By Catholic News Agency
Christiane Rousselle
Christiane Rousselle
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| Photo Ankawa.com |
The bill was passed unanimously in the House Nov. 27, and in the Senate Oct. 11.
This bill was introduced by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), and the lead
Democratic sponsor was Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA). This was Smith’s second
attempt at getting the bill signed into law, and altogether it took 17
months for this bill to be passed.
Trump was joined at the Dec. 11 signing by Vice President Mike Pence,
Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback,
Ambassador to the Holy See Callista Gingrich, Supreme Knight of the
Knights of Columbus Carl Anderson, Smith, Eshoo, Chaldean Archbishop
Bashar Warda of Erbil, and many others.
Trump said it was a “great honor” to sign H.R. 390 into law, and
remarked that his administration has had great success in fighting
Islamic State. The group has lost nearly all of its territory since its
peak in 2015.
“This bill continues my administration's efforts to direct US
assistance for persecuted communities including through faith-based
programs,” he said.
The signing of the legislation is a symbol of the US speaking “with
bold moral clarity and political unanimity,” Anderson said in a
statement provided by the Knights of Columbus, which were heavily
involved with the process of writing the bill and assisting the
situation of Christians in the Middle East.
Since 2014, the Knights of Columbus have donated more than $20
million to help Christians and other religious and ethnic minorities in
Iraq and Syria with food, housing, and other needs. The Knights also
spent $2 million to rebuild an Iraqi town that had been destroyed by
Islamic State.
H.R. 390 provides funding to various entities, including faith-based
and religious organizations, that are helping with recovery and
stabilization efforts in Iraq and Syria in religious and ethnic minority
communities, including Christians and Yazidis.
The bill also instructs the Trump administration to “assess and
address the humanitarian vulnerabilities, needs, and triggers that might
force these survivors to flee” the region and for the administration to
identify signs of potential violent action against minority groups in
the country.
Another part of the law encourages foreign governments to identify
those who belong to Islamic State in security databases and security
screenings to aid with their prosecution. The bill provides support for
groups that are investigating members of Islamic State who committed war
crimes and crimes against humanity in the region.
Since Islamic State took control of the region, the country’s
Christian population has dwindled to only a few thousand families. Many
of these people fled to nearby Turkey and Lebanon out of concern for
their safety. Although the situation has drastically improved since
nearly all of Islamic State's territory has been regained, Christians
are reluctant to return to the region due to a lack of economic
opportunities and continued concerns for safety.