq to protect their people. No option that is in line with the "just war" doctrine should be taken off the table. We further believe that the objective of the United States should be broader than simply putting a lid on the escalating violence that threatens so many innocents in the path of ISIS for a short time. Nothing less than the destruction of ISIS as a fighting force will provide long-term protection for the victims.
We call on President Obama and the United States Congress to expand airstrikes against ISIS to undermine its military power and to provide full air protection for Kurdish and other forces fighting ISIS. In addition, we commend the Washington Post's call for the United States to provide arms, ammunition and equipment to Kurdish forces, Sunni tribes and others who are currently hampered in their ability to fight ISIS by a lack of sophisticated weapons and other resources. The United States should also contribute intelligence. We are hopeful that with sufficient support and assistance from the United States and the international community, local forces can defeat ISIS
The extension of humanitarian assistance to the refugees and displaced is also urgent. Local churches and aid organizations are overwhelmed, and we are gravely concerned about how these victims of religious persecution will be cared for in the coming winter. The United States can and should take the lead in providing food, water, medicine and other essential supplies.
We should also keep in mind that beyond stopping the genocide, the US and Europe have very concrete interests in defeating ISIS. As Washington Post have warned:
"The Islamic State forces, which have seized a large number of US-supplied weapons (from Iraqi army stockpiles: translator's note), threaten not only the Iraqi and Kurdish governments, but also Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan. With hundreds of Western recruits, they have the ambition and capacity to launch attacks against targets in Europe and the United States."
It is also worth remembering that our own nation is not without responsibility for the plight that the victims of ISIS genocide now find themselves in. What is happening to these people now and the continued threats they face would not have happened were it not for the mistakes and failures of our own nation in Iraq. This can and should be recognized by all, despite any disagreements we may have among ourselves - disagreements as to exactly what those mistakes and failures were and which political and military leaders are primarily responsible for them. The point is not to point fingers or attribute blame, but to recognize that fairness Just as compassion demands that we take the necessary steps to end ISIS genocide and protect those who are its victims.
So much for the appeal.
Support the victims of ISIS barbarism. It costs DKK 550 to feed and medicate a refugee family for a month. Support
Signatories:
Robert P. George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence, Princeton University
Russell Moore, Ph.D., President, The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention
Benjamin S Carson Sr MD, Emeritus Professor of Neurosurgery,Oncology,Plastic Surgery and Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins Medicine, President and CEO American Business Collaborative, LLC
James R. Stoner, Jr. Professor of Political Science, Louisiana State University
Gerard V. Bradley, Professor of Law, Notre Dame University
Edward Whelan, President, Ethics and Public Policy Center
Matthew J. Franck, Witherspoon Institute
William Happer, Professor of Physics Emeritus, Princeton University
Prof. Dan Robinson, Philosophy Faculty, Oxford University and Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Georgetown University
David Mills
Micah J. Watson, Ph.D, Director, Center for Politics & Religion; Associate Professor, Political Science, Union University
Alan Charles Kors, Professor of History, University of Pennsylvania
Anthony M. Esolen, Professor of English, Providence College
John Londregan, Professor of Politics and International Affairs, Princeton University
Fr. John Cassar
Thomas Kelly, Professor of Philosophy, Princeton University
Rabbi Eliezer Bercuson, Princeton University
Eric Metaxas, author of Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy
C. Ben Mitchell, PhD, Interim Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs, Graves Professor of Moral Philosophy, Union University
Thomas F. Farr, Director, Religious Freedom Project, Visiting Associate Professor, Georgetown University
Lauren Weiner
Ben Cohen, Writer and Political Analyst, New York City
Robert J. Lieber, Georgetown University
Michael Stokes Paulsen, University Chair & Professor of Lae, The University of St. Thomas
Katherine Kersten, Center of the American Experiment in Minneapolis, MN
Patrick Lee, Franciscan University of Steubenville
Sol Stern, Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute
Jonathan Brent
Josh Block, Chief Executive Officer & President, The Israel Project
Richard Weissman, Associate Professor Emeritus, University of Colorado at Denver; Adjunct Professor, Portland Community College
And others..........
