Christianity Today: Coptic bishop welcomes US announcement that ISIS committed genocide

Bishop Angaelos has welcomed the US’ declaration that ISIS has committed genocide against Christians, Yazidis and Shia Muslims.

For only the second time in history, the US administration today declared an ongoing conflict to be genocide. The term is understood to signal the gravest possible crime against humanity.

“In my judgment Daesh is responsible for genocide against groups … under its control, including Yazidis, Christians and Shia (Shi’ite) Muslims,” said US secretary of state John Kerry, using an Arabic derogatory term for ISIS.
He added the militant group was genocidal “by self-proclomation, by ideology and by actions”.

He went to say the US did not have the full picture but would support efforts to gather further evidence.

“The fact is that Daesh kills Christians because they are Christians, Yazidis because they are Yazidis, Shia because they are Shia,” Kerry said.

He continued: “Naming these crimes is important, but what is essential is to stop them.”

In an interview with Christian Today, the general bishop of the Coptic Church in the UK, Bishop Angaelos, said he had not expected the judgement.

“I was in the States last week and there seemed to be such reservation about declaring a genocide against Christians that the general expectation was it would be genocide for other groups but not Christians,” he said.

“But it is very welcome that now both Congress and the [Obama] administration have declared a genocide against Christians as well as Yazidis and Shia Muslims.”

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